was prematurely delivered of Alnalutoto (clotted blood); this she wrapped up carefully and hid in the garden. After a day or two it was heard to cry. People ran to the place where it was buried, and they brought [away] the girl. She was called Nafanua (hid in the earth), because she was placed there when first born.[1] They brought it from the place in which it was placed. It could not be quieted; it cried for many days and nights. The chief Savea-siuleo ordered the toa tree {Casuarina equisetifolia) in Ongea to be cut down to quiet the girl with. The toa tree was cut down and given to the girl, but she was not quieted; she still continued to cry. Then the chief commanded to cut down the Toa-ina-loto to quiet the girl with. The chief ordered a bread-fruit tree to be brought first. They brought a tree, and the girl was quieted when they brought the tree to her; she cried no more. The girl grew to maturity, but the number of her years is not known because the tale is only by word of mouth.
Taema remembered the saying of her father, "Remember, I am of the conquered party." Taenia said to her child Nafanua, "I feel sorry for my father being in the conquered party." Nafanua asked her mother: "Who is your father? Where is he?" [She answered] "He is in Samoa." The girl was sorry for his being conquered, and she said: "Let us visit him."
Taema and Tilafainga swam away, and took with them the Toa-ina-loto. They swam in the sea and reached a land called Fiji. They heard tattooers going about in the land. Taema said to Tilafainga that they should call in at that land and make trial of the tree. They went ashore. Taema covered her breasts and the two went ashore. The
- ↑ Na-fanua (hidden inland) was the name of a goddess of a district in the west end of Savaii. She was the daughter of Savea-siuleo, the god of Pulotu, and was hidden inland, or in the bush, when an infant, by her mother, who was ashamed of her illegitimate birth. {Turner, p. 38.)
