The practice of cannibalism formed perhaps the
most terrible feature in Fijian life. The custom
seems to have arisen from the inherent ferocity of
their natures, seeing that there was no lack of food,
for the whole group of islands is plentifully blessed
with vegetables and fruits. Although all the natives
were participators in cannibal orgies, some of them
were distinguished among their fellows for their
hunger after human flesh. One monster was cele-
brated as the eater of 238 bodies ; while another had
consumed 900 bodies ! The son of this man once
took a missionary to count the row of stones by
which the cannibal father had kept count of the lives
he had destroyed, and the bodies he had eaten,
and the missionary counted 872 stones still remain-
ing upright in this stony record of cannibalism.
"Cannibal forks," were long four-pronged wooden
forks, with beautifully carved handles, used for taking
up morsels of human flesh. These were among the
furniture of every hut, and were constantly brought
into requisition.
