Following one of the arms of the bay we enjoyed a pleasant row, and
passed through pretty scenery, until we came to a village, beyond
which the boat could not pass. From this place a chief and a party
of men volunteered to walk with us to Waiomio, a distance of four
miles. The chief was at this time rather notorious from having
lately hung one of his wives and a slave for adultery. When one of
the missionaries remonstrated with him he seemed surprised, and
said he thought he was exactly following the English method. Old
Shongi, who happened to be in England during the Queen's trial,
expressed great disapprobation at the whole proceeding: he said he
had five wives, and he would rather cut off all their heads than be
so much troubled about one. Leaving this village, we crossed over
to another, seated on a hill-side at a little distance. The
daughter of a chief, who was still a heathen, had died there five
days before. The hovel in which she had expired had been burnt to
the ground: her body, being enclosed between two small canoes, was
placed upright on the ground, and protected by an enclosure bearing
wooden images of their gods, and the whole was painted bright red,
so as to be conspicuous from afar.
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