Now his wives heard of his coming; they were incensed that he did

not stay to visit them; and on the beach, by his canoe, intercepted

and slew him. Now the third wife lay asleep in Savaii;--her babe

was born and slept by her side; and she was awakened by the spirit

of her husband. 'Get up,' he said, 'my father is sick in Manu'a

and we must go to visit him.' 'It is well,' said she; 'take you

the child, while I carry its mats.' 'I cannot carry the child,'

said the spirit; 'I am too cold from the sea.' When they were got

on board the canoe the wife smelt carrion. 'How is this?' she

said. 'What have you in the canoe that I should smell carrion?'

'It is nothing in the canoe,' said the spirit. 'It is the land-

wind blowing down the mountains, where some beast lies dead.' It

appears it was still night when they reached Manu'a--the swiftest

passage on record--and as they entered the reef the bale-fires

burned in the village. Again she asked him to carry the child; but

now he need no more dissemble. 'I cannot carry your child,' said

he, 'for I am dead, and the fires you see are burning for my

funeral.'

The curious may learn in Dr. Sierich's book the unexpected sequel

of the tale. Here is enough for my purpose. Though the man was

but new dead, the ghost was already putrefied, as though

putrefaction were the mark and of the essence of a spirit. The

vigil on the Paumotuan grave does not extend beyond two weeks, and

they told me this period was thought to coincide with that of the

resolution of the body. The ghost always marked with decay--the

danger seemingly ending with the process of dissolution--here is

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