6th August

 

Meet up with Stephen and Annie in Sigatoka and visited Tongan Hill Fort just outside of town.  The fort had river on one side and steep hills on the other.  When it was built there were series of walls and ditches that had to be climbed by warring fractions. Apparently this was the only village never conquered.  Eventually these Tongans became integrated into Fijian society – although our guide told us he would go to Tonga to find a Tongan wife.  You can just make out our guide, aka John- in right of picture.

 

 

 

View from the visitors centre.  

 

View of the river from near the top of the hill fort.

 

 

Top of the hill where chiefs entertainment took place – and cava drinking.

 

‘John’ about to explain the male sacrifices to us.  The stone in front of him is where human body was lain down with his head placed on the stone in front of that.  The victims head was chopped off so that the blood ran down between the stones and collected in gourds which then given to witch doctor and priest.  Apparently a male victim had to be sacrificed every month.  When there were no captured males for sacrifice, the village waited until the next fight and their next set of captives.  They then totalled up the months there had not been any sacrifices and then killed the appropriate number of captured males to settle the score, and thus it continued.  When warriors lost a fight, the whole village lost, the women became slaves and the men slaves until they – well you know what happened to them.  Also learnt that society divided up into fishermen, warriors, priests etc..

 

Annie looking  a bit odd!

 

 

The body stone..

 

The alter on which human blood sat? or did something anyway.

 

Stephen, Annie and I looking over the still intact walls to the river.

 

 

Paul looking perplexed.

 

 

A good looking tree.

 

The village of Tavuni below.