This book is reprinted from the historic original. It is a first-hand source describing a Fijian people and culture which does not presently exist. As such, it is an invaluable resource for understanding the way things used to be, before Western intervention.
A great portion of the worth of this work is in its presentation of native folklore and beliefs. Preservation of folklore means preservation of the mind of a people, preservation of their deepest beliefs, their understanding of the world, the knowledge that held them together as a people and equipped them to survive. This book is a sociological study of the Fijian people from before they had lost all that they had once been.