In a retired place near the sea a small house was built, and enclosed with a rustic trellis fence, tied at the crossings with a small-leafed vine, and interrupted by long poles decorated with streamers. Within the enclosure a miniature temple was erected to contain a consecrated cocoanut, or some other trifle. No effort was spared to make the place attractive to the shy little gods; the roof of the house was draped with _masi_; the wall studded with crab-claws, and span-long yams and painted cocoanuts were disposed about the foundations that they might eat and drink.
A party of twenty or thirty youths spent several weeks in this enclosure, drumming every morning and evening on the ground with hollow bamboos to attract the sea-gods. During this long period they observed certain tabus, and spent the days in complete idleness. Williams heard of a party who, to facilitate the landing of the _Luve-ni-wai_, built a jetty of loose stones for some distance into the sea. When they were believed to be ascending, flags were set up in some of the inland passes to turn back any of them that might try to make for the forests inland. On the great day a Nanga-like enclosure was made with long poles piled to a height of twelve inches and covered with green boughs, spears bearing streamers being set up at the four angles. Within this the lads sat gaily draped, with their votive offerings of clubs and shells before them, thumping their bamboo drums on the earth. Presently the officers of the lodge were seen approaching headed by the _Vuninduvu_, a sort of past-master, armed with an axe, and capering wildly; the _Lingu-viu_ (Fan-holder) circling madly round the drummers, waving a great fan; the _Mbovoro_, dancing and carrying in his hand the cocoanut which he is about to break on his bent knee; the _Lingu-vatu_, pounding his nut with a stone. Amid a terrific din of shrieks and cat-calls the gods entered into the _Raisevu_, who thereafter was regarded as a peculiarly favoured person. Then all went mad; the _Vakathambe_ shouted his challenge; the _Matavutha_ shot at him, or at a nut which he held under his arm, and all became possessed with the same frenzy as the inspired priests. One after another they ran to the _Vuninduvu_ to be struck on the belly, believing themselves invulnerable, and if the _Vuninduvu_ was over-simple or over-zealous he sometimes did them mortal injury. Williams, who gives the above description of the rites, says that in the old days the orgy was free from licentiousness: we shall see how they have deteriorated since the conversion of the people to Christianity.