The “Leper Stones”

Of Fiji.

[Letter to the Editor ] Under “Archaeological Theories” in your issue of August, you give an inter esting article about an “Ancient Stone”.

As the following may be of interest, I send herewith a photo taken by myself some time ago of what are known in Fiji as “Leper Stones”. This photo was taken near a village called Wala, some miles inland from old Fort Carnarvon, and somewhere about the centre of Viti Levu, on the banks of the Sigatoka river.

The largest stone is about 12 inches long and the others in like proportion.

The two large stones have nothing dis tinctive about them, but the small centre stone is of a hard, red, flinty substance.

Close by, on left top corner, can be seen the cairn of stones marking the grave of the spirit who is supposed to haunt the

place and control the power over these stones. The Fijians firmly believe that if anyone should dare to take up the small centre stone and strike either of the larger stones, he will, sooner or later,

develop leprosy.

There are other Leper Stones in dif ferent parts of the island. The stones, of which I send a photo, have never been photographed before, and I doubt if any European has ever seen them with the exception of myself and the friend who was with me at the time. These par ticular stones are mentioned on pages 264 and 265 of Basil Thomson’s work, “The Fijians—A Study of the Decay of Custom”.

I am, etc.,

Arthur B. Herrold.

Ba, Fiji. 15/9/1933.