CHAPTER XIV.

THE FIJI ISLANDS.

Early European visitors-General description-Tanoa's crueltyPrivileges of the chiefs-Crimes and their punishments-The Vasu-Mortality in war-Treatment of captives-The warriors' return-Decrease of the population-Revenge-Suicide-Murder begets murder-Inconsistencies of Character-Fruits of polygamy-Infanticide-Inhuman practices-Cannibalism.

To the north-west of Tonga, and only 250 miles distant, lie the Fiji Islands, 225 in number, though only 80 are inhabited, and some of these by a mere handful of savages. Distributed in the form of a horse-shoe, they vary in size from a coral reef, or volcanic rock, to islands of really considerable magnitude and romantic beauty.

The first European who visited them was the Dutch seaman Jansen Tasman, after whose time they appear to have remained unnoticed until Cook lay-to off the little island of Vatoa, in the Windward group, to which he gave the name of Turtle Island. In 1789, and again in 1792, Captain Bligh sighted several members of the cluster, and four years later the Duff was nearly lost off Taviuni. Quite at the commencement of the present century, twentyseven convicts of the most desperate character escaped from New South Wales and took service under different chiefs, who gratified their brutal passions to the utmost in return for the immense advantage they realised from their fire

arms in time of war. In a few years, however, nearly the whole gang were destroyed, and many of them eaten, though two survived till 1824, and one till 1840. The last, named Paddy Connor, had attached himself to the King of Rewa, who humoured every whim of the monster. If any one chanced to offend this wretch, the king would bid him prepare an oven and, when it was red-hot, another man would be directed to murder him and throw him in. After the death of his patron, Connor left Rewa and led rather a dismal life, the other whites, though not themselves over-scrupulous, refusing to associate with him. His last days, it is said, were occupied in rearing pigs and poultry, and in looking after his forty-eight children.

For many years past these islands have been constantly frequented by European and American ships, both men-ofwar and trading-vessels, and a mixed population has sprung up, combining, as usual, the worst characteristics of both lines of parentage. The natives of the Leeward Islands call the entire group the Viti Islands, pronounced Fiji by those of the Windward group. The latter are of small size, the largest, Lakemba, being less than six miles in diameter-for it is nearly circular-and containing a population of about 2000 souls. Towards the north-east of the archipelago is the island of Taviuni, better known as Somosomo, twenty-five miles in length, and sixty-eight in circumference, and which is simply an extinct volcano, rising 2000 feet above the sea, the site of its ancient crater being now occupied by a lake. Few more charming spots are to be found even in the Pacific Ocean. At no great distance to the westward is situated Vanua Levu, or Great Land, twenty-five miles in breadth, and more than a hundred in length. The population exceeds 30,000. Bearing to the

south-west lies another large island, called Na Viti Levu, or the Great Fiji, which measures ninety miles from east to west, and fifty from north to south. The mountains in the interior possess an altitude of over 4000 feet, and the scenery is everywhere grandly picturesque, softened by a tropical vegetation. The population is not less than 50,000. Further away to the south the lofty island of Kandavu contains upwards of 10,000 inhabitants, and is twenty-five miles long, by about seven in breadth.

For convenience sake the Rev. Thomas Williams proposes to divide the archipelago into eight compartments. Beginning from the south-east, he takes first the Ono group, to which he assigns Ono, Ndoi, Maua, Undui, Yanuya, Tuvana-i-tholo, and Tavana-i-ra. Nothing is certainly known as to the time when these islands were first peopled, though there is good reason for believing that the original inhabiwere derived from the dark-skinned primitive races of India. In the Windward or westerly groups there are traces of the admixture of Tongan blood; but the practice of slaying and cooking all foreigners has preserved the Leeward groups from Malay colonists. In some respects the Fijians resemble the Papuan negroes, though superior to these in form and feature. They are, in fact, the connecting-link between the eastern and western Polynesians, though possessing many peculiarities in language, character, and usages, owing to their voluntary isolation from their neighbours on either side.

According to the Rev. J. D. Geden, there are at least fifteen dialects spoken in these islands, differing as much from one another as Spanish from Portuguese. The purest dialect is that spoken at Mbau, an islet connected by a coral reef with the south-eastern extremity of Viti Levu,

The

Pronunciation is marked by several singularities. English aspirate is unknown, as also ch, as in "church,” th as in "thistle," while p, f, j, and the soft g are heard only in the Windward Islands frequented by the Tongans. Th is always sounded as in "that," g and q as ng in "linger," and k not unfrequently as g in "guest." "The sounds of d and b," continues Mr Geden, "even though standing, where they continually stand, at the beginning of a word, are never enunciated without a nasal before them, n being heard before d, m before b. Thus, Doi, one of the islands, is pronounced Ndoi, and Bau, Mbau." For reasons best known to themselves, the early missionaries adopted c to represent the Fijian th, and thus Thama is spelt Cama, and King Thakombau's name is metamorphosed into Cacobau.

Prior to the commencement of the present century, the political history of the Fijian Archipelago is enveloped in darkness; but there can be little doubt that each separate group was practically independent of its neighbours, and governed by its own local chiefs. About the year 1800, however, an ambitious and energetic chief, named Na Ulivou, was the foremost man in Mbau, and through his numerous successes obtained the title of Vuni-valu, or The Root of War, which has descended to his successors. This island-conqueror died in 1829, and was succeeded by his brother Tanoa, a confirmed cannibal, whose troubled reign terminated in 1852. The cruelty of this savage was simply fiendish. A cousin having offended him was condemned to death, "After having kissed his relative," says Mr Williams, "Tanoa cut off his arm at his elbow, and drank the blood as it flowed warm from the severed veins. The arm, still quivering with life, he

Tyranny of the Chiefs.

207

threw upon a fire, and, when sufficiently cooked, ate it in presence of its proper owner, who was then dismembered, limb by limb, while the savage murderer looked with pitiless brutality on the dying agonies of his victim." At another time he commanded his youngest son to be put to death, and selected another of his sons to be the executioner. The blow struck by the latter not proving fatal, the unnatural parent bellowed out, "Kill him! kill him!" and the fratricidal act was consummated. When his own end was at hand, he eagerly inquired how many of his wives would be strangled to bear him company, and appeared content when assured that not fewer than five should be despatched.

Though Mbau pretends to the sovereignty of the archipelago, the other islands stand rather in the relation of vassals than of subjects, and render or withhold their homage according to circumstances. Even the subordinate chiefs are absolute within their own jurisdiction, and are supposed to derive their power from the gods. A chief, being refused a man's hoe, carried off his wife; another, being desirous to collect his people more closely round him, threatened to bake the recalcitrants; and a third ordered a village to be burnt, a child perishing in the flames, because the villagers had brought him a smaller quantity of reeds than he required. Criminality is measured by the rank of the offender. A chief, if he be sufficiently powerful, cannot be brought before any tribunal. The most heinous offences are theft, adultery, abduction, witchcraft, violation of the tabu, incendiarism, and disrespectful conduct towards a chief.

Theft," writes Mr Williams, "is punished by fine, repayment in kind, loss of a finger, or clubbing. Either