Life in Fiji.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 161, 10 December 1872, Page 7

Life in Fiji.

o i lii ii Daily Times of a late date is published prtions of a private letter from a lady residnt in Fiji, dated “ Lovuka, October 2d,: 1-72.” We extract the following : I . “ The Government have started a ■ nwspaper hero, without the consent of the l pople, called the Fiji (lazetie. Their inton- ’ . tin is to inspire confidence in their Gm'oni- ; unit in the Colonies and elsewhere abroad, jin the hope that they may thus he able to | betow money, to be spent among themselves, , ; asusual. The ].>eoplo complain because the j (r.vemmeilt have so many armed men at j thir command, but what can we do? Tne i j naives are armed at the people's expense, to<. We dare not complain aloud, the Government are so despotic. It is nothing unusual for a policeman to walk into a private! hose without the consent of the occupiers.! Tin other day a man was fined £2 and costs | fortrying to prevent a policeman from enfceringlus lionso without authority. The Magis- i trae gave it as his opinion that a policeman ! in niform, and without authority, can enter j i amhonse whenever he likes. So much for I Fij law. j ‘The Government issued paper money, I als< without the consent of the people. If, j I is 11 ite irredeemable boo, as the Government i 1 7 1

have no funds in the shapfi of coin to cash the paper, when the latter is presented. They dare not make any laws without first I submitting them to the approval of the native ; chiefs. Consequently all the laws made are i for the benefit of the natives. The native ! chiefs are paid high salaries by the Govern-! ment, and when tney come to Levuka they i have with them a large crowd of followers, 1 all of whom are supported at the expense of | the white inhabitants. They stare into your | house and walk into your bedroom, and you dare not say nay to them. One day a native ! woman was in the act of walking into my I house, uninvited. We asked her what she wanted, and her only reply was to spit in 1 ’s face. It is useless to appeal t< > the police, for they are ordered to take no notice , of us. Ou the other hand, if a white man in | any way offends a native, lie is brought up! and heavily fined. Our precious Government want money, and between taxes and | heavy fines they manage to raise enough to | keep the chiefs in good humour, in return, i the chiefs make them presents of laud, wliich j is all they care for. The members of the Go-1 vernment, when any goods arrive here from | the Colonies for them, make no scruple of I using Government property, such as boats or i men, to land them. The people here have: not sufficient moral courage to resist their j oppressions. Meanwhile, we must do, as the | natives say to everything they are told to j do— malua, i.e., wait a while.”