LATEST FROM FIJI.

Evening Star, Issue 3065, 14 December 1872, Page 3

LATEST FROM FIJI.

We have Fiji dates to the 2,’Jrd ult. The Sea Gull on her If,ay trip from Auckland brought down six passengers, about whom 'therß' wa'S eohiething'' mysterious. Their nameb' were not upon the ship’s clearance, and rumor' whether rightly or not, said that they we're the Ijiarp frop Apcklapd, apd that they had boarded the vpsspl fis she was leaving that pprt. Whoever they they arrived here ip, safety, and after a, yery short sojourn have gone put “ frp,m apaopgst pa, because they were not of ns.” One of them, under the name of Fitagerald, went as a passenger to Sydney per the Nukulau ; the other five sailed per the Julia Price on Wednesday last for Samoa. Thence it will be an easy matter for them to obtain a passage for America [They offered a large sum to be conveyed direct to San Francisco ] We have received particulars from Suva settlers of an outrage in the above district, the particulars of which we append. It appears that Messrs Brewer and Joske have a large number of men from the Macuata coast working upon their sugar plantation, and these men have for some time been troublesome end difficult to manage, and one of

them aimed a blow with a spade at an overseer’s head, but fortunately the blow was dodged. Since then the overseers have been in the habit , wo believe, of carrying firearms. On the morning of the disturbance, the signal for the men to go to work sounded as usual at about six o’clock, but the natives did not respond to the summons. Mr, Smith, the tni' o er. therefore took a whip and entered the men’s bn re, when the y immediately nm outside, he following them. A short distance away from their hut they turned, and clustering maud him, beat him to the ground. The two overseers seeing this immediately ran to Smith’s help, when they wore attacked in like manner. Smith then drew bis revolver and attempted to fire, but it missed, and he struck one of the bijians over the head with it, when it was at once struck out of his hand, the blow nearly breaking his aim, and a native attempted thi'ee times to shoot him. A neighbour, seeing the first of the attack from a distance, ran with all speed to the nearest settlers, Every one seized a weapon avid rushed to try and save his life, or else to secure the murderers. In the meantime the struggle in the field was over, and the wo kmcn and the natives had collected in the bure. The settlors coming down, and perceiving that the natives were gathered in doors, concluded that the white men had been murdered in the field, and therefore surrounded the house, keeping a special guard around the doors to prevent any escape. It was at this time that the shooting took place. Two men rushed out of the bare, attempting to escape, when they were fired upon. One was shot through the body, and is since dead ; the other was slightly wounded in the cheek. Three of the ringleaders were then handcuffed, and placed in security to await trial, which was taking place when our informant left.