MEASLES IN FIJI.

Evening Star, Issue 3890, 12 August 1875, Page 3

MEASLES IN FIJI.

The Fiji ‘ Times ’ of the 3rd ult. (kindly placed at our disposal), has an article on the ravages of the disease that has swept away so large a proportion of the inhabitants of the Fiji Islands. From it we take the following :

About the middle’ or latter end of January last arrived Dido in Levuka, bringing to us, among other importations, the measles. * No one, who had any experience in connection with savage racesjj and their habits of life, could have held opini- n other than that this disease, if introduced amongst the Fijians, must become a plague more fatal to tho race than tho Angel of Death to tho Kgyptians ; but our Executive were too busily occup ed vita the formalities deemed essential to welcome, on his return, the ex-King of Fiji, to give a moment’s considerafion to tho surgeon’s report: “ Wo have measles on board,” 4Ve sounded the trumpet of alarm at once, and from that date to the present we have not ceased to continue urging upon the Government tho adoption of sanitary measures. I otter upon letter has appeared iu our columns oa tho subjot t* detailing scenes so sickening as to equal the mo.st terrible narratives of what occurred during the horrors of the Indian famine.

Appeals to the authorities for medicines, food, instructions, and help, poured iu from all aides, wit: whnt’results we all know. The apothecaries’ books in Levuka could tell a tale of monies e?pended, by settlers in all pans of the gr-up, for medicines to be used in the battle o ' behalf of the p’aguestricken natives. The store books of "the whites throughout the Colony could give details of provisions supplied by those who have pirn bed themselves in order that they uiight give food to the weak and starving h'juns. The various mi aionary stations scattered through the islands, can show returns of medicines and comforts, sunp icd ungrudgingly, to the limit of the means in hand ; hut how about our then Executive iuiing this sad time?

The Wesleyan nshsion, by them native ig-nla throughout the Colony, will, no lonht, obtain a correct return of all the icaiiis that can be laid to the charge of oieasles, ugd it theao retu ns give deaths in oroportion to reliab'e returns're. c-ived from uuny parts of the group, we do not hesitate r, ° Ea Y *bat fully one-third of the Fijian p oplo has disappeared be'oro the measles • rhat 40,000 souls have died within to*r months ; and that the Executive of tho olony, for the time be\n», failed roost cul- ■ 'ably in its duty in tho matter : they did Kthmg' because, it is trim, they did net <now how to do anything