HOW THE ISLAND LABOR TRAFFIC IS CARRIED ON.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2414, 30 December 1881, Page 3

HOW THE ISLAND LABOR TRAFFIC IS CARRIED ON.

The “Fiji Times ” publishes the fallowing account of the late cruise of the Jessie Solly, which gives some insight into the peculiarities of the island labor trade :

The Jessie Kelly left Lsvuka on the 9fch J nly last, licensed to recruit labor for Fiji in New Hebrides and Solomon groups. Experienced light winds until we reached Murderer’s Bay, or Bat Napnee, on the lee coast of Pentecost, on the 16;h. Found it hard to communicate with the natives, bnt when they found out we were Fijians we bad less trouble. Remained there at anchor until the 10th, and got in the interval fonrteen men and boys, a nice lot. Found the Natives quiet enough, notwithstanding their bad reputation hereabouts, and they constantly came off to the vessel in their miserable canoes. On the 22ad off the lee coast of Oba. Anchored at Walu-riki. Found the Aurora and Idaho from Noumea, and the Mavis, from. Fiji, also at anchor there before us. Under these circumstances the recruiting was not successful. Six boats pulling about in pairs does not tend to get men. Natives did not even care to sell yams, and few came near os. From 26th to 28th on lea of Pentecost ; got one man. At Bushman’s Bay saw two men from Stanley’s plantation recently landed ; they complain sadly of a Nonmean vessel taking men away forcibly, and giving no “yaqona” to the men’s friends.

I think they worship their ancestor* here. Every post in their large temples is carved to represent nude human figures, intended to represent their dead chiefs. There are the presiding deities, whose heads are kept for generations in the bodies of large timber fish, representing the shark and swordfish, stuck on posts all over the interior. No women or children dare pass these temples on pain of death. Remained on this coast until the 14th August, and got in that time fifteen men, at the rate of two or three a day. The Natives were more civil on this island than on any other in the Solomons. ’Tis an odd thing there are no cookies on this island, while all the rest, some only forty miles off, are full of them. What can account for it ? Met many old Fijians, they are much more civil and obliging than returned Queenslanders.

On the sth off Mala, or Malayta. They use the bow and arrow as well as the spear on this coast, and are rogneish and cheeky. Don’t care to recruit; want to see their friends back first. Many left this lee coast about three years ago, and are expected back daily. Got into calms here, and only recruited, three men, two from canoes.

On the 11th anchored at Aliti Bay. Cheeky rogues ; getting a man only occasionally. Saw a man here with only a hole for a month, and two little pig’s eyes—a hideous object—and jet he pounds up betel nut and lime, and pops it into the hole. The Natives are continually sating this betel nut and lime with a peppery leaf. They say it keeps away fever and ague, and, if without food for a day or so, it keeps up their strength. We have joined in a Native betel spree. It makes you tight for ten minutes or so after eating it ; you stagger, and everything seems to swim, round, but it is a curious thing that a drink of water at once takes eff the effect. You alio break out into a perspiration (a hint for the dootors) after eating it. On the 19Lh anchored at Ku Bay,; got seven men, and left for Coleridge Bay. Hera we found the Nuifo, Captain Hoyer, with Captain Proctor on beard. Had recruited 60 labor, having been to Duke of York, New Ireland, and New Britain, and had got men at each island—a fine, powerful set of fellows, but as black as blacking. The vessel had also some Bougainville, or Eubiana people, Mr Proctor said he recruited them as fast as he could give each one a knife and tomahawk over the side. Fully 200 canoes were round him and as many more comi’ g, so he thought it best to clear out. On 28th off N.E. Coast of the Island of Isabel, or Gau, as it is called by the natives. Remained on this coast until 3rd of September, and got ten men. The principal people here wear wigs on State occasions. Some old traders in the Solomons tell ns it is the badge of a secret society, a sort of Masonic order. Certain it is that boys of twenty wear these wigs as well as older persons ; the women do not wear them. We saw a hut here with » heap of fresh human bones in one comer,.and a lot of blood in the other. The people had evidently been surprised, and the usual result followed, viz., a feast! On the 7th off Savo, on the lee coast of Guadalcanal and recruited hard along, thia side of the island until the 16:h ; result two men. Nearly everyone is a returned labor immigrant. Even the women and children say “Good morning” in English. Natives are afraid to go in the bush and get recruits, as they do in Now Hebrides. Each local chief here is left a little trade by the trading vessels to buy copra, which is kept until the vessel’s arrival, and thus the natives are well supplied in every little thing they require, and won’t recruit. When a man can get his pipe and tobacco for ten or twenty nuts, as they can here, he is happy and won’t change bis estate. Why should he ? He gets all his little wants supplied as well as if he worked in Suva or Levuka. On 17th off west coast of San Ohristoval (Makira) again, and up to 25th got a dozen recruits.

On 28‘h anchored at Mary Harbor* Captain McDonald hag a fine bit of land here. Mrs McDonald at homo, but the two brothers over at mainland opening a plantation there. A day or two afterwards anchored at Faiariti, the name of their plantation. They have 16 000 acres of good black eoil, two rivers through it. Up to the 7th got thirteen men here, and left for the New Hebrides. Anchored at Torres, October 12th, at Qan anchorage.