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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 16, 17 October 1861, Page 6 (Supplement)

FIJI. To the Editor of the Sydney Morniny Herald. Sie—ln order that tho public may not be led into .error in respect to the Fiji Islands, and the expectations that may lead them to emigrate there, I beg leave, Sir, to request that you will insert the following in your valuable paper, of my experience in those Islands, and in some measure to alleviate the sufferings that have already or may be caused by exaggerated reports. I arrived in the Fiji 'lslands in January last, and remained there until the 16th of May, during which time I had opportunity not only of observing tho manners and customs of the natives, but also the manner in which their trade is now carried on there, and the protection afforded to British subjects by H. B. M. consul, Mr. W. T. Pritchard. During my stay in the Fijis a number of passengers arrived from New Zealand and other parts, and the greatest number, after looking round, and finding neither employment or inducement for them to remain, were glad to return before their ■ funds were expended. Others that have remained have so far involved themselves that they cannot return, and eke out a miserable existence in the Fiji Islands. One family in particular came from iNew Zealand—a shoemaker by profession ; be remained some time, worked at his trade, but finding nothing to pay him, took passage back to New [Zealand. After he had taken passage his wife was taken sick of dysentry and died, and he return;ed, a heart-broken and ruined man. Others that Nave not been able to pay their passage back have had to work for their meals until they could get employed in the small vessels trading about the Islands, at a pay of £3 r (> month, paid in trade, such as knives, cloth &c., and these charged at a rate of 300 ')> cent, above the Sydney prices. A few carpenters do get employment in [occasionally repairing some of the coasters at 12s. and Bs. '{> day, but it is not constant, and it is only the old hands who are enabled to get employment this way, and then they are paid in trade, as money is scarce, and the chief currency is trade for produce. There are two public houses in Levuka, the one kept by a Mr. Russell, late from Bendigo ; the other by a Mr Arthur R. Rae; and they seem to be tho only parties to whom there is any ready money passing, or, in my opinion, are doing well, as drinking is the prevailing vice of both the white inhabitants and half-castes of Levuka, and much of these publicans’ trade is credit for produce, so that parties emigrating there with the hope of doing well Or getting any adequate employment will be sadly disappointed. During my stay I had ■an opportunity of visiting several of tho islands as well as being round on tho Mudwatha coast, where the chief Kouritobe was at war with the natives on the main land. The son of Kouritobe, Te Mudwatha, had a sea fight in their canoes with the other party, in which To Mudwatha took

ijfivo canoes and killed a number of their enemies. i;I stayed a fortnight at Kie, a small island from the i mainland, where Te Mudwatha with his father iKouritobe and their tribe had taken refuge during ;| the war; aud during my stay there the natives I showed great hospitality and kindness in their own ‘ way. One very remarkable feature I have taken i notice of, that they pay a great respect to the Supreme Being and a due observance of the Sabbath, which shows the moral good that has been : effected by the missionaries. When we consider [ that the Fijians were but a short time back canni- | bals, and are now just emerging from a state of | barbarism, this in itself is a great moral good, and will, I have no doubt, eventually work to the cij vilization of those islands. Still from what I hear I from many of the old residents, there is a great I amount of cannibalism to this day. I afterwards i visited Chicobea, an island situated about thirty j miles from Unda point; this island is rich in all j the natural productions of a tropical climate—the j cocoa nuts much larger than any I have seen in any other part of the group ; it is under the control of Xouritobe as chief, and where he got his supplies lof food during the war. Since, I have heard that j Commodore Seymour, of the Peloms, had been down on the Mudwatha coast and installed Kouritobo on Ilia own land, again putting an end to the ! war. From all the information I could gain from ; the old settlers there seems to be almost constant j petty feuds between the different chiefs and their g tribes, and in most instances it is the interest of J the old traders to sot one chief at war with another ;in order to barter off old tower muskets, powder aud shot for produce from the chiefs whom they (supply. The chiefs hold a despotic sway over the j tribes thej rule. There are also a few stores in ! Lcvuka,. which supply the coasting vessels with 'trade for barter with the Natives. These are supj plied at a rate averaging from 100 to 300 per cent, ■upon the Sydney or Melbourne prices ; and white ! settlers having to pay so high for the necessaries i they require, find to their cost that to live in the (Fijis is more expensive than they anticipated. (There are some white settlers who have commenced ;to cultivate the cotton tree, coffee, end sugar cane ■ but, from want of native labor, it is doubtful whether they will succeed. I have heard many of (them state that they would be glad to have their j money back ahdreturn to the colonies again. One ■ man, a Frenchman named Morelli, who possesses 1 about 2,000 acres on Ovolaw, has offered to sell his land for £3O ; he has had several skrimmams with the natives, and finally has been forced to abandon it altogether. Another instance, a man named Beukcrs rented a small island called Namiska from the American consul, for £ls per year ; after getting his crops in, the chief and his tribe from the main land went over to him in their canoes, destroyed his crops, ill-using himself, and he | had to abandon his place. I saw him at Levuka, seeking protection from the American and British Consuls, and he showed mo the affidavit he had sworn to before Dr. Brower, American Consul. Many parties have purchased lands from the na- . fives at almost nominal value, paying them a few muskets, powder, and shot, or pieces of cloth, prints and had the land registered at the Consulate Office ; for which the Consul receives his fee of two guineas for each registry. These parties are prepared to , sell to new comers this land at from 3s. to 10s. per acre, but they do not generally reside on the land themselves; it is occupied by the natives, and the ■ purchaser has to contend against the native occupiers, and possibly he may live in a continual state 'of dread with them. I should be glad to be in- ; formed whether a British subject could hold land .or take possession of it only in the name of our ;Queen, and whether an American subject’s title l would bo clear if taken by the British Government iof land purchased in this way. An answer to this ‘question, Mr. Editor, would settle the doubts of many. There are many instances of the great 'want of protection to white settlers, snd it,cannot be expected that the natives, who are a slirewd, intelligent people, can understand the nature of 'giving up to a white population their lands and possessions, and to be driven from their homesteads. . After having sold their land in this way they consider that they have still a right to grow their yams and tarra, which is their staple food. In speaking of what the islands are capable of producing, they are capable of producing everything that a tropical climate can produce. And should the British Government take possession of them, there is no doubt that when that takes place and there is proper protection to the settlers, that those islands may become the West India Islands to the Colonies. But for parties to emigrate to the Fiji Islands with the intention of settling down and forming a homestead under the existing state of things, would be the height of folly and madness, until it becomes known that they are under some protective Government. Whether a settler, after having purchased land from them, will have clear title to the land in the event of the British Government taking possession is a query that remains to be solved ; in every case they are the gainers, not only in the registration fees at the Consulate Office, but also in the enormous profits they receive even at 3s. per acre. To those who have thought of emigrating there, it .will be well if they consider the step they are taking if they can afford to spend the time and means, a pleasure trip to the Fijis will repay them—the climate being good and healthy, dysentery being the most fatal disease which the inhabitants are subject to ; and this disease, if not stopped immediately, takes them very rapidly away. In speaking of (ho scarcity of money in Levuka, I have (known an instance where as much ns eighty per ■cent per annum has been given for the loan of £l2 bn good security. As many people are desirous of hearing of the Fijis, and feeling interested in them, Mr. Editor, has caused me to bo careful in giving such information as I could substantiate; and as I have just arrived from there, I shall be glad to give any further information I may be able. Remaining, Sir, your obedient servant, THOMAS MASON. Miller’s-Point, Sydney, September 3.