THE FIJIS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 29, 16 January 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE FIJIS.

By private letters we learn that an application having been made by the British consul to Commodore Seymour, H.M.S. Harrier has just visited the Fijis. The natives of Eeira had become troublesome, and, from the weakness of the means at the disposal of the consul, their aggressions escaped punishment. In some quarrels between the blacks and the whites, the former burned down the house of the settlers. Sir Malcolm M‘Gregor made careful inquires, and then destroyed two native towns, taking pains at the same time to show the natives that he sought retributive justice, and not revenge. Sir Malcolm gave the most effective support, to both the missionaries and the consul, and the result of his interference has been to produce a much more civil tone among the natives and great confidence among the whites—now 300 beside 600 halfcaste people. In an attack on one of the towns, on the 17th October, a curious accident happened to one of the Armstrong guns. The vent piece was not properly placed, in the hurry of loading, and when the gun was fired, it flew out, no one knows where. Several were wounded by the powder coming out at the “ breach,” and the shell went out at the muzzle, wounding several, among them Mr. Pritchard, the consul, who was in charge of the gun. The commander ordered that six rounds should be fired, and then to land—it was the last shot that miscarried. It seems the general feeling of the natives is good, but that some of them were emboldened by the absence of any effective Government—British or Native—to take liberties with the settlers. On the whole they are very favourably disposed, as indeed they must be considering their number is 250,000. All is now quiet. It is much to be regretted that the British Government does not take some decided steps, either by accepting the sovereignity or recognising the most powerful chiefs, and holding them responsible. It is impossible things can continueas they are without deplorable consequences. We further learn that the settlement will raise this year sugar sufficient for its own consumption and that some cotton will be exported. The sheep are thriving and show at present no signs of deterioration. The French man-of-war Corneille, Captain Levegue, had just visited the islands. A Tonguese chief called Semissi was taken away in her. He had been securing “ successions” of certain small islands in favour of King George and at the same time flogging those natives who refused allegiance to George while the answer of the Queen was pending. These men were Homan Catholics, and on the representation of the priest the captain took the chief away to New Caledonia—nothing more it is said than he richly deserved. We are informed the whole bearing of Sir Malcolm M’ Gregor has given to the settlers the most valuable aid, and left on the native mind a very salutary impression. It does not appear that any natives were killed when the towns were destroyed ; and considering the nature of the destruction, is only a sentence to some weeks’ hard labour. —Sydney Morning Herald, December 16. [We (Southern Cross) published the particulars of the visit of H.M.S. Harrier commander Sir Malcolm M’Gregor, Bart., on the 11th November. The remaining item of news is interesting, inasmuch as the French Corvette La Corneille, Captain L’Evegue, fetched the anchorage opposite fort Britoxnart on Sunday last.]

‘Yesterday Hamburg, or part of it at least, was thrown into great commotion by a very unusual occurrence. A lion which was being transported in a wooden cage from a menagerie to the water side, managed to break loose and get out of his temporary prison. The ferocious brute immediately fell upon one of the tlrree horses attached to the carriage. The driver, who was upon one of the others, sat still in blank amazement at the sight, which was declared by many spectators who, by the bye, were out of harm’s way —among the finest they had ever witnessed. In a moment the driver of the second menagerie waggon, who happened to be just behind, came up, and callin'* out for a rope, which was fortunately at hand, aj> proached the lion, and with great nerve and coolness fastened it round bis throat. The infuriated beast, who was already feasting upon his fallen victim, disdained to take any notice of the daring act. In a trice the sling was tightened round the neck of the destroyer, and, with the help of half a dozen of the bolder lookers-on, the animal was dragged to the side of the waggon, and secured ignominiously. The horse, in spite of its fearful wounds, was not quite dead when released from the grasp of his enemy. A Portable Telegraph eoe Military Uses. A letter from Chalons, in the Nord, says :—“ We have had experiments with the telegraph, which succeeded perfectly, and which are very curious. Means have been discovered to establish a portable telegraph. A carriage is constructed for that purpose, in which several cylinders or enormous bobbins are fixed, round which is rolled a quantity of iron wire of the thickness of a strong cord. This wire is passed by machinery into the box of one of the wheels, and according as the carriage moves the wheel turns and unrols the wire. A° platoon of cavalry soldiers follows. Two men alight at every fifty pace to raise the wire stick. Four others do the same while the first are moving forward, and raise the wire with a forked pole, which they fix in the ground, and which is fastened with cords strengthened with iron plates. That being done they relieve the other workmen, and they do so in turn. The horses in the carriage go forward at a gallop, and the telegraph is fixed with extraordinary rapidity. The apparatus is worked in the carnage, which serves as an office. During the last manaeuvres Marshal M’Mahon tried this invention over a space of from seven to eight kilametres, and it succeeded perfectly. Moreover when it is intended to return, the action of the cylinders is reversed, and the carriage is turned round, preceded by the men, who take down the poles, replace them in a light wagon, and wind up the bobbins. Nothing can be more ingenious, and from the latter quality it may be said to have attained perfection. The Americans. —The women of America are beyond all comparison, superior to the majority of men in appearance and manners, particularly in the chief towns, the society which gives the tone to the country at large ; possess an ingenious and easy air, which is neax-Iy equivalent to the good breeding of Europe. Their coldness, so much complained of is less of manner than of feeling. They are generally educated, in the common acceptation of the word ; but the system they are taught by is a mistaken mixture of the pedantic and the superficial. On a slender foundation of Latin they raise a slight superstructure of modern languages; but soon forgetting their classics, they too often speak English ungrammatically and they have but little knowledge of the others. Writing and arithmetic are the strong points in female education. Most American women are excellent accountants, and many of them display handwriting (or, as they always call it chirography) that would do honor to a counting-house clerk and looks as regular and studied as copper-plate. Most of the younger women have a lively turn for light literature. They have not much acquaintance with history or other serious reading, and but a smattering of many scientific things picked up from casual lecturers. They are taught the usual accomplishments of the sex. They are ordinarily but poor musicians, and know little of drawing, but they dance well and ride tolerably. There are many defects which forcibly strike one recently arrived from the refinements, of the Old World. Among those the loudness and harshness of the voice are the most disagreeable, and certain phrases, familiarly used by the best among the ladies of Yankee land fall on the English ear as inexcusable vulgarisms. Kb amount of vivacity or naivete can reconcile us to the long-drawn out, “ Oh, yes!” or “ Did you ever !” or “ Yes, indeed !” or “ Do tell!” or “ Well, now ?” of a Kew England belle ; or the sharp “I know it,” or “ Ko two ways about that,” ‘"and no mistake,” &c. ; or the frequent violation of grammar and pronounciation. “It warn’t,” “ Anywheres,” “ Not as I know of,’ Going a housekeeping,” “ I’m acoming,” “ How have you ben ?” 111 do it right off,” and a dozen such expressions, have shocked me from some of the sweetest lips, in the United States. But the filagree phrase and silken term “ precise” of attempted fine speaking are still worse. Nothing is more provoking than to hear an agreeable man saying what gives her an appearance of underbred affection, for ordinary minds are always afraid of homely words. “ Garments” for clothes, “mansion” for house, a “ vehicle for a carriage, “ domestics” for servants,“ the atmosphere” for the air, “ where did you worship?” for what church were you at ? “ I opine” for I think, aro in everyday use. A drunken fellow is always “ an incorrigablo inebriate.” Corsets,” a word scarcely English, instead of stays, “ elastic” for garters, “ hose” for stockings, and similar conceits, are very general. And I know at least one instance of one of the “exclusives” who is prono to talk of her “people”—not meaning her kindred, as Euth did when she spoke of Naomi, but. her scanty household, consisting of a waiter (Anglice, footman), a cook, a “ sempstress” (no lady has a lady’s maid), and a chamber-girl ('Anglice, housemaid). But ladies who have been in Europe do not shrink from saying “ legs” almost as freely as they talk of “ limbs,” and some of them would scarcely hesitate to ask for the breast of a chicken, though almost call all it the “ white meat,” in contradistinction to the “ dark meat.” I must mention that I have rarely heard servants called “ helps” by any one above the class which owns the epithet; but I am afraid the substitution of “ rooster” for cook is altogether national.” — Thos. Coolly Grattan.