CESSION OF THE FEEJEAN ARCHIPELAGO TO GREAT BRITAIN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 643, 5 January 1859, Page 3

CESSION OF THE FEEJEAN ARCHIPELAGO TO GREAT BRITAIN.

The ' Sydney Morning Herald' learns from a reliable source that, on the l.i'th September last, a formal deed,of cession of the Feejean Archipelago to her Britanic Majesty, was executed by;Thakombau, the Vanivalu of Bau, claiming supremacy, as TuiViti'(King of Feejee) over the entire Archipelago and its inhabitants. The American ship of Avar Vandalia, Captain Sinclair, had arrived there some days before, to demand payment of the fines imposed by Capt. Boutwell, of the John Adams. Thakombau offered apologies-and explanations as to the non-payment of these, which were deemed so far sufficient that an extension of twelve months was granted by Capt. Sinclair, but with an intimation—couched "in tho strongest terms—that if such fines, amounting collectively to 45,000 dollars (about X' 9000), were noc paid at the end of twelve months, force would bo resorted to. Immediately after this, propositions, by Thakombau, for a cession to the .Queen of Groat Britain, were made to her Majesty's local representative, the consul. The deed of cession finally executed contains stipulations, we believe, to the following effect. First: That tho American claims against Feejee shall be paid or settled by her Britannic Majesty's Government. Second: That Thakombau shall'ho allowed (as Tui-Viti) to retain his position as chief of the aboriginal tribes, but to govern under instructions from the local representative of her Majesty.

'TUrd: That in consideration of the 45*000 dollars vpnid to satisfy American claims, 200,000 acres of dund shall be niadcover to her /Majesty's Govcvn-

nient; such-200,000 acres to be selected bya-British . appointee. .... ■ Fourth: That'in addition to this grant offioo,ooo •acros,tlDere shall be grants of such other lands as ..may be needed for local 'governmental purposes; • such requirements-to be agreed upon by ■fcCommis--fiion, to consist of two >'Feejean chiefs and two Bri-

-tish gentlemen, presided over by the local represen--•vtativc of her Majesty, the latter official to act as! .•••umpire in -all disputed questions. The samu paper of the following day's datcsays: •We have received some further-news from 4his »-quarter to-day through another channel. It will be remembered that, somel time ago,- two .Americans and an Islander were killed -and eaten at : TJaia, a small island'On-the western side of the Fce^ jean Archipelago; the-inhabitants of-which are still -•heathen. -.-Complaint having been made to Captain - Sinclair, of the U.S. corvette* Vandalia, he chartered ■ the schooner Mechanic,-and sent fifty men by her,

"with instructions either to secure the murderers or rto exact satisfaction in some other mode. On arriving at Uaia,- a message demanding a- surrender of - the culprits -was;sent on shore. The onlyresponse ~ was-a defiance,- with •' ah intimation that ovens were -'being got ready to bake- all the white men if they would but'come oh.' The Americans could not -stand this, so they landed forthwith.-and climbed to "'the' fortified town of the natives, erected-upon-a ■•-lofty cliff. On arriving,-they foundthat the Fee - • jeans had made good their escape on-the other side. ' The Americans therefore?fired the town and descen-

• ded again. -But in so doing, they had to pass a de- '- file' Wherein the natives had posted themselves. The • latter fired frotn'this ambush^ and made a sally up-

• on the Americans,-entangling the latter in the de- ' file. But the latter fought their way out sturdily, forced the Feejeans on to more open ground, arid - completely routed them. ": In this affair, notwith- -: standing the ambush, no lives-were lost on the side •of the Americans. Two dfficersarid"five men, however, were wounded. 'The hurt-of one, a marine, -iwas severe; being'a gunshot wound in the breast. - The -other hurts-were contusions from clubs, and

were- less ' v Of tho^Feejeans," sixteen were

iknown'to" have-been killed, and fifteen' severely • wounded. '<■ It is thought probable, however, that the -loss has-been still greater. • - ago,; a ship of barque," from Sydney, ~ called at Feejee for thepurpose of obtaining labour for 'Reunion, or some other place, in the same manner as such labour is said to have been procured from the Kingsmill group. >-500-Feejeans were

They were to be engaged for five years at

a few dollars per annum!' The precise amountnve forget. * Payment was to be made at the expiration of their term of servitude. But not' a-man could be got upon such terms. -We have nofrbeen-able to ascertain the name of this vessel.

Touching the session of Feejee to Great Britain, as reported ye*sterdayy we have' since ascertained n.hat Mr. Pritchard, the British Consul, arrived in •Sydney several days v'since. •by the' John Wesley ; -and^ve believe, although the whole affair has been kept very " quiet," that he is about to jproceed: to England with the treaty. According to the terms agreed upon,"this cession, .if accepted at all, must be accepted before the 11th of September next, as,"' unless ! the American •indemnity is paid by that'-timej'it;will probably be exacted by force from the native' chieftain, and the principal object of the Matter in-making session-will be defeated.