Original Correspondence.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 403, 23 February 1850, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

I To the Editor of the Neto-Zealander. [ Auckland, Feb. 18, 1850; , Sir,— As a wrong impression has, to some extent, been made on the public mind by an account in » Sydney Morning Herald of late date, which seems to draw down guilt on ihe natives of Feejee. in connection wiih the disastrous massacre at Mr. Fitz Gerald's BoGhe-de-mer establishment at New Caledonia, I beg leave to say, through your Journal, that it appears to me unfounded and unmerited, and that they can be fully exculpated from such a charge. The calamitous events which have transpired at that iiland are truly lamentable, yet I think much care ibould be taken not to mix up indiscriminately or incautiously the names of native tribes in any catastrophe which may become amenable to Law, as the most serious consequences may result therefrom. It must be remembered that New Caledonia is not an island of the Feejee group, but lies at a distance of, perhaps, 300 milei, more or less, from it. That the natives of Feejee have no political or commercial intercourse whatever with the nalives of New Caledonia, and arc ignorant of their language.— It should also be stated, that the beche-demer trade has been carried on very extensively for a succession of yean in Feejee by the Americans, and in consequence the natives of that group, on the coast, have become valuable auxiliaries in fishing for and preparing this sea-slug for the Chinese market. Only within a few years has the search of enterprise resulted in the the discovery of beche-de-merjon the reefs or shores of New Caledonia. Some few American vessels have gone on thither from Feejee, to obtain it, taking some Feejeeans with them wherewith to succeed in their work, and then have returned to the Fefjee Islands. In most, if not all, of these instances, beche-de-mer has been obtained without any, or the most partial, assistance from the New Caledonians, Provisions beinij very plentiful iv Feejee, the vessels have been able so to supply themselves as not to be under the necessity of tiading with the inhabitants of the place. Mr. Fitz Gerald, it appears to me, has also acted thus. He has shipped some whites and natives from Feejee, and proceeded to the island of New Caledonia, and there fixed a beche-de-mer fishing establishment, carrying it on by the help of the persons before mantioued. I am not in possession of the facts of the case to> warrant my giving any opinion as to tbecause which led to the destruction of Mr. Filz Gerald's establishment and ,'operatioas on th«t Island— whether it aroselfrom, jealousy or suspicion on the part of the New Caledo* niaiis, or imprudence or insolence on the stranger party, or from any other cause-~or even without one; yet it is a notorious fact that in trust instances where white men have lost their lives among heathens and savages, the exciting cause has been or could havo been, traced to the whites ; and the unwarrantable acts which they have perpetrated have prompted the exasperated natives to determined retaliation and revenge. Now, from a somewhnt matured experience, gained during a reijdence of many years, among savage can* nibals, I am prepared to assert that the Feejeeans Are of too wary and suspicious a character to go, in a small company, to another and distant group, and there allow themselves to be inveigled by its inhabitants to acts of violence and murder, or, of themselves, commit a breach of trust, when by so doing they would place themselves, almost inevitably, in either cjis, in the power, and be exposed to others no less treacherous, retalinting, a»d bloodthirsty, than themselves. It must not, however, be supposed that I am trying to persuade the public that the Feejeeans are not meneaters and murderers, nor that I wish to conceal the stubborn fact that the bones of many white men hays bleached on the sunny isles of Feejee — thrown aside after a cannibal meal* Some of these poor fellows were murdered for the sake of what they possessed, but more fell the unsuspecting, innocent, yet unfortunate sufferers for the rash imprudence, deceit, gross perpetrations — yea, for the crimes of their fellowwhues. With thi»ie few hints thrown out, with the desire that current opinion may be rightly guided in this and every other calamitous event, 1 remain, Sir, yours, &c, &c, Amicus.