FIJI.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 22, 24 June 1871, Page 15

FIJI.

We have full files of Fiji papers to the 27th ultimo. On the Ist ult., Captain J. Caroll, of the Vivandere, was accidentally drowned in the harbor. A small Theatre has been erected at the rear of the Criterion Hotel. The stage is twenty feet by thirty-five feet. We have received information of another outrage on the back of this island, by which a Banks’ Islander lost his life. It appears that the occurrence took place on Mr Boyd’s plantation. Two men (Banks’ Islanders) went to bathe in a stream, and the Fijians (Bureta men) attacked them. One man made his escape, but the other one was murdered.

Samuel Levy, late of Auckland, died on the 6th ultimo, at Levuka, after a short illness. His funeral was largely attended.

On the Bth ult., a party of Levucan natives sui prised a party of Lovoni people mostly women, who were fishing at Rukuruku, and after a desperate fight killed five of them. The bodies were hacked to peices. The lights (beacons) were lighted the first time, after several trials, permanently on the 11th ult, and will be exhibited everv night from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., until further notice. The beacons. painted with red diamonds on a white ground are placed a lititle south of the Wesleyan Mission House, and can be plainly seen in day time from eight to ten miles off. The lights temporary) are first-class steamer red lights, visible about five miles. The beacons or lights in one will bring a vessel through the centre of the Levuka passage. It is expected that the permanent lights, of much greater power will arrive by first steamer from Sydney. The position of the lights was fixed, after careful survey, by Lieutenant Woods, R,N., attached to the Admiralty

Survey Department, and Captain Armstrong, R.N.

By the Annie Young, which came in from Kadavu, the second Tanna man who took part in the murder of the late Mr A. Underwood has been brought to Levuka, and is now, we believe, in the custody of Ratu Mele. On Thursday, the 4th May, on the plantation of Messrs Thomas, Franklin, and Langford, at Waimanu, whilst the white men were at breakfast, the imported labor on the place came to the house, and stated that the Fijians had driven them off from their work. The three planters then got arms, and, with the imported laborers, w T ent to the Fijians, and ordered them off the ground. Instead of leaving, however, the Fijians suirounded the whites, disarming Franklin and Thomas ; but Langford warned them off, or he would fire on them. He snapped his pistol twice, and before he could attempt again the Fijians seized him from behind. The three white men were kicked and beaten, until a native officer interfered, and ordered his fellow countrymen to abstain from ai.y further violence. The Fijians then fired off the guns, &c., which the white men had brought, and escorted the settlers home, saying that they had been angry, but it was all over now. The natives then left. On the following Saturday morning a meeting of settlers was held at Navousa, at which there were present about twenty-four white men. Seven men out of the twenty-six who had committed the outrage were found. Two of them were -sentenced to receive fifty lashes; and the other five to three years’ banishment. They were placed on board a boat on Saturday, but effected their escape on the Sunday evening, although they had been handcuffed in couples, and the odd one chained and locked up by himself. The handcuffs, &c., were foind next day in Totoga. One pound each reward has been offered for their re-capture. The chief has promised to give the other offenders fifty lashes each “ when he catches them.”

At Rewa, on Monday Bth instant, a severe hailstorm occurred just before dark. The hailstones, our informant tells us, were about the size of a two franc piece. This is rather an unusual visitation for Fiji. By the John Wesley, barque, which arrived on the 24th May, the Wesleyan Mission has received a long looked for addition to the number of its ministers in Fiji. The district meeting will be held at Bau next week for the transaction of connectional business. The meeting will be attended by the recently arrived ministers, and alsoby the missionaries resident in Fiji.

A murderous assault was committed on the 21st of May, by a Sandwich man, upon a well known planter, who was taking some eight recently imported laborers down to his plantation. There were two gentlemen in the boat (a small green-painted schooner) and two natives besides the eight Sandwich men. One of the gentlemen seeing a half-hatchet lying forward, and thinking that it was possible the natives might use it against them, moved it aft. A Sandwich man crept aft and got hold of the hatchet aud took it forward, ostensibly for the purpose of husking a nut with it. The gentleman went forward, and was attacked by the Sandwich man, who struck him a severe blow on the shoulder thereby inflicting a nasty wound. The eight Sandwich men then rushed towards the crew and the two whites, when the four of them jumped overboard and struck out for the shore, a distance of over a mile away. This occurred when just off Cape Horn. The wounded man then swam part of the way unaided, and then one of the native crew assisted him the rest of the way. On reaching the shore he was brought to Levuka, where eveiy attention was paid him ; and now we are happy to say he is progressing rapidly, the wound not being at all serious. The last seen of the Sandwich men on the schooner was on Sunday evening, when they appeared to be going in the direction of Vanua Levu.