FIJI NEWS.—HORRIBLE OUTRAGE ON THE COAST

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2604, 12 August 1878, Page 3

FIJI NEWS.—HORRIBLE OUTRAGE ON THE COAST

(PER ISLAND LILY.)

By the arrival of the Island Lily, Captain Cooper, we have later Fiji news. At half-past 2 o'clock, on the 26th June, His Excelledcy, Mr _ceorge William Dcs Vceux, Companion of the most distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, took the oaths of allegiance and office as Lieute-nant-Governor of Fiji, at Nasova. On the 21st June, at the Police Court, Lieutenant-Commander Mooro, of the schooner Alacrity, was fined the sum of £20 and costs for having broken the quarantine laws by communicating with the snore beiore his vessel was passed by the healthofficer.

The schooner Esperanza arrived in port from Taviuninn the ; 21st June, with; SubInspector Foster _oh board, ■ the captaiii having been fined the sum of £200 by the stipendiary magistrate of Tiviuni for negleting -to comply with the quarantine regulations. A Chinaman, has been fined £100 for smuggling opium. r'r : ' * ._• A splendid sample of Ceylon coffee. ha_.: been grown at Taviuna. : .?-_■ Great dissatisfaction exists with- respect _o the issue of Crown grants. The Wesley an body haa memd^ialised the Lieutenant .GcP vernor with rdspectjtg Jtbe iforeshoz^J JTfie matter istd'hereferredto the- Secretary of State for the colonies. Timber, apparently from Puget Sbundy has drifted ashore on ihe eastern, portion of the group. From its appearance-it presents indications of.having been cetached from a burning vessel, SHOCKING OUTRAGE.

A number of natives on Ra Coast being ■dissatisfied- with, the ride' of Ratu Isikeli, Roko ot/theF'province, petitioned the Governor for hisremoval. This, however, resulted ndt rinhisj'hut their removal, and deportation to Gau, much to the disgust of manytribal sympathisers,-one of whom too loudly expressed a wish to have Ratu Isikeli and make rnadrai of him; which, on reaching; the, chief's ears, evoked dn immediate order for the arfest of the blasphemous delinquent. The man took refuge in the'mountains, and finding it impossible to arrest him the Roko virtually outlawed him, forbidding every one under, heavy penaltiesto shelter, or succour him. This seemingly had notthe [desired effect, as one town did feed and house him despite the Roko's edict. Upon this fact being reported the Roko despatched a company of armed ruffians known, as ovisa ni koro, to punish the town by' removing them to another location. On their arrival, these miscreants placed all', the males in durance, .in one hovel, and the females in' another, and then, despite their cries and sruggles, subjected the latter to indiscriminate violation. On the news reaching Mr East^ate, atNamena, he difected'the arrest of all concerned, and no less than '40 have since been sentenced for participation in the Outrage.