THE FIJIS.

Press, Volume XI, Issue 1410, 16 May 1867, Page 3

THE FIJIS.

A correspondent of the " Sydney Morning Herald " writes:—"There has been very little change in this out-of-the-way place—nothing to break the monotony of Fiji life—for the past few months. From one or two papers—l think they were from New Zealand — we saw a paragraph about a ' dreadful war among the natives iv Fiji.' "Well, it is a fact; there has been a war. But we really did not think it of so much imuortance to civilised communities as it seems to have been. The war, which has lately been brought to a close, has been dragging on its weary length for the past three years—quite in Fijian style. Occasionally one would be killed, or rather murdered ; for few are killed in fair fighting. Thakohau at length, however, stirred himself and collected his men from the different islands round about, and raised an army of about 5000. The enemy, who were rebels, resisting the authority of the old chief, frequently said ' they could readily die ; but to take food to Bau they neither could nor would,' and they prepared to fight with the conviction in all their minds that it would only be a matter of a few days after the Bau men attacked, when each man would have to do the best he could for himself. The chiefs, knowing that the matter would be soon settled against them, offered large tracts of their land for a few muskets, and numbers availed themselves of the opportunity, and secured for a mere trifle a few hundred acres of valuable land, a great portion of which is now under cultivation. In two or three days after the Bau men went to attack, the enemy fled here, there, and everywhere. About 100 towns were instantly burnt, and large quantities of food taken possession of. A dozen men were killed in the actual attack, and perhaps 200 more who were afterwards met with in the bush. The Bau chiefs did all that was possible to. save life after the towns "were taken, a fact which speaks for itself on behalf of Bau to all those who know what that place was a few years ago. There was naturally some anxiety about the planters of the Rewa Biver, who were living in the midst of the fighting; but so strict were the orders of the chief, and so carefully were they obeyed, that not one of the white residents on the river had aught to complain of, although hundreds of wild natives daily surrounded them. It did, however, transpire afterwards that. one man had lost two or three pigs and a small canoe, Which was simply a log of wood, with the heart scooped out of it. These, it had been supposed, belonged to the rebels, and were appropriated. Mr J. & Thurston, who was then acting for ■5.M. Consul during his visit to Toga, apt knowing of this ease about the £igß—in fact, it was not worth know?Q| anything about—very thoughtfully |QQ wisely wrote Thokabau to thank fliavfor the care which had been shown lor the preservation of the property of the white residents. This was gratifying the chief, and it likewise tended Tory materially to lessen the illfeeling which the chief had just then shown towards the whites because of their refusal to sell him ammunition.. The chiefs concerned Hi the late rebellion were on Friday last (February 22nd) publicly Hogged, and have now orders to return and rebuild their towns.