FiJI NEWS.

Press, Volume XXV, Issue 3347, 25 May 1876, Page 3

FiJI NEWS.

'The ■"sW'-ST.i the following narrative pf the origi-rQ|4he native in Fiji :— , , , "The. Llewellyn Tbrings intelligence of ah. - outbreak of natives in the bttlsirrrtjjie [ rwr.ofTitlLevn, of whiehLwA gatfietJf.om* -varices private sources the following particulars. TWf-may be relief upon as authentic, although from the occurrence being so close to the Llewellyn's departure, not much is said 3 '••The only natives likely to give trouble to the tit_i §ierflbjaiot ST the Wg island of "Viti Levtt/ TneFrange oF mountains ppniugrthrougb, it is.thehpme of tribes who-have tvitigelbeen a"-Wrtbr-to the -tribes-on the coast. They number, probably, about > 4000," are always ,afi war bitter with the coast tribes or with,-each other | ] atp cannibals and. heathens, and "are "the only' [ riati+es that- have' 'resrsted' 1 all approaches frorrrthe missionaries. When the..Bey Mr Baker attempted fo penetrafeH-btflr country in 1867 they killed and. ate, him, and, some. 1 of the ; native -teachers W-wnx* 1 him.* -They bave since then committed numerous atrocities, killing and* eating settlers and even, in one case, i3_at'bfT_urt and Underwood, the-half-caste children cf ; The native Gcxvefmment under Bang Cakobau, attacked,.aiid. penetrated their country,--but'without suMuing them. I Cakobau himself was defeated by th_W ih - 1868, when endeavouring to punish them L for. the murder_ol_ Bake__u._-Oii_JJiat.Qcca- ; sios, forty-three Ban warriors went to the enemy's "ovens, and great were the songs and triumph pf.. those who had defeated -**• redoubtable Ban men. These mountaineers occupy the centre of the island, and can fall on the coast tribes on either side,, The most j turbulent sections are those resident on the ! Singatoka Biver, which runs to the sbnih coast. The land on that riyer is very7fine. Tile climate is one of in Fiji, and the natives are in propqrt.pn.7. They are also the moat Isolated and savage— at least those living in the upper river-r*a_.d are nntorinns f.ven among -gjjiana for their evil character and qualities. The Governor, aware of tfee kind of men witjh whom be had to deal, passed a BpeciaV ordinance exempting the whole of the interior of Viti jbevn— where no- white men are settled—frost the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, and placed it under a Commissioner responsible directly to himself, and -assisted in*, his Court by native Assessors representing the tribeprover whom the Commissioner was_placed. There are between 20,000 and 25,000 natives occupying Viti Ltvn, and .all of gtbese, except the mountaineer*, arei.friendly to ihe -Goveroment. Mr Walter Carew, a resident for some years in Fiji, intimately acquainted with the ways of the natives, and possessing their confidence in an unusual d gree, Was appointed Commissioner, and ordered; to establish his camp in the place he considered most suitable. A hundred and fifty native soldiers were sent to support him, under the command of Captain Olive, R.M., and the camp was finally fixed; at the forks of the Fiogatoka. near the native, town of BeiManu. The camp is fortified with 7 an ordinary ditch and, bank and & bamboo fence on the top. It occupies a cpmmanding position in the centre of the -approaches—to--the - mountaineers' country, ;andi is well placed for the defence of the friendly coast tribes whom these moun- . taineera—a always -ready to attack. The deal with because they, "do not" acknopr-. ledge any chief. *lfa man kill* one or two or threa -men, cr. women, or even,, babies, he *b<*fQmes ot the hoar, and -ia Rooked ■upyU^>un^iaoa^^o^ r^m

gnmathing ia tha ssrnis lias to oaoel him, sy , j_a»mg'»»"__ 2atfMiMttß-&aiM_ the colony and the safety of the friendly tribes along the oeasfc Mr Carew has been for the last few months engaged in this bad anceeeded in persuading several of the„cbiefs .to make their. ,submifision. It is perhaps the fear of this snb* mission extending that has induced some of the more violent chiefs to take open action. Isolated murders had become comtnoa, and it was impossible to bring the criminals to justice. On the 13th April they struck the final blow, by suddenly attacking and burning nine of the loyal natives,.one qf them "wfth-ir a mile ahd* a. half of -the camp. They only succeeded in kjjlrag a woman md "two children, whom the'bmtes chopped into, pieces to carry away for a cannibal feast. Tbey" were fortu' nately . surprised, and their attack; so far frustrated tfyat the remains of the uhfortu-* nates they had killed were recovered, having been thrown intoa burning house as the wretches decamped. .A man was sent round the-coast to give the alarm, to the friendlies . and to forward the news to Levuka, which' it takes some days to reach from the seat of disturbance, -The mount taineers meanwhile are threatening the camp on three sides, and are endeavoring tb cut it off from communication witb the sea. The camp is well supplied with food, and the troops in it are well disciplined and drilled. The Commissioner will therefore be able tq hold his own and protect the natives in the immediate neighborhood until reinforcements are received.'" I