FIJI ISLANDS. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT OF THE "BRISBANE GUARDIAN')

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3405, 15 June 1868, Page 5

FIJI ISLANDS. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT OF THE " BRISBANE GUARDIAN ' )

The native* have gone to war at la«t to revenge the murder of the late lamented Mr. Baker and the seven native t-achers who were murdered Ksfc year by the 'ton Christian blacks on the itlaud Viti Leno, the largest island of the group. They started in March last, the Vunivalu (King) at th<-ir head ; about one thousand started from Bau (the King's residence) in canoes and ou foot down the war p&tb, which had previously been made for them. As they passed through the different towns the natires of each village joined ' the cause, as previously agreed upon. Tuey then I met at a town ea led Nenaena on the coast, where, after the King ( t'hakambau) had reviewed them and sent away the old men and those afflioted with any I disease which would have prevented them under- ■ taking such a journey (aa the people to be punished for, the murder are right in the iuttrior, in the mountains), they tankered (awore allegiance) to tbe Vuuivalu; they then mustered some three thousand fighting men, with one ' thousand odd muakets, tbe rest with native weapons. Then commenced a grand oarnival — a feast of fisb, poultry, turtle, yams, taro, anil breadfruit — such as only those who witnessed it could conceive. Tli ere w»s then a grand flourish of arms, and the King, after sleeping there all night, | started for the scene of war in tbe morning. Up the Rewa River the same thing was enacted, except that the King's son-in-law (who is head chief of the Rewa district) was at their head. They were all to meet up the mountain and unround the towns (tome six in Dumber), and burn them to the ground and take tha people prisoners, who are to be slaves for ever. The King intends to let them ou. to the white settlers at Is. per head \>*r week. Up to the time of my writing they had taken oiie town, which would not allow them to pas*, and ••urned the houses The King s*ys it is the black's 7 place to avenge the murder, and does not want the whites' interference ; however, the Consul (Mr. Thurston) has gone with them. The Riug intends to advertise the conquered lands in the colonial papers for tale. There has been an immense downfall of rain during the past few months. Up the Rewa, where the majority of the planters are settled, there have been great floods, nearly ruining some of the planters, who have been obliged to fall back on the storekeeper* for the necessaries of life and trade to pay for their hired labour. There hare been two arrival? from New Zealand with pasteugers and cargo ; one, the ' Mary Ann Christie,' loaded entirely with goods for Messrs. Ueece, Brothers, who are opening an immense store in the town of Ovalu. There has been a good number of imported labourers running away lately. Two young men residing at aa islaud named Taviona lost tweuty-beven, who took their boata and pulled off to a small schooner loaded with yams lying some distance off, went on board, set sail, and, alvhough they sent two cutters after them, they have never been heard of. Other employers have lost men iv th« same way, and never got them back again. ; The King last week puid into the hands of the \merican Consul 1,250 dollars as a part payment of fie deb; due to the Amenvau. Government for the murder of the craws of two American whalers, and other misdemeanours. The Rev. Mr. Fyson is now permanently settled in the house of the late Mr. B^ker (Doughboy Levu, Uewa tiiver), much to the joy of the whites as well as the blacks, us they now stand some chance of an occasional sermon at their little English church. There have beeu a good many sudden deaths here lately, two planters dying suddenly of dyoenbery, after a very short illnesn, also two children. The 'Magellan Cloud, 7 our old favourite, arrived yesterday with a full cargo, and some six passengers. She also brought us word of the dastardly atcempt t.i murder the Prince., We intend, cren in this remote part, to send our expressions of sympathy to the Queen. There is a magnificent yield of yams this season, anme of the yams I have seen weighing at the least nixty pouuds. A large number of cattle are daily expected from Norfolk Island, for the different planters on the river. It ia greatly to be regretted we have no Sugar Crushing Company dowu nete to buy the cane, as all the planters have somfr for sale, and an immense quantity could be bought from the natives at a very low cost. The ' Dot, ' schooner, with sixteen thousand (16,000) oranges, left the Rewa Hiver for New Zealand last month, but when off the Kandavu Passage she met with bad weather and had ti throw her cargo overboari and return, being found unseaworthy. Ie is a pity, as this was the first attempt to o^eu up what must prove eventually a great source of rerenue to our settlers. The King expects to make a large quantity of cocoanut oil this year, and, considering he h-ts forbiddeu the natives to touch them, there is no doubt he will, as th-re is a large yield of the nuts this year. We are not all honest down here ; the other day a new arrival was boating of having some two hundred pounds in gold, and that he kept it in his pocket for safety ; however, one morning on waking up he missed the money. The Consul had an active search made, and a boy confessed to having stolen the money, being prompted by two man to do so. It was found in three different places buried in the sand minus some £9. The Onsul had the boy sent out of the islaud, aud the men hare never been seen since.

(feomthk "archjs," may 21.) The steamship ' Albion,' that nailed recently from Sydney to Fiji and Japan, had eighty passengers on board for King Thakambau's territory, and so numerous were the applications for berths that the owners of the ship regretted that they had not despatched her for Fiji alone, making Melbourne the port of departure. There seems to be a very general curiosity on the subject of theie islands both here and in .New South Wales, and most of ithe ' A-lbion's ' passengers are understood to have gone thither with a view to ascertain the capabilities of the islands in the way of trade, or as afield for settlement. Two of these, Messrs. Brewer aud Evans, are the agents of a company which it is proposed to form in this city to carry on extensive bu>ine-i8 operations in. the Fiji group, And they bave taken with them a draft charter, to which: they hope ' to obtain the signatures of the reigning monarch and his principal chiefs. We ; have a copy of the charter before us, and, as it may probably become an important historical document at some future time,' we will state its more important details In consideration of certain important privileges to be ceded to the company, the latter is to m»ke suitable provision for the settlement of £10,000, or thereabouts, preferred against King Thakambau by the American Government, for loaies laid to have been sustained by American subjects jtrho resided in his kingdom ;" pay the King an annuity (of which the amount has not been filled in) from the date of the company's formation j pay annuities (blank sum) to certain chiefs (the number not stated), and "at all times after the formation of the company well and truly aid and assist King Thakambau in upholding and defending his kingdom." So much the delegates are to undertake on the company's behalf. Bis Majesty, of tho other part, will, should he sign the char* ter, as drafted, " for ever grant, cede, transfer, and set over unto" trustees, on behalf of the company, certain islands and parts of islands set forth in a schedule " together with the soil or beds of all seas, rivers, and waters adjacent to or abutting on the said scheduled territory, also all harbours, inlets, creeks, &c, which the company may now or hereafter deem necessary for the enjoyment of the said scheduled lands, &c. ; also mines or minerals in or upon the same." The company will also have the sole and exclusive right to impose and levy such duties of Customs as to them may seem fit on the exportation and importation of goods into the kingdom of Fiji, and to levy wharfage or harbour rates ; and. the exclusive right to establish banks, and issue bank notes. No portion of the territory is to be alienated until the company has been offered " the preferential privilege of acquiring the same." The company are to have full and absolute authority to mak» laws for the government of the inhabitants, native and foreign, on the lands celed to them ; aLo to truke laws to regulate the trade and commerce of the kingdom, or such portion of it as may be inhabited by a white or mixed population ; and to establish courts, appoint judges, magistrates, Ac , the Kins pledging himself to uphold and defend all .the laws made by the company, and to protect the inhabitants of the company's territory, and /their property, from native or o her violence. What his jEYjian Majesty an t bis couucil of chiefs will h»ve to ,-ay to the delegates and their draft charter remains to be seen.