OUR NEW FELLOW-SUBJECTS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1951, 6 November 1874, Page 3

OUR NEW FELLOW-SUBJECTS.

The special correspondent of the " Ofcago Daily Times" thus describes some of the fashions, manners, and customs of the Fijians and New Hebrideans he met on board the Californian mail steamer while at Kandavn, in the newly annexed kingdom of Fiji : — Mixed up with the Fijians proper were a large number of New Hebrides men, who are engaged at work on the plantations round about, beinsj much better workmen than the native Fijians. 'lhe New Hebrideans are a lighter colored race than the Fijians, being more of a brown hue. Both races wear no covering to their heads, except their own hair, which is matted and frizzled into a compact mass, and then smeared with cocoanut oil, which never fails to announce its presence, especially if they be to windward, long before the anointed owners make their appearance. Many of the Natives also had their hair dyed red witt some preparation of lime, presenting a hideous aspect, which should be a warning to those who attempt to reach the fashion in these auricomous days. No young lady, however desirous to be comme il faut in fashion, wo\ild interfere with the native color of her hair if she saw carroty topnots of the natives in Kandayu. They, however, considered it the height of gentility, and are very proud of their red crowns. Altogether, the Fijians we saw were very fine specimens of the human form divine ; and as they walked about the decks, with, to all intents and purposes, nothing on, there was no hindrance to a free examination of their muscles and limbs. They all look stalwart and athletic men, whom it would be hard to beat in a fight, and who can wield with wonderful dexterity the terrible hard-wood clubs which they carry with them, now only aa articles of curiosity and for sale. Coming so recently amongst them, one could hardly set up to be a judge of savage beauty, but the counteuances of some of these were certainly not amiable. However, they seemed content with themselves, and were evidently not a little gratified at finding themselves the objects of so much attention and examination. That of thair wares which, attracted the most estimation was a species of cloth, formed by beating out cocoanut and other fibre to extreme tenuity on a stone. By .this process a texture of the finest sort and most beautiful silkiness is produced, about a foot wide and all lengths, and this they will sell you, by judicious haggling for a matter of threepence a fathom. The ladies on board all purchased quantities of this unique production, which aeive.B for clothing and other purposes to the natives, and is really a beautiful piece of workmanship. At one time there could have been no less than sixty or seventy of these children of nature on the decks, and it must be said to their credit that they could not have been quieter or better behaved. Three of them, however, attracted greater attention than all the rest put together. One of these was a fine stalwart young fellow, •who was distinguished from the rest by wearing a white shirt and old uniform jacket above his very primitive pair of drawers. He turned ou.t to be a chief of some note ; indeed, it was said he had the blue blood of the great Cakobau himself in his veins, and he at all events showed that he considered himself a man of no little importance. The other two w^re females, daughters of the native teacher who has spiritual charge over the islanders. Both of these girls were lightly but modestly and prettily clad, and of a pleasing cast of countenance, with soft brown eyes that were singularly expressive and attractive. Their skin, too, not tha black brown of the Fijian, bu,t withthe lighter and plaasaoter tint of theKew Hebridean, was beautifully clear and clean. Two more modest and prettylooking girls it would be hard to find. One or two words of English they could speak, but they were not anxious to enter into conversation, and seemed rather afraid of the rough rushing to and fro of the sailors and passengers. The natives treated them with marked respect and attention, and it was evident the girls had considerable authority over them. Although sisters, they were quite different from each other in figure and expression. The one who seemed the elder was a stout, voluptuousiy-formed damsel, dressed in a short print petticoat reaching a little below the knees, and a pretty pink jacket hanging loosely from her shoulders, while in her hands she carried a bunch of most fragrant-smelling flowers. The younger sister was a deli-cately-limbed girl, with startlingly-bril-liant eyes and much less studied costume. .Their movements stAk one immediately by their natural gnrce, and the ease and repose of their attitudes would have struck consternation into the Grecian bend and Boman fall votaries. They seemed to have no special object in coming on board, and evidently enjoyed the attentions which the white ladies gave them, while they deprecated with their modest glances the rather obtrusive stares at their pretty faces and smooth limbs with which the white men favored them.