THE FIJIS.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 140, 17 October 1868, Page 4

THE FIJIS.

By the arrival of the schooner Jeannie Duncan at Lyttelton, from Levuka, Ovalau, Fiji, we have received a file of the Fijian Weekly News and Planters' Journal, published by Mr. Thomas Johnson. It consists of a each rather less than our own, very well printed, in a clear and distinct manner. The dates are from August Bth to Sept, 12 th, and we are thereby enabled to form some idea of this hitherto considered terra incognita. The advertisements are chiefly of the kind known as “ cards,” offers of land for sale, with an occasional shipping; notice. Judging from these, there appears to be some half-dozen merchants and importers, an auctioneer and land-agent, surveyor, councillor-at-law, five hotelkeepers (one of whom is also a baker), an engineer, timber dealer, general store, produce buyer, and a draper, whose address may be had from the printer ! Some of the merchants offer to advance cash on cotton and other island produce. Living is not expensive, as one of the hotels offers board and lodging for £,\ per week, while another asks for tenders to supply 1000 head of poultry. Turning to the shipping intelligence, we And that the arrivals during the month of July were lOin number-—including H.M.’s Brisk and Challenger y Rotumah, barque, 281 tons, from Samoa ; Magellan Cloud, brigantine, 99 tons, from Sydney; John Wesley, barquentine, 238 tons, from Rotumah ; Swallow, cutter, 28 tons, from Lyttelton ; Mary Smith, 99 tons, from Mbua ' r Lapwing, cutter, 25 tons, from Dunedin, via Lyttelton (which conveyed our adventurous contemporary and plant); Susannah Booth, 111 tons, from Sydney; and the Mary Ann Christina, schooner, 38 tons, from Lyttelton, via Wellington. The departures were as follows :—Brisk, Challenger, Magellan Cloud, John Wesley, Swallow, Lapwing, and Mary Smith, During August the numbers increased to--20 arrivals and 8 departures; and from Sept. 1 to 12th, 11 vessels of various tonnage arrived, and 13 sailed. For the most part, however, these are small coasting: craft trading among the islands, and conveying cotton, maize, oil, yams, beche-le-mer, cocoanuts, tobacco, tortoise-shell, arrowroot, and native labour. One of these vessels is noted as going on a trading cruise, and a paragraph in the same sheet tells us that in consequence of the great demand for labour, two vessels were about to start for Tanna, New Hebrides, for a supply of coolies. From this we infer that, as in Queensland, slavery exists in the Fijis. It would seem from a glance at the other contents of these papers that these islands are in a blessed state of primitive happiness, for there appears to be neither Customs, 1 'olice, Tax-gatherers, Post-office, or Government of any kind, beyond a Consulate, which, by the way, is but lightly alluded to; there are good harbours, well sheltered, and free from shoals, which have good holding ground. We have an account of a concert, enlargement of premises, and a growing trade capable of extension to any amount. As to the extent of the islands, we have no indication beyond the circumstance that we find a town named Deuka is situate 50 miles uptheßewa river. There is neither army, navy, or volunteers, beyond the occasional visit of a man-of-war, and how useless the latter is was illustrated by the reply of the Commodore, when waited upon by a deputation, who sought protection from'him after the affray at Deuka, which we recently published. Commodore Lambert told them “ he could not spare time beyond the following Monday, as the Pacific station was 'a large one, and he had only three ships, while another outbreak of the Maoris was

expected in New Zealand (!); he had no mote rifles than- were required for the use of his ship, but if the settlers had arms suitable he could give them a few cartridges and some loose powder. The settlers must be prepared to defend themselves, as the men-of-war were unable >to defend them, and the British Government would not sanction a war with the natives, which it would amount to. The most he could do was to offer them a passage away, if they considered it unsafe to remain. He did not think there was any probability of obtaining compensation for damage done to property. There was no recognised head chief to apply to, nor any material guarantee the whites would have to protect any land they might acquire. , The deputation then enquired if he considered there was any likelihood of the Government ever making this a British colony. The Commodore’s reply was very characteristic. There was not the slightest probability, as the Government had quite enough to do with the colonies they already possessed.” Our space will not allow any very lengthy extracts, therefore we will briefly note some of. the peculiarities we meet with in glancing over the papers. “ A beautiful yacht,of eight tons, with a draught of feet, has been built for one of the planters for cpnveying cotton. “ The stocks have . been removed to the rear of the British Consulate, where it is hoped they may long remain.” The agents of the Melbourne Co. have returned to report progress to the shareholders, having made arrangements for colonising the Buver district, 10 miles ■from Hewa Hoads, and are expected to commence operations about November. There appears to be any number of kings, Or more properly chiefs, among whom is Thakobau, who, having been guilty of insulting the Consul, was by the Commodore bound over to keep the peace during twelve months towards all her Majesty’s subjects. The guarantee was a deposit of .£IOO, with the Consul alluded to ! It appears that the German element abounds in these islands, and we find they have made an application to Count Bismarck fora Consul, as they consider ‘ their interests would be better served by one of their own nationality,-’ and expect an early visit from a Prussian man-of-war in consequence. Several large sperm whales had been seen in the harbour, accompanied by the tormenting •thresher.’ -A correspondent, 4 W. Ford,’ of Tau fcisa, Hewa, writes a very angry letter about a pretended communication concern-' ihg Fiji, which appeared with his name attached in the West Coast Times, making it out to be a mass of absurdities and a fabrication.. From this we learn that the climate is copier than most of the colonies; there has been no trouble except with the natives,,aud pigs and fowls are not very plentiful, but -in arrear of the demand. Another correspondent urges that ‘ unsuitable persons.:.should be warned against coming here......there is not employment for the labouring class among us at present, and it is only men of capital—say from .£SOO to £6,000 —who should seek a home here.’ Asa medical man is about to deliver a course of, lectures, chiefly on dysentery, it would appear that , this complaint is pretty common at Fiji From the last number to hand we find a schoolmaster has arrived from Victoria, and proposes taking boarders. Some details of the cruise of the Charybdis. man-of-war are given, from which it would seem that vessel has a sortof roving commission for punishing refractory natives. Here is an instance :■ — 44 The Chary bdis called in at Savu Savu Bay, where the people of Wai Leva were fined aud one native flogged, for assaulting the wife of A. D. Lang, Esq., and arrived in Levuka harbour on the 9th instant.”

Oh a future occasion we will give such further extracts as are likely to be interesting, at present concluding with the following notice pregnant with meaning, which was posted at the Consulate : “As notwithstanding several notices issued from this Consulate during the past four years, much misapprehension still appears to exist among British subjects as to their position in Fiji, Her Majesty’s Acting Consul feels it necessary to call their attention to , the following : British subjects amving in Fiji for the purpose of trading, planting, or otherwise adventuring their persons and capital for the advancement of their interests, do so at their individual risk, and they must not expect ships of war will at all times be placed at the disposition of the Consul. Her Majesty’s ships upon this station are apKted for Che especial protection of the Austracoionies, of which Fiji does not form a part. Ships of < war can only be sent to Fiji when the Commodore or senior officer of the squadron considers the exigences of the service will so permit. l Settlers 'occupying lahds'updn rhecoasts of the ; various lislaads forming this Group may reasonably hope to obtain protection from native ; aggression, J or redress ’ when thd opportunity. arrives. If settlers indiscreetly, I !addin opposi-iitm-tthOonsular advioe and "remonstrance, posh . tko interior of the country, locating among or contiguous to heathen and , d«ja to? any gxoim*

tion from Her Majesty’s Government. Violence or injury to their persons or property is a contingency they might reasonably have foreseen. It is desirable, therefore, that'present and intending British settlers should understand they have no right to call upon Her Majesty’s Government for protection, when in the ardour and adventure of their individual pursuits they penetrate into remote and barbarous countries.”