HOW THE ISLAND LABOUR TRAFFIC IS CARRIED ON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6270, 21 December 1881, Page 4

HOW THE ISLAND LABOUR TRAFFIC IS CARRIED ON.

The Fiji Times publishes the following account of the late cruise of the Jessie Kelly, which gives some insight into the peculiarities of the island labour trade : —

The Jessie Kelly left Levuka on the 9th July last, licensed to recrnit labour for Fiji in New Hebrides and Solomon groups. Experienced light winds until we reached Murderer's Bay, or Bat Napnee, on the lee coast of Pentecost, on the 16th. Found it hard to eommnnicate with the natives, but when they found out we were Fijians we had less trouble. Remained here at anchor until the 20th, and got in the interval 14 men and beys, a nice lot. Found the natives quiet •nough, notwithstanding their bad reputation hereabouts, and they constantly came off t« the vessel in their miserable canoes. On the 22nd off the lee coast of Oba. Anchored at "Walu-riki. Found the Aurora and Idaho from Noumea, and the Mavis, from Fiji, also at anchor there before us. Under these circumstances the recruiting was not successful. Six boats pulling about in pairs does not tend ie get in»n. Natives did not even care to sell jams, and few came near ns. Frem 26th to 28th on lee of Pentecost; got one man. At Boshman's Bay saw two men from Mr. Stanley's plantation recently landed; they complain sadly of a Noumean vessel taking aaea away forcibly, and giving no " yaqona" to the men's friends. I think they worship their ancestors here. Brery post in their large temples is carved to represent nude human figures, intended to represent their dead chiefs. These are the presiding deities, whose heads are kept for generations in the bodies of large timber fish, representing the shark and swordfish, etnek on posts all over the interior. No women or children pase these temples on pain of death. Remained on this coast until the 14th August, and got in that time 15 men, at the rate of two or three a day. The natives were more civil on this island than on any other in the Solomons. 'Tis an odd thing there are no eockies on this island, while all the rest, some only 40 miles off, are full of them. What can account for it? Met many old Fijians, they are much more civil and obliging than returned Queenslanders. On the stb off Mala, or Malayta. They use the bow and arrow as well as the spear on this

coast, add are rogueisb and cheeky. J>on,« care to recruit; want to tee their friends back first. Many left this lee coast about three ago, and are expected back daily. Got into calms here, and only recruited three men, two from canoes. _ , On the 11th anchored at Aliti Bay. Cheeky rogues ; getting a man only occasionally. Saw a man here with only a hoi© for a mouth, and two little pig's eyes—a hideous object—and yet he pounds up betel nnt and lime, and pops it into the hole. The natives are continually eating this betel nut and lime with a peppery leaf. They say it keeps away ferer and ague, and, if without food for a day oi so, it keeps up their strength. Wo hare joined in a native betel spree. It makes yoa tight for ten minutes or so after eating it; you stagger, and everything seems to swim round, but it is a curious thing that a drink of water at once takes off the effect. You alio break out into a perspiration (a hint for the doctors) after eating it. On the 19th anchored at Ku Bay ; got seven men, and left for Coleridge Bay. Here we found the Nuifo, Captain Hoyer, with Captain Proctor on boarf. Had recruited 80 labour, having been to Duke of York, New Ireland, and New Britain, and had got men at e&oh island—a fioe, powerful set of fellows, but as black as blacking. The vessel had also some Bougainville or Kubiana people. Mr. Proctor said he recruited them as fast as he could give each one a knife and tomahawk over the side. Fully 200 canoes were round him and as many saoro coming, so he} thought it best to clear out.

On 28th off N.E. Coast of the island of Isabel, or Gau, as it is called by the natives. Remained on this coast until 3rd of September, and got 10 men. The principal people here wear wigs on state occasions. Some old traders in the Solomons tell us it is the badge of a secret society, a sort of Masonic order. Certain it is that boys of 20 wear these wigs as well as older persons: the women do not wear them. We saw a hut here with & heap of fresh human bones in one corner, and a lot of blood in the other. The people had evidently been surprised, and the usual result followed, viz., * feast! On the 7th off Savo, on the lee coast of Guadalcanar, and recruited hard along this side of the island until the 16th: result two men. Nearly everyone is a returned labour immigrant. Even the women and children say " Good morning" in English. Natives are afraid to go in the bash and get recruits, as they do in New Hebrides. Each local chief here is left a little trade by the trading vessels to buy eopra, which is kept until the vessel's arrival, and thus the natives are well supplied in every little thing they require, and won't recruit. When a man can get his pipe and tobacco for 10 or 20 nuts, as they can here, he is happy and won't change his estate. Why should he? He gets all his little wants supplied as well as if he worked in Suva or Levuka.

On lTth efi west coast .f San Christoval (ilakira) again, and up to 25th got a dozen recruits.

Oa 2Sth anchored at Marjr Harbour. Captain McDonald baa * fin* bit of land her*. Mrs. McDonald at home, but the two brothers over at mainland opening a plantation there. Ad*y or two afterwards anchored at Faiariti, the name of their plantation. They have 16,000 acres of good black soil, two rivers through it. Up to the 7th got 13 men here, and left for the New Hebrides.;

Anchored at Torres, October 12tb, at Gaa anchorage. Found yams scarce and very deir. They used to sell for little or nothing here, but now » lot of returned Queenslandeis &ro bask, and the place ia spoiled for yamming.