FIJI.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4424, 24 April 1876, Page 3

FIJI.

(FROM OUR AUCKLAND CORRESPONDENT.)

I wrote you some time since a full account of the difficulty iv the Navigator Islands (Samoa) and of the arrest of Colonel Steinberger and seizure of his yacht Peerless there; at the request oE the U. S. Consul, by Captaiu Stevens, of H. M. S. Barraeouta. We have no account of what was done subsequently, but suddenly receive news by way of Fiji, that 50 of the Barracouta's men had been attacked by the Natives at the chief city. " Apia," and that eleven had been wounded of whom one (a marine) had since died. The others were sent from Apia to Ltvuka in a German barque, to, be put in the hospital there. The Fijian papers give an account of the fracas, but say nothing of what led up to it. The German barque arrived on the 4th April at Levuka, and the Barracouta on the afternoon of the same day. The Fiji Times was published on the morning of the sth and the Llewellyn left in the afternoon. There may not have been time therefore to ascertain the particulars, and there is no newspaper in Samoa. So we are left in the dark aud must await the arrival here of the "Barracouta," daily expected, for further information. All we know is that the natives were dissatisfied in some way with the doings of, their King, and probably the dissatisfaction starred afresh the embers left by their savage and bitter civil war, which only ended two years ago. A great meeting of the chiefs was to be held, and for some purpose or other 50 of the Barracouta's men formed a guard of honour while a boat w?b sent with an Armstrong and rockets to the rear of the meeting place, apparently to avert a threatened attack in that direction. The attack was nevertheless made, and with the loss already mentioned. After the fight Captain Stevens entrenched himself, arrested some of the principal chiefs, and kept them as hostages until all B'range natives not belonging t j Apia had baen ordered away. The chiefs were then released, and peace apparently restored. Captain Stevens evidently, did all that man could whf-n once engage! in hostilities. The puzzle is how he came to be engaged in them at all. It may have been n'ce.-sary to interfere for the security of the white settlers, and this Mill possibly be found to be the cause. Or it may be that he was acting under direct orders, or at the request of the foreign consuls. In the former oase, it can only l>e a step towards the anuexafion of this group, and iti addition to the Colonial Empire. The German man-of-war Vectis has been sent to Apia, and H. M S. Sapphire has replaced the Barracouta. The Gorman interests in the Islands,through GoddtYoy and Sons, the c!iif:f merchants, an: very large, aud of l'.n-; standing. Tlio American interests are also extensive, and tka Americans are represented by wouie of their " smartest " men. 001. Steinberger is not bad, and is a relic jof the civil war ; but I am also informed that General Babcock, whose name was mentioned at one time in connection with tbe famous " Whisky Riogs," is also there, and has taken au active part in these proceedings. Oae of the curious features is the alliauce between Steinberger and Godeffroys, from whom he is eupposod to have obtained the ainevvs of war, by which his war schooner, the Peerless, and supply of arms and Gatling guna w«re iv the lirst instance obtained. We must be content to wail for fur!her new?, for the Llewellyn brings us nothing from Fiji but the bare facts of the fight, a&Xhave already said. From Fiji itself there is but little news of public interest. The Land Titles Commission is working its way steadily, but neces sarily slowly at first starting. A new batch of title certificates has been issued, and more will soon follow. Confidence in thin respect is being restored, as the objections of tho Natives are dealt with reasonably, and not with the one-sided regard for them alone which some feared. A rumour tnat Sir Arthur Gordon had been offered the Governorship of Ceylon has awakened the settlers of Fiji to tlie value of the Governor they now fear to lose. There cannot be a doubt that Sir Arthur's removed juat as he begins to settle down to his work, and the settlers have come to understand aad value him, would be an injury to Fiji. At the same time, it was always understood th'it he would only be the temporary Governor <>f the Colony, a-ad it is hardly likely he will be content to remain there for any lengthened period. The rumour has reached Fiji from Ceylon and Australia Nothing official is yet known, tho Fiji papers tell us, to Sir Arthur himself. Mr Birch, the Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, is spoken of a3 Sir Ar thur's successor, but the change, if made at all, will not take place till the end of this year. The greater part of the interior of Viti Levti has been proclaimed an excepted district under the Ordinance giving the Go veruor power to make such exceptions. It is thus placed beyond the jurisdiction of tbe Supreme Court, and is under the management <.f a I'.iv-kl- ut CY'UHniEsi'jner, responsible directly to the Governor, and assihtcd by Native Chiefs sr> the Court over which lie presides. The coast line of this large district is not exempt, and the white- settler.* within it will n<>t therefore be affect d, they being conlinwl to an area not extending bade i mure thau two inilvs from tho coi.st "-Ik™ the excepted ilUtuefc begins. Nearly oil the

remaining cannibal tribes of Fiji are in the mountainsintheinteriorof thisdistrict. They arc the men who killed and ate the missionary Baker, in 1860, who killed and eat so many of Burt. and Underwood's men iv 1868, who did the same to Spiers and Macdonald a year or two later, and who, after that murdered Buni3 and his family, with other misdeeds that have made their names notorious. Cakobau was defeated in 1867 in an attempt to subdue them, and lost 45 of his warriors, who went to the ovens of the mountaineers. ! The Government which, was organised by f the settlers attempted to subdue them, penetrated their country, and had several engagements with them under Harding and Thurston, but did not mako a permanent settlement, which, can only be done by forming good roads and opening up the country. Nor did they disarm these mountaineers—a task which must be perf oi mcd one day, and which will be of a very delicate nature. I believe they do not number more than 5000 in all, but they have the advantage of position and of a difficult country. They are able to pounce down on the lle^a and rivers to the south or on the Ba, and others to the north, as they think 6t. Their position and warlike habits have made them a terror to the Coast Natives. The latter are the firm friends of the Government, who owe them protection and peace, which can only be ultimately obtained by disarming these mountaineers and opening up their country. This is one of the first duties which the Fijian Government will have to perform, and when it is done, there need be no fear of native wars in Fiji, for no other natives are in a position to give serious trouble in the Group. The natural tendency will be to defer operations, but true wisdom —as our experience in New Zealand shows—would dictate the disarming of these men at the earliest possible moment, while the Government are not embarrassed with outlying settlers t> be protected. No doubt the Governor is fully alive to the position, and will not lose the opportunity, but rcust exhaust all peaceful modes of proceeding before he would be justified in proceeding to act by force. In the. meantime, a camp has been established by the Reside; t Commis sioner well up in the interior, at the forks of the Siga, Toka river. The position is a good one for future action. Several of the hill chiefs have been induced to give in their submission, and will be valuabl3 allies in case of future operations. There are 150 native troops, under Capt. Olive's command, in the camp, aud mere will no doubt be forthcoming if neceosary, whils the assistance of the Coast natives, though not very valuable, may be confidently relied upon.