FEEJEE ISLANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2, 22 February 1851, Page 4

FEEJEE ISLANDS.

The following interesting anecdote is extracted from a review in the ' New Zealander ' of the Rev. W. Lawry's visit to the Friendly and Feejee Islands : — It will be found from Mr. Lawry's journal that Bau is the capital of the Feejee group. It stands upon a small island. ' Its inhabitants consist of the principal chiefs and their families. There reside Tanoa, the King of Bau, and his son, Thakombau, the Tui-Viti, or nominal King of Feejee, together with the chief of their warriors,. There also reside the most influential members of the heriditary order of priesthood, who are termed Urbete. As much of elegance and neatness as can be found in the capital of a barbarous and uncivilised race belongs to it. The houses are of a very superior description Its bures, or temples, are finely ornamented. Its canoes are celebrated for their size. In fact, this place is, for the Feejee Islands and their population of about three hundred thousand souls, the centre of power, wealth, and superstition. To this capital the subject tribes from time to time bring up their tribute. On these occasions the chiefs of Bau acknowledge the obedience of the vassels by giving them in return a general entertainment. At this, partly from a superstitious feeling, partly from the vain and ostentatious displaying their bar|i|nan magnificence, and partly that the astonished rustics may partake of the delicacies of the metropolis, the chiefs take care that human bodies shall forma part of the luxuries provided to gratify the palates of the tribute-bearers. Such portions of these as^the strangers cannot devour, they carry off as acceptible presents to the distant villages, where the grateful, if not holy gift, is speedily consumed, in whatever state of decomposition it may reach its destination.

In the month of July, 1849, in the ordinary course of the delivery of their tribute to the haughty chiefs of Bau, a party of four hundred people of the Butoni tribe of men, women, and children, arrived at Bau. Ngarinde, the chief of the tribe of Lasakau, or Fishermen, is that one of the chiefs to whom is apportioned the duty of providing the human victims, whose remains imperious custom demands shall add dignity to- the banquets given to ' the tributaries of Tanao. On this occasion he was not wanting- in his duty. Amongst savages, boldness in war is valued in- the individual warrior ; but success, by sly stratagem, is the quality most admired in the chief, and Ngarinde, true to his principle, instead of gaining his victims in fair and open war, laid an ambush near the town of Notho, on the coast, and succeeded in cutting off one man, and fourteen defenceless women, who had gone down to the reefs to gather shell fish. Some of these, desperate from despair, were slain in. resisting their capture ; the remainder were hurried on board the canoes of their captors, and were taken to Bau, to grace the intended feast. Fifteen wretched human victims to be devoured by about fourteen hundred of thir own race ! Upon the 28th July, the dead and living victims reached the capital.

No ray of hope could- have shot across the mjnds of those doomed wretches. They stand there in the capital of barbarism and cannibalism, not to meet a new fate, but to fulfil a rite, sanctified and required by immemorial usage. To all human appearance nothing could be more certain, although so terrible, than the death they were to suffer. But at the little station of Vewa, removed a short distance from Bau, were two followers of those men who had determined in God's name, with grace and with courage, to wage war against the world and the devil ; and beyond all doubt there was a good opportunity here for waging such warfare, for if ever devilish work was dsne, it was then going on at Bau. These two warriors against the world and the devil were two weak Englishwomen, who had quitted their homes, and travelled to such remote and barbarous lands to aid their husbands in their missionary labors. These gentlemen were unfortunately absent, engaged in their duties at a distant station. What can two weak, unaided Englishwomen do in that barbarous land, among fierce and cannibal warriors ? "Will their works be 'all of apiece?' Yes. Upon the 29th of July, Mrs. Lyth and Mrs. Calvert heard of the devilish deeds that were being done at Bau, and taking with them a Feejeeian who had been converted to the truths of Christianity, these two intrepid Englishwomen, each cheering the other, threw themselves into a canoe, and embarked for Bau. Upon landing there, the first sounds that they heard were the shrieks and cries of the victims, who were being slain for the next day's feast. Unappalled by this, by the crowd, by the dreadful circumstances which surrounded the,m, by the fate which they tempted, the two genfllewomen, having their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel, pushed on, and forced their way into the house and room, a. strange looking den, we are told of old Tanoa, which was tabooed to women, and was now, for the first time desecrated by their presence ; but the deed was done : they stood before the aged chief, who sat lost in gloomy surprise at their audacity. Yet we think that even then the two Englishwomen trembled not; for surely in hearts so brimful of love and mercy, there would have been no room left for fear. It is the custom in Feejee that those" would-beg a boon, present a whale's tooth, to tlife^ersori from ' -whom they ask it. The acceptance of the too|h is a sign of forgiveness, and of acquiescence" 8 ird|be^ prayer of -th%,. petitioner. Mrs. Lyth' and Mnf^pafc'"' vert had each without delay presented ;^waWi|

tooth to old Tanoa. The moody^savage, touched, " we dare to think, by the intrepidity and self-devo-tion of the suppliant ladies, gloomily, and after some consideration, accepted them. A consultation was" carried- on between himself and Ngarinde, and itresulted in his "orders being delivered in these words i—'^ Those who are dead,- are dead ; but those? who are alive, Bhall live.' ; Ten .had already beeni ' slain; The most part of them had been drowned j one had died of the wounds inflicted in-her capture -^ one, a Ifttle girl, had^ at the request of jthe principal wife of Thakombau, been presented' to v her. , Thuswere but four survivors of the fifteen victims, three-, of whom were presented to the generous- deliverers.

But the task of these Englishwomen was not completed. Sorrow for the crime committed filled* their breasts, and their full hearts required relief by the utterance of their feelings. So weak and lonely as they were, they reproved Tanoa for the horrible deed that had been done, and actually forced him to try to make excuses for the crime.

Encouraged by the boldness and the success of the two ladies, the women of Bau found courage also, and ventured openly to give vent to thosegentle and better feelings which we believe to exist in all hearts, and can from the most hardened, the most debased, be drawn forth by love and kindness. They thronged .in crowds around Mrs. Lyth and Mrs. Calvert, as they returned to their canoe, and poured forth their grateful thanks for the deed of mercy they had done. "We do not ourselves thank them, for we know no words which could properly express thanks for deeds like these. "We must, however, add here the closing sentence of the gallant officer who related the transaction to us : — ' We arrived in the , about three weeks after this affair had- happened, and if anything could have increased our admiration of the conduct of these heroic women, .it was the unaffected way in which they, spoke of the part they had played in it, as the simple performance of an ordinary duty.'