THE FIJI ISLANDS, THEIR SUGAR PLANTATIONS, COLORED LABOUR, AND INTERESTING FEATURES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 16

THE FIJI ISLANDS, THEIR SUGAR PLANTATIONS, COLORED LABOUR, AND INTERESTING FEATURES.

(By A Recent Visitor.)

As there is much sacrifice made by the many Who labour in the interests of the producer, so also is there in the more elevated struggle for the advancement of Christianity. Do w» find the boat's crew of the Wesleyan mission protected from the glare of the sun by a billycsck hat and pair of half- Wellington boots, or are they in any way taken better care of than their brethren on the plantation ? It is not unusual for them to drag at the oar from sunrise to sunset and cover a distance of from 30 to 40 miles. Is it ever hinted at that this is on a par with the galley slave, minus the whip ? No, certainly not ; nor is it. The men are not driven or pressed. They have their desires or ideas and ambitions, for which in greater part they are indebted to the clerical gentleman now sitting dozing under his sunshade in the stern sheets ; and to him these men at the oars look to and depend upon for some mark of reward which will raise them in tho oyes of their fellows, as the Fijian worker on the plantation looks forward to the end of his term v.heu he can return home to share the money Jio has earned with his own. There is a link much stronger than palpable that connects the mission with the plantation. These two, whose interests are by many considered antagonistic, are closely hinged one upon the other. Unknown to itself, or rather indirectly, the mission is guide and philosopher to the planter, and there is no doubt the planter is friend to the mission in a most substantial way. The Polynesian when brought in contact with Christianity invariably follows the more attractive or showy ceremony of the Church of Rome, and for a time he remains a good Catholic as well as a good workman. Quick in most things, a few months after arrival he has a pigeon language of Fijian aud English. His dre6s, when he can afford it, is a mixture of Turk and Zulu, consisting of a white feitt or zulu reaching a little below the knee scalloped round tho Jowcr edge, and spangled with stars and diamonds of red and blue calico. From the waist to the neck he is usually clad in the most glaring of striped or chequered fceuuis shirts, and never forgets to have a couple • A' inches of Manchester silk peeping out of his 1 reast pocket. But the head is the thing wherewith he means to fascinate his dark sisters. The arrangement of the hair is arrived at by the same means the Fijians use — namely, smothering over with a solution of coral, and when washed bandaging upwards with tapa, or native cloth. The effect of the lime, or coral, is to stiffen and bleach as well as to give the hair a frizzy appearance. The lobbs of the ears flre pierced, so that he can carry his pipe or anything that might bo cumbersome when on his native heath, and dressed in a suit of the Solomon Island regulation pattern. On Sundays the place of the pipe is taken up with bone, or composition, £in cylinders, 3in in length. The nose is pierced round the rim of the nostrils with holes that during six days of the week are kept open by pieces of wooden matches, but on Sunday Birmingham shows out agaiu, and the woodyard gives way to a wreath of sparkling heads. Blue and white are the favourite colours for' this part of the costume. Underneath and through the central part of the nose is another drive, through which is carried by some a spritsail-yard in reduced circumstances. Imagine the teeth as black as the wooden pipe he is smoking, put an umbrella of some colour or other under his arm, and you have one class of Polynesian as he is to bo seen in Fiji to-day.

There are others who imitate everything English — wear the dress and speak the language, look contemptuously >on a German and despise a Jew — but, notwithstanding this distiuction, there is no difference. The Kanaka has not been asked,- nor is he bound to become, a slave. Were such the case, his child born in slavery might see his children's children. As it is, the chasnj between his stage and ours brings with it a shock under which the wild man of the woods whirls contentedly along, happy and thankful for the good change in his manner of existence, but haviug no thought for or apparent wish to be tho ancestor of a line of priests or kings. Time expired, men and women are, when a sufficient number is made up, returned to their island homes. Every man or woman is landed on the island from which he has been taken. The landing is^ supervised by a Government agent as in the case of recruiting. It would be to the advantage of the returned labourer if he were allowed to sneak home uuder cover of the night. He might by so doing reach his own district and dispose of his savings before the hand of the spoiler could reach him. As it is, however, ' they must be landed within certain hours of the day, thus giving expectant friends a favourable opportunity to receive • them after their own fashion, which begins by knocking off the lid of the returned one's trade box and having a general scramble for the hard-uarncd luyiugs of threo or four years. Fond and TV.ment fly in all directions, and bufuro the rrival's feet are dry lie is again to all appearance, and certainly as far as this world's gear goes, on a level with his countrymen. Many return to plantation Ht'o in Fiji, others there aro who, taking a. Solomon Islander, if not a wise, view of tho ca<:e, remain at home, and stand their chancu in looting the next home-ward-bounder.

The foreign labourers who elect to remain in Fiji give one, tho impression that in their generation they are wise. They take life as easy as possible. Christmas and other saint days they keep after their own fashion — in singing, dancing, and masquerading. Hour after hour, with the help of kava and tobacco, the feast is kept up fast and furious. Prohibition is strictly enforced with aboriginals and Indians. Mfiere it not so there would, I am sure, be no end of squabbling and, among themselves, bloodshed. There are a few Solomon Island women in the group: Many become uursegirls when their term is expired, and remain as such in .the towns in preference to returning to their homes. Whether they excel as such is amatter of opinion. While of both sexes there are a few who live to exhibit themselves and 'charm the heart of each other (in imitation of their European patrons) on Victoria Parade, there are others who, for less money, accept isolation with contentment on some of the more remote islands. In the labour army of Fiji there is another member of the kanaka family. He is imported from the Line Islands, and, good labourer though he be, the Tuckalau is not in favour with those who have to work them. They are generally looked upon as aggressive aud revengeful, consequently, now that; other labour is plentiful, there arc very few of these imported. In colour the Line islander runs from dark to a pale yellow, and is never without the uncertain twinkle of the Malay in his eye. - To those who seem to take an active interest in this labour question, and to all who cm spare the time, I can safely say a journey among the islands' of the Fiji group is a pleasure that cannot be had elsewhere, and an experience gained never to be lost sight of

when the coloured labour question 13 being discussed. From Suva by the interinsular steam packet our first port of call is Levuka. The distance (60 miles) is done in something like six hours. Levuka, on the Island of Ovalau, might well be named the Madiera of the Pacific. The southwest trade wind reaches home here all the year round. It has the best fresh water supply of any island in the group — oiib of its fiuest features is its running streams, two of which oome tumbling down from a height of 2000 ft. The townspeople take a delight in keeping these clear and pure for the benefit of themselves and visitors. The running of the steamer usually gives an opportunity of spending a, night here, whore the visitor is suro to find warm hearts that will initiate him into the soothing influence of the kava bowl and open their minds to him as to the advantages of the good old radical days that were before Levuka became the ancient and now somewhat deserted capital of the Crown colony. At daylight next morning we leave for Penang — a sugar estate on the island of Viti Levu. On this run of seven hours we have smooth water, and the course, being inside the sea reef, is most interesting. On the water and under it we meet with, to us, many new revelations of life, until we drop anchor at Raki Raki, the place of shipment for Penaug estate. A very pleasant four hours can be spent here by a run up to the mill. On this estate is to be seen all kinds of South Sea and Indian labour under ordinary conditions. The I plantation itself is very beautiful, but small as compared to others in the group. Next morning we proceed on our way to Ba, some ?0 miles farther along the coast, and here on the Bar river wo" have sugar growing and crushing as near to perfection as at any other place in this part of the world ; and although far remoted from other busy haunts of men there is not the slightest injustice practised in excess of What might be expected where such a population is in any other part of the civilised world. As we are said to carry our insular prejudices, so does the representative of Britain, in Sir John Thurston^ct up to the letter of what is usually looked Tor under British rule. Here we have magistrate, doctor, and parson watching that no undue severity goes 'unpunished. On the bank of the river is built the finest native town in Fiji — Dongalou ; the houses are uniform in appearance, streets or paths at right angles, fruit and native food of every description planted around quite tastefully, bread-fruit growing to perfection, nud very plentiful ; the house of the roko (Naamau) is a work of art, and must have taken some time to put together. The gentleman himself is very decided in his opinions, and reckons there are only two good women living : his mother is one, aud Queen Victoria the other. At the mouth of the river and for miles near to the beach we have nothing but tiri or mangrove swamp. Ducks are at times numerous, but getting at them can hardly be called sport. At daylight next morning we are again under way, returning by our track of yesterday, when we steam out through a passage in the sea reef and turn our head toward the fantastic needle-shaped peaks of, Vanua Levu ; a 40-mile stretch of comparatively) smooth water along the edge of the Koro sea, | and we are again inside tlse sea reef, and have . the benefit of this beautiful and historical coast' line under most favourable circumstances. ■ Away to our left are the bold and barren heads of the Yasawa group. Abeam and astern, in whatever direction we look, we have islands, from the mist and verdure clad heights of Koro to the tiny sand patch with a solitary' cocoanut tree standing sentry over it. Along the whole length of this Muthuata coast, from Nai Thomba Thomba to Cape Uda is extremely grand and full of interest to those who know • how many a fight and feast has taken place at this headland or that quiet little bay. At anchor again, and surrounded by little islands, all inhabited more or less— Anutuga, Viedrala, Galoa ; each able to boast of something in the shape of a store and claiming to have the fairest maids to be found in the group. Early next forenoon we are anchored in Sarah's Bosom, the name of the harbour expected to be used by the Labassa plantation. Sarah's Bosom is considered one of the safest harbours in Fiji, completely locked in by land and reef at a varying depth of from four to 15 fathoms. The plantation can be reached by land or river. It is intended to run a wharf out into the bay, and connect this with the mill by rail. The river runs through the centre of the plantation, and is navigable for vessels of light draught. On entering there is nothing to be seen but tiri or mangrove — unless we wish to confirm the sailor's yarn about oysters growing on trees. Here they do so in abundance ; are small and very sweet. From the mouth of the river to the site of the mill is six miles. Two years ago this part of Fiji was seldom visited unless by magistrate or missionary. Two years hence we will have a population numbering several thousands, and what was the home and haunts of a few wild pigs, cattle, and Fijians will be one of the finest sugar estates of the present day. Already there iire a few hundred acres planted with cane ; the houses for European manager and slaft' have been erected on one of the finest sites of the estate ; stables for horses are being runup; the river is being bridged; private parlies are building a .store ; and il is fully expected that in two years' time crushing will have commenced.

Here, then, wo lind oursulvcs, from an English point of view, transported to the. uttermost; end of the earth because the voice of the Queensland people was at one time raised against the employment of coloured labour in the cane fields of that couutry. Having taken a run up the river and back, we again get; under steam and start outward through an opening in the reef abreast of Mali Island. We have a quiet voyage of 40 miles round Cape Uda and southward towards llambi, which we reach just before dark, and inako fast to Iho bottom for the night. The island of Rambi, the north-easterly extreme of Soma Soma Strait, is nine miles long and about five broad. The land rises to a height of some 1600 ft. At present it is owned by some English merchants, and I baiieve could be bought for something like LIO,OOO cash. It is planted with some 90,000 cocoanufc trees, bearing more or less. The pasture can run 500 head of cattle, and fatten them. There is abundance of water throughout the whole island. The soil is in greater part iit,to grow anything suited to the climate— one of the best in the group. The native labourers grow for their own use in the shape of luxuries tobacco, mustard, watercress, &c, while in the wild stata,are to be found pineapples and other fruits. In the bush itself there is in great plenty native food of every description, also pigs, poultry, harmless snakes, and loathsome spiders. The settlement is on the north-west side of the island, abreast ot which is the anchorage called' Virginia, the other principal points and bays having names such as Florida, Georgia, Texas, &c. There is a fine house on the island built on a beautiful eminence overlooking Virginia Cove at a height of some 400 ft above the sea level. The approach to this is, for some distance on either side, planted with mangoes. The appearance of these in the 6eason is something to make the teeth of the

wanderer water with longing, while they turn the night into a hideous dream by the screams of flying foxes who comß from all parts of the island to Spend the dark hours in feasting and screaming in the branches of these trees. Along tho beach are a number of well-built iron houses for the labour ; also, in part under cover, machinery to the value of L6OOO or LBooo— imported, it is supposed, for an idea that may have passed through the heated byain of some heaven-born genius. Just above highwater mark are hundreds of tons of cocoanut husks ; along with them lies the boiler that was to make power enough to rend them asunder, and if it were only raised a few inches above the damp, sandy soil, it might be of service at some more prosperous timo ; but, alas ! suoh s-hemes are but too often followed out on a heads I win, tails you lose principle. On this island, as on almost every island of Fiji, there ,is plenty of good fresh water in the streams for bathing A. tennis court is to be established, and only wants the scythe run over it to be fit for use.

For a fow weeks' real and not imaginarychange of life, I know of nowhere wherein or whereon such could be really more realised than on this island of Rambi. Once landed, you require neither pur^o nor scrip ; even the soap you feel inclined to use may be plucked from the branches of trees overhangiug the stream in which you bathe. The sea at night gives higher sport than speariDg salmon, and much more satisfaction when successful, as one requires both nerve and muscle to wait patiently, and despatch such worthy foemen as the shark and stiugaree. For an expedition inland, all you carry is a gun. Eatables there are in the bush to any extent, in variety enough, at least for a few days. It may be noticed that wild pig as pork is an improvement on home-fed. This may be accounted for by the feeding,: which, to say the least of it, is rich in appearance. They are undergrown, and otherwise resemble our own Cook family. Frpin this island our homeward journey commences. Steaming down the Georgia channel to the island of Kia and across to North Taviuni, wo spend a day dodging from one place to another, gathoriug up all sorts of island produce, until we get to Vuna Point, where we have already, landed. The trip from here to Levuka gives a good view of the islands of Koro, Navua, Gorau, 1 Mbatiki, Wakaya— also tho Horseshoe and Wakaya reefs,— after which we again touch at Levuka and on to Suva.