VANCOUVER AND THE KLONDYKE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2319, 11 August 1898, Page 58

VANCOUVER AND THE KLONDYKE.

BY W. M'HUTCHESOtf

(Author of " Camp Life in Fiordland," etc.)

WELLINGTON TO HONOLULU.

Since tho great Klondyke rush so much interest has been manifested in Vancouver and British Columbia generally that a few notes by a recent visitor may not be uninteresting. The notes do not profess to be more than a brief resume of what the passing traveller may chance to see aud hear by the way. Tho first port of call on the New Zea-land-Vancouver route is Suva, one of the finest harbours of the Pacific, and we saw under favourable conditions. Indeed, although perilously near the "hurricane season, and we had been promised a taste of the quality of a real Fijian storm before clearing tho croup, we encountered nothing but " summer seas" and ''balmy zephyrs " while threading our way through these " sunny isles ' of the Pacific. Occasionally as many as six or seven of the iblands were visible at the same time, which added considerable variety and charm to the scene. _ Our approach to Suva was signalised by a somewhat exciting adventure. We had the usual stowaways on board, one of whom—determined to escape the fuss and ceremony of an official landing at Suva— possessed himself of a small plank, and slipped quietly over the bows while yet the ship was a mile from the entrance. He was almost immediately observed, and the startling cry of " man overboard ! " rang through the ship. Instantly there was commotion. The bridge-officer deftly dropped a lifebuoy ; tho alert chief officer and his crow sprang into their gig, which was rattled down from the davits with admirable promptitude; while the gallant Warrimoo with helm hard a port began to describe a circle. As the reef was known to be alive with sharks, the now di&tam. &].eok or- the water was watched with breathless interest until safely reached by the boat. II was a mad attempt to escape, there -being hardly a ghost of a chance of reaching the shore alive. The foolhardy performance lo»t us an hour, but gained for the performer a month's " hard " on shore. On entering the harbour a very picturesque scene presented itself — a capacious sheet of water, smooth si 3 glass, almosn encircled with low wooded hills and emerald-clad shores, while away behind the little town rose a lofty range of volcanic mountains of a remarkably precipitous and striking character, not unlike those of the famous JRio de Janeiro.

Suva, the capital of Fiji, is situated on Veti-lcvu, the largest island of the group, and is a growing place of some 1200 or 1500 inhabitants. Beyond the Government House and half a dozen other buildings Suva has no architectural pretensions, but the scattered bungalows on the hillsides embowered in tropical foliage had a very picturesque and inviting appearance from the sea. The town is still in a very primitive state, and native life everywhere very much as it was 20 or 30 years ago. The naive policeman wears a sort of tunic trimmed with red, and carries an officia,' baton in his hand, but he .valks about bare legged and generally bare-headed. He is in no danger, however, from sunstroke. The male Fijian boasts of a head of hair beside which the most abundantly endowed white is practically bald-headed, and he takes as micli care of it, too, and dresses it as carefully as a society belle. The hair is piled up four and five inches high, and as thick with grease as it will stand. Many wash it Avith lime water till it becomes a tawny red, and the effect of an immense red " Tarn o' Shanter " over a shining black *ace is exceedingly comical. Another pleasing custom is that if a native, on visiting a friend, sees anything In the Louse lie would like to possess, he calmly intimates the fact, and Fijian etiquette demands that the article be forthwith " presented " to 1 im ! Tho victim, of course, has easy redress: he returns the call at an early date, and is almost certain to see something in his friend's house the possession of which will render him obtrusively happy — until, at least, the next caller comes along. A present, too, to be in good Fijian " form " must be complete in itself. A fellov. -passenger, for some years lesident in the igrotip, told how on one occasion he incautiously presented a native with a small kerosene lamp. A fe^y days afterwards tho native was found waiting outside the rouso, and when questioned calmly replied he was waiting for the oil i Fiji is a full generation behind Hawaii, but possesses a history and interest of its c \vn, and as it is now being brought into o'oser connection with us, a few nol.es on the fimp may be permissible. Levuka was the pioneer white settlement of Fiji, and for many years remained the capital. About the time of the gold rush to California many Americans found their way to the group, and, obtaining grants of land from the natives, an American consul was in due course appointed to look after their interests. During some convivial celebrations of the "glorious Fouith " in '49, the consul's house 'was burned down, and by Rome inscrutable means King Thakombau was held responsible for the damage. At any rate, Consul Williams forwarded his claim, together with a number of others from American settlers, with the result that the United States despatched a commission to inquire into the whole matter. The commissioner upheld his countrymen's claims, and promptly awarded £9000 damages against Thakombau. But the king had no money, and his people flatly refused to find any for this purpose: so, as a last resource, he offered the sovereignty of Fiji to Great Britain, together with 200,000 acres of land, upon condition that the American claims were settled aucl he allowed to retain the title and august rank of king. A deed of cession embodying these terms, signed by the kmg and leading chiefs, was sent Home in '59, but as its acceptance waa considered certain to lead to a native war, the offer was declined with thanks. During the next 10 years various j attempts were made by the European settlers ! to establish some form of constitutional Government, but tribal jealousies prevented anything being carried out. At length, in '71, Thakombau, with the aid of the leading Europeans, made a determined effort to set up a Government for the whole group, and eventually succeeded in calling togethor the 1 first Fijian Parliament, consisting of 40 rnenv

bers, all Europeans. This was hardly satisfactory to the natives, who formed so overwhelming a portion of the population, and those in the outlying islands promptly refused to pay taxes or recognise the Government in any way. This state of things continued for a year or two, tho Treasury being empty and tho Government powerless to enfoice taxation or put down the tribal wars, which periodically broke out on the larger islands. Meanwhile, owing to the American civil war, a great demand for cotton had sprung up, and during the sixties the European population increased rapidly. In '73 Commodore Goorlonough and Consul Layard were despatched by the Imperial Government to make fresh inquiries as to the desirability of taking over the islands. A great deal of opposition was shown by the leading chiefs to this proposal, but Thakombau agreeing to support the cession, Sir Hercules Robinson was, during the following year, sent from New South Wales to definitely inform the chiefs of the conditions under which Great Britain would assume control of the group. Sir Hercules managed to so impress the chiefs that all opposition was ultimately withdrawn, and the islands unconditionally handed over to Groat Britain, the first Governor being our own Sir Arthur Gordon, who took charge in 1875. During these years of negotiations long-headed settlers were preparing for British occupation by buying up land from the natives in all directions. Many of those purchases were of the flimsy character usual in such transactions, and the "land claims" of Fiji became as numerous and intricate as those of the Maori Land Court. In many instances it was found that if all the land claims were granted the entire native population of some of the islands would require to be removed and anchored out in catamarans. Generally speaking, therefore, the only claims recognised were those where the claimant was proved to be in bona fide occupation. As in xVlaoridom, the land in Fiji is held by the tribe, and not by the individual. Of the 150 odd islands the majority are well populated, but in 23 years the native population has fallen from 150,000 to 100,000. Measles was the destroying agent. About tl.e lima mentioned (1575) H.M.S. Dido brought the disease from Sydney in the persons of King Thakombau's two sons. Chiefs and natives from e>ll parts flocked to welcome the royal princes home, and dispersing again spread the measles throughout the group. The results were terrible. Ignorant of ihe simplest remedies oi precautions, the clistiactcd natives tried to cool their fevers 1 bodies in the nearest water or wet grass. Within three months 4-0,000 souls perished, and many scores of villages were wiped out of existence Since tlr^n the inspection of all foreign ships has been rigidly carried out, and the hoisting by tho health officer of the yellow flag at the peak is the signal for the score oi sui rounding catamarans to make a bee line for the shore, and they do it. in the best tim« on record. The climate of Fiji its at first a, very trying one- for Europeans ; some, indeed, liener become acclimatised, and this is due, doubtless, to the great heat and constant humidity. I was gravely informed that, in seme parts of the group, it rains as much as eight clays a .reek; but this statement lacked confirmatio.i. Nature, however, always pro vides a compensation, and a generous rainfall gives the Fijian sugar-planter a heavy pull over his confrere of the Sandwich Islands. In Hawaii irrigation is universal, and costs srmewhwe from 30dol to 50dol per acre; in Fiji not .1 cent is required for that purpose. Sugar-growing is, of course, tho staple industry, and, although practically still in its infancy, one of the largest, if not tho largest;, sugar mills in the world is situated on the River Kewa, not far from Suva. The labourers on the plantations are principally cr flics, who come from India on a five years' engagement ut Is per day. Or- the expiry of his engagement the coohe is obliged to remain in the coloay for another five years, but is at liberty to engage for a further term < f wcik as ho pleases on his own account. At the end of ten years each coolie has the op tien of a free passage back to India, but by this time he has probably married and settled down, aivl &o t permanent cettlement io being effected of suitable labour for the plantations. Wil.hout this oi similar labour the sugar and coffee plai tations could not. be developed, for ihe true Fijian will not degrade himself with monotoi'v-us work of this or any c'ber kind. And why should he? His -.rantsare few and easily satisfied. A cocoanut tree and a grass hut provided for the necessaries of life, while a catamaran and a good club furnish all the pleasure and excitement tlrs world can ofVei. Why, then, should he, the descendant of o race of kings, barter his liberty for more? In this respect the natives of Hawaii and Fiji are twin brothers, and no money will tempt either to work at uncongenial employment longer than their immediate warits demand. But put the Ha~ waiian on horseback and tte Fijian in a boat oi a cataniar.ut and both will perform prodigies of labour from sunrise to sunset for the merest pittance. Nature has been so pro digxl of her gifts to both races that the faculty of sustained application at laborious pursuits has never boon acquired; hence it « Lhat the highly intelligent but utterly careless, laughter-loving Hawaiian is gradually being elbowed out of a land as fertile and fair aa the Garden of Eden by industrious Japs and plodding Chinese, while effeminate coolies are supplanting the manly and warlike tribes of Fiji. As may be supposed, therefore, the Fijian has no love for the timid, plodding ccolie. Possessed of much native politeness himself, his contempt for the race is summed up in the expression " They have no manners, and their legs are thin !" The coolies retaliate by calling the Fijians " jungli," or bushmon, but considered either morally or physically the debased Oriental is but a poor specimen of humanity as compared with this Polynesian, a sturdy fellow mostly, with the broad chest, and brawny shoulders of an athelcte. Of the vomen we had little opportunity of judging, fO7f 07 there v, ere very few to be seen ; but one old lady amused us greatly. A red-headed Fijian was lazily supporting a verandah pout in the main street, smoking his pipe and gazing into futurity, when the ola dame, gorgeously apparelled, came by. As she' passed she calmly whisked the pipe out of his mouth, put it in her own, then sailed serenely 00, while her compatriots shook their sides at tho crest-fallen male and chaffed him vigorously in the Fijian tongue.

On leaving Suva we received an important addition to our passengers in the persons of the celebrated American scientist Professor Agaesiz and party, who were returning home after some months' sojourn in Fiji. As will be remembered, the professor had been com-mir-sionecl by the United States Government to carry out certain researches among the coral reefs of Fiji, and with the aid of a small steamer chartered from Queensland, he and his party had visited nearly every island of the group. Naturally Suva was his headquarters, and on the reef in tho vicinity of the lighthouse there his principal boring operations wore carried on. It baa been stated in a colonial paper that tho result of Professor

Agassiz's investigations confirmed Darwin'd theory of the formation of the coral reef, but; this is incorrect. While extremely courteous and sociable, the professor was naturally very reticent as to his own work on Fiji, or tho conclusions arrived at, but duriug the course of conversation one day he gave the writer distinctly to understand that his conclusions in this particular wore not those of the great English naturalist. The professor's party was a very lively one, and we were all sorry to lose them at Honolulu, where they stayed. for the 'Frisco steamer. Honolulu is so well known as to render depcription here supererogatory. Suffice to say it is the most charming tropical town I have seen anywhere, and on each of my several visits — one extending over a week— l have become more enamoured of that gorgeous wealth of tropical foliage which renders every Honolulu house a picture, every Hawaiian garden a dream of floral beauty.