CORONATION CELEBRATIONS IN FIJI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2523, 23 July 1902, Page 78

CORONATION CELEBRATIONS IN FIJI.

By Edith Seahle Grossmann, M.A.

FIRE- WALKING AT MBENGA.

The greatest "draw" amongst the Fijian celebrations was the vilavilairevo, or firewalking. Some of the passengers from. Austalia had come almost entirely for the purpose of seing it. As a spectacle it is not remarkable, but it is something in the nature of a miracle, so that there was very great disappointment when the official performance at Suva was stopped by the news of the King' 9 illness. Mr Duncan, the manager of the Union Company at Suva, ncade every effort to prevent the tourists returning home disappointed, and on Saturday it was announced that he had made private arrangements with the chief of the fire-walkers to have the "miracle" at Mbenga. The passengers were taken off in the Kia-Ora, and carried ashore through the shallow water by tho natives. The smoke of the fire could be been some distance away as the Kia-Ora got near Mbenga. We examined the "oven" at our leisure, as there was an hour or more to wait before the preparations were completed. It was a circular pit about 15ft or so across, situated in a palm grove close to a little stream. In the pit were great branches blazing away, and the "heat waa so flense that it was impossible to stand near for more than a minute or two. Stones from the rocks and shore were piled upon the wood, the flames were* leaping among3t them, and in some parts they were red hot. While we were waiting one of the stones exploded and fell in pieces out of the oven. About 200 Euopeans gathered round in a circle, just far enough off to prevent being scorched.

Several natives sat up in trees and in the palm branches to get a good view. A number of brawny Fijians came out from the trees and hauled out the big logs, raising them by means of long piles at the end of which were nooses made of a forest creeper like our supplejack. This noose was thrown round some projecting branch arid the whole log was hauled out with the peculiar chants and deep " 00-00, ah-h-h " characteristic of the people. Next the pole;; were placed in between the stones, and by a very ingenious method they were turned over and the pile reduced to a level. The fire-walkers now made their appearance, well oiled with cocoanut oil and decorated with fringe sulus and massive wreaths of leaves and flowers, but otherwise naked. Dr Fullton examined closely the ft-et and hands of one of the fire-walkers, but could detect nothing on them. The 12 Fijians then Btepped on the smouldering stones, walked round them the whole circle, and then left the oven. Other natives now threw green branches on, and the firewalkers entered the oven again and this time sat down on the stones. More green boughs were thrown on, and a d«nse smoke aroao. The fire-walkers jumped out of tho thick cloud Eomewhat hurriedly. Their faces during the performance looked '* intense," and they walked rather quickly. The green boughs were smouldering around them, but neither their skins nor their sulus were injured. They walked about amongst the people and had their photographs taken. One of them afterwards carried me- through the sea to the boat.

I tried to test the heat of a stone on the oven, cooler than those farther in, but it was too hot to do more than touch it for tin instant with tho tip of tho finger. Several passengers (including my6c!f) brought away bits of the hot stone as mementos. They were placed in split coeoanuts, or tuspended in green withes to be curried, and partially cooled by dipping them iti the stream. One fact, of which the most sceptical must be convinced, is that the fire is real fire. The Fijians brought baskets of dracena roots to be roasted on the stones after the firewalking was over, heaped on more leaves, and covered it over with earth, their ordinary method of roasting. But even so, we saw some smoke still rising as we left Mbenga.

The vilavilairevo does not seem to be a ceremony or to have any religious significance in Fiji. Only one tribe in the entire group possesses this extraordinary power. Sir James Thurston, while Governor of Fiii, had the ceremony performed by men of the tribe, in the presence of 500 spectators. He also had translated into English the Fijian, legend of the origin of fire-walking. In the olden days, says the legend, the men of Navakesese, a village of Mbenga, used to meet at abure to listen to a famous storyteller, to whom each is turn gave gifts of food. One day it was the turn of a chief, Tui Qalita, who promised to dig out a great eel from a hole. But when re set to work, he had to dig and dig a long time before he could reach anything. He then put in his arm, and pulled out first some hibiscus leaves, then tome tapa. Digging the liolo still deeper he felt the hand of a man, then his throat, and at last hauled him out by the arm. The man, whose name was Tui Namoliwai, clapped hands in front of Opahta, in tho fashion of a Fijian suppliant, and begged that his life might be spared, promising Tui Qalita that he would be Ins god of war or of tiqa (a game of skill), of sailing or of women. But Tui Qalita said he could do and get all ho wanted by himself, and must give Namoliwai to the story-teller TO BE EATEN. The captive god then promised him the power of being roasted in an oven for four i days without being hurt. The oven was prepared ; Namoliwai descended into it, and called to Qalita to follow. He did so, and remained unhurt. Namoliwai's life was ppared, and he granted to Qahta and his descendants for ever the power of walking through the oven without receiving auy injury. Ono of the fir^t to witness fire-walking in tho islands was Miss Tcnira Henry, of Honolulu, but her account was received with incredulity, and the Polynesian Society refused to guarantee its truth. From a scientific point of view the most remarkable exhibition wa-, that at Rarotonga, when Colonel Gudgeon, the well-known British Resident of the island, and three other Europeans, followed by 200 Maoris, walked across burning stones. All but one were unscathed, and this man got badly burned. Colonel Gudgeon sayß that the sensation was like that of electric shocks. Half an hour after he had crossed the priest threw a green branch on the oven, and in a quarter of a minute it was blazing. The interest of this occasion arises from its disproving altogether two theories by which people often try to explain away the performance. The

power has nothing to do with hardness of the- feet, nor with any special preparation, fer Colonel Gudgeon, whose authority is above dispute, mentions that the soles of his feet were particularly tender. The Maoris claim that their ancestors performed the feat, but said that it had long gone out of use. Scientific investigation proved it to be widespread in India, Japan, and Mauritius. In India it is a religious ceremony, connected with the worship of Kali, or of Draupati, and it is also performed by the priests in Japan. Harding suggests that it may have originated among the Egyptians, a.nd have been' one of their religious " mysteries, ' acted like the Christian '' mysteries " in the Middle Ages. In that case it would be a representation of the judgment of departed spirits, who are said to anoint themselves, and in pure white garments, holding a palm branch, to cross over inextinguishable fire.' In somo places the fire-walkers still carry, green boughs in their hands. He also connects it with the ordeal by fire, practised in the Middle Ages. Fire-walking is as near as we can get to a miracle in our days. I have, however, seen a cook often pick up a lump of red-hot coal in her hands and throw it back on to the fire without suffering tho slightest injury, and I have heard of similar feats performed by people accustomed to furnaces. The most we can say about firewalking is that it is a matter of faith, or an example of the power of mind over matter, and when We hove said that no one is any the wiser than before. It remains still an unexplained mystery. LEAVING THE LANDS OF SUMMER.

The vilavilairevo and the trip to Mbenga were so absorbingly interesting that it was generally agreed that Mr Duncan,- the deservedly popular manager of the Union Company at Suva, had kept the best for the last. Mbenga, with its high, wooded cliffs and sea coast walk under tropical forest trees, is well worth a visit for itself alone. The most comical incident of the whole cruise was being carried ashore from the boats. A swarm of natives waded some distance out in the shallow water, and as a boat came in they surrounded it. Half v dozen Fijians seized eagerly hold of each lady, exclaiming " Marama, Marama!" and folding their arms enticingly to signify how nicely they would do it. The scene from the beach" was most amusing. One lady eat perched up aloft on a native's shoulder, mortally afraid of slipping down that welloiled height. Another clung with both arms round her carrier's neck, another bestrode a dusky back in equestrian fashion ; a fat gentleman clung with arms and with legs to another. A dainty damsel sat enfolded in a Fijian's arms. We had not the choice of a. certain lady, who was being wooed by several native* to be carried to land ab Tahiti. "I'll have one with a singlet," oho declared, firmly. These Mbenga men, however, were dressed only in fringes and cocoanut oil. And that reminds me of what happened after tho mekes, when the natives sold their elaborate snlus aa curios. A gentleman coming on board with one, the lady he showed it to naively remarked, " A native wanted to sell me one, but aa h« did not eeom to havo anything else on I thought I had better not buy it." These anecdotes, perhaps, savour rather strongly of the South Seae.

The ovemng af^er the vilavilairevo, the last in the tropics, closed with «a Samoan dance on deck. These Samoaus put to shame all our " action songs '* and dances. They dance with every limb and every musclo vibrating down to their finger-tips, and crooning melodiously as they move. Next morning the Waikare left the islands of palm and flowers and 6un, and sailed homeward to New Zealand. As she moved off, her clerk lined with passengers, and the wharf cowded with nearly all Suva's white and coloured populace, three cheers were gn en for Mr Duncan, who had spared no pains to make the stay in Fiji the success that it ,was. Mr Duncan replied by calling; for three cheers for the Waikare and her passengers, which were given heartily from, the wharf. The Nailili natives played "Auld lang syne." Fresh excitement arose as wo passed the Japanese man-of-war, where there were renewed greetings and waving of bands and of handkerchiefs, for the Japanese officers had visited the Waikare several times whilst in port, and had made friends on board, especially among the ladies. The next day or two were comparatively blank, and might conveniently be buried in oblivion. When they were passed, and we all returned to the upper air we found ourselves between sea and sky on the wide docp.it of the Pacific, steaming onward into midwinter. Heavy clouds of black lay along the horizon, then dissolved in thick, misty rain. The soft, warm trade wind was leffc far behind, and a bitter south wind •waa blowing over the deck and tlirough the ship. On Saturday, after breakfast, we saw again tho shore of New Zealand. We were passing the Bay of Islands, with ail its steep peaks, romantic, but bleak and bare after the luxuriance of the tropics. Grey mists, just shot with pink, rested against their sides, but their outlines were sharply defined in cold blue colour against the morning s>ky The last few days were well filled with amusements, not so exciting aa the picnics in Fiji and name ceremonies, but agreeable enough to pass away the time. During the day the Sports' Committee arranged trials of skill and strength, at ship's billiards, ship's quoits, '" cock fighting," threading the needle, and cigarette races, monkey and bucket, and similar pastimes. The last evening there was a performance of a breach of promise case, " Trial by Jury," and Saturday morning was taken up by Dr de Cflive Lowe's songf, recitations, and ventriloquial entertainments. Then came the farewell speeches. The passengers expressed their thanks to Captain Gibb and Mr Duncan for their attention and kindness at Suva, and) thanks were also given to the chief steward (Mr Beveridge), and to the whole of the attendants and crew. Nothing had been, spared to make the cruise a success. The passengers were photographed on the upper deck, and then gathered in groups, watching the coast and having farewell chats with their friends. On the whole, we were as glad to get back as we had been to start, and the cold blue shores looked as beautiful to our eyes as the loveliest islands of the tropics.

So common have thefts of weekly and daily newspapprs become from the Tirnaru Library that the matter has been placed in. the hands of the police. Britain's Army keeps on growing A great deal stronger e\ery day, Tho colonies as well are showing

That they have a little say. Mankind indeed might all be stronger Tf they'd take what's good and pure :" The very thing— you'll cough no longer — Is some Woods' Gbeat Peppebmint Cuml