HOW THE ISLAND LABOUR TRAFFIC IS CARRIED ON.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2740, 3 January 1882, Page 2

HOW THE ISLAND LABOUR TRAFFIC IS CARRIED ON.

The “Fiji Times” publishes an account o£ a: cruise of the Jessie Kelly, which gives some insight into the peculiarities of the island labour trade: — ' The Jessie Kelly left Lpvuka oil the 9th July last, licensed to recruit labour for Fiji in New Hebrides and Solomon groops. Reached the leejcoast of Pentecost on the 16th. Found it: hard to communicate with the natives,, but when they found out we wore Fijians wo had less trouble. Remained here at anchor until the 20th, and got _in the interval 14i men and boys, a nice lot. Found the natives quiet enough, notwithstanding their reputation Li.vabouts, and they constantly came off to the vessel in their miserable canoes. On the 22nd off the lee coast of Oba. Anchored at Walu-riki. Found l the Aurora aud Idaho from Noumea, and

Mavis from Fiji, also at anchor before us. Under these circums tan/^|F; ero the recruiting was not successful. IhS'o” boats pulling about in pairs doesJgr , tend to get men. Natives did not eiß[ not care to sell yams, and few came wlif 11 us. From 26th to 28th on lee of Rei||i i^ ar cost; got one man. At Bushmi®# 11 , ’ Ray. saw. two.. plantation recently landed j they plain sadly of a Non mean vesspl-'tiKß. ■ ' men away forcibly, and "girinf-v-rf J' “y:aquona”to the men’s friends.' Hi 1 0 mained on ; this coast until .theii|jf August, and got in that time J 5 wm nan ‘ Rl the rate of. two or three, a natives were more civil 'on- tbiflilW than on any other in the Solomp|l|i ns y, the sth off Mala, or Malayta||j.2 The* use the bow and; arrow as ' we |i|ll : -ag the. spear on this coast, and are roggHiißiah and cheeky. Don’t care to recruiSlff ; waD t t 0 see their friends back first. Jißlany deft this lee coast- about i:hre«« years ago, and are expected back daily||P (fot into* calms -here,; and "'only' recrl|inf«/i three men,'two from canoes. CSPn the 11th anchored at Aliti Bay. ChS|>eky rogues getting a man only occasSiionally. On the 17th anchored at Hu B«iy ; got seven men, and left for Colerido|p) Ray. Hero we found the Nuifq,, CRptain Hoyer, with Captain Proctor pnfiboard. Had recruited 80,having been ti|S) Duke of York, New Ireland, and ; Ne||w ; Britain, and had got men at each || island—a fine, powerful set of fellows, 1 but as blach as blacking. The vessel |i had also some Bougainville or RubiaiHha people. Mr Proctor-said be reornitepd them a»,-lnst as he could , giye-eaoh ||6pe a knife and tomahawk' over the snide. Fully 200 canoes were ground hin|| as many .more coming, so he -'thought|| it best to clear out. On 28th N.E. Coa||st of the Island of: Isabel, or Gan, as it Ms called bj the natives.. Remained on imhis coast Until 3rd of September, and goPklO men.F-On the 7th off Savo, on the? Woe ooafit of Guadalcanal and recruited nWd along this side of the island,until > tune i6th ; result two men. Nearly aj returned labour immigrant.'' JEreu the'' women and children sajr “ Good morning ” in English.- NatiyferAre afraid to go in the t bußh and get recruits,’ as‘they do in Now Hebrides. Each local chief hero is left a little trade by the trading vqs?e|s,to .boy: copra, whichiskbpt until the vessel’s arrival, and .thus the notives are well supplied in every little thing they, require, and wont recruit. ; When a man can get get his pipe and tobacco for 10 or 20 nuts, as they can fame; he is < happy and won’t change his estate. Why should he ? He gets all his wants supplied as well as if he worked in Suva or Levuka. Oh 17|K 'off west fcoaW of San GhristoraF again, and up td 25th got a, dozen robruits. Oh, 28th anchored at Mary Halrbori. TJfl 1 fpthe l 7th T trot' 13 then Hebrides.