AFFAIRS IN SAMOAN, FIJI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3532, 24 June 1872, Page 3

AFFAIRS IN SAMOAN, FIJI.

» A Samoan correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald writes that the native war "is a great drawback to all business transactions in Apia. The contending parties are behind stockades, within 100 yards of each other, and have a kind of look out places about 30ft high, made with cocoanut slabs and baskets of sand, to overlook each other's stockade ; and if anything shows crack goes the rifle, followed by the report of Brown Bess. The ears are assailed night and day with continued reports of firearms from one side or the other. The Bay of Apia, from Matautu Point to Mudeenu Point, is neutral ground ; and the foreign Tesidents and their property are respected, no thefts having occurred, and considering there are no police or magistrates, it speaks well for the Samoans. Contending parties often meet on the neutral ground and converse with each other, many being blood relations. The Apia party have just sold tho last piece of land fronting the water. It includes the land on which the native chapel has stood for years, and also the resting place of the remains of the missionary martyr John Williams, and of several others connected with the Samoan Mission. Mr Weber is the • purchaser. The natives having. to find their own arms and ammunition, as well as provisions, they are forced to sell their land to procure the same. Ido not think the war will last long. It was supposed the natives had about two months' supplies in April last. The whole of the cocoanut trees, breadfruit trees, and taro plantations of the Ana district are destroyed ; what the axe did not do, the fire did. It will take some years before the Samoans recover themselves from this war, if they ever do. They give no quarter ; if they take an enemy off goes his head. They scarcely know what they are fighting about. I believe it is whether the nephew or the brother of trie deceased Maleatoa shall be the head chief of the islands. Each party have their partisans, who contend that their chief has the most right to the name."