The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-07-12

the Felee and Navigation islands IL contains the latest
from those islands, and important information re-
speeding the habits customs and Institutions OF the
gular people who lnhab them
Journal of trip 10 Fejee
UNITED STATES SHIP FALMOUTH
Rewa Roads, Feee Islands, March H. 1851.
Our anchor is weighed, and the sails are spread, bid
ding adeu 10 this land OF savages In accordance with
my promise TO keep you advised of my movements from
time 10 time, wrote you from Tahiti, informing you OF
VISIT TO the Maiquesas islands, the subject oil our
stay al Tahiti and at the Samoan group left letter al
the latter place TO be forwarded which tusl haS oeeh
received
The island Of Ovolau one of the Fgee group, about
twenty -four miles in circumference, and Is muca broken
into peaks valleys sand Iavines but The deep yeFdure
with which il is clothed gives 10 II pleasing and teue
appearance It's highest peak is about two thousand Two
hundred feet above the level OF the sea lis population
was estimated BY Captain Wilkes, in $780, eight thou
sand but according the best information oblanable at
this time. three thousand is a high estimate
The population OF these islands only be conecured
the people are continually at war, precludng the pos
sibty OF any hing near 10 correct reliable
being taken The prncpa town, Levuka is situated on
the eastern side OF the island, harbor of the
name, and consists oil thirty forty grass houses.
Feee house 10, in form, like country hui in The United
States, except that The sides very low aud the
long-n other words il is almost all roof is about
eighteen by twenty hive feet, without partition separate
apartment whatever; substantial pillars OF nut
bread fruit support the fabric, the ntefsces closed in with
alced bamboos, the roof made of small poles OF the ny
discus crossed with fine banboos matched with leaves of
sugar cane cocoanut or pandanus the ridge and corners,
are thickly matched IN the except few
openings about three Tour feet high for doors.
monty four or five. The doors made low, pro-
lection against the entrance OF enemies TO club
them while creeping in, should they attempt it, The
floor is made OF earth, sand fine gravel, sewed over
with nut leaves and covered with mats one end
of the floor is raised about inches higher than the
which is called the bed place." where they sleep;
it generally covered wiiha double layer of mats Their
pillows are made OF round stick bamboo about the
thickness OF hoe handle, with pegs about four inches
long stuck IN 1t Tor ieet some OF these are sufficient
~ long to accommodate SIX or eight PERSONS and others
adapted to or two. Towards of the floor
space about SIX feet square Is enclosed by four large
squared logs OF hard wood this enclosure is the hearth
general cooking place The principal cooking uensil
is large clay jar boiler nearly the shape OF com
stone pitcher without the handle except that the
bottom is spherical; il is permanently fixed lis side
from vertical, with space under II to admit OF small
fire. This boiler aad circular hole in the ground
H. cased WIN small stones or pieces OF broken pottery
as fireplace constitute their whole cooking range.
Over the cooking place. in every house, there
OF lumber lott OF sticks poles, spears, clubs, and things
of every kind found about Fejce house; this they
dry and smoke much of their provisions and smoke
some OF their tapa for particular purposes AS they
have no chlmneys and The doors are SO low may be
readily supposed that Fejee house is strongly ncured
with smoke. Tul Leveka, tue principal chief of the
island, resides at this place His authority extends
seven or eight other towns few white male residents
Americans They all have native wives and their
children are raised like The natives, in nakedness and
ignorance; indeed, they have almost degeneraed into
think in every house in the village, and in no
one did see chair stool, table, saw one bed
stead, which sm certain is the only one IN the town,
and that is in the house OF native
Three OF the foreign white residents carpenters by
trade, who might ma Ike for themselves, as timber is
plenty chairs stools, and table 10 eat off and bed
seads, however rough on which 10 Tepose but they eat,
sleep, and sit on the dirty mat floors like the savages with
whom they associate, IN slovenly Incidence
The Fejeeans the savage and unattractive
looking people 10 be met with IN the Pacific perhaps
anywhere else.
lilo ,nl ,>f
good size. In color they are nearly dark Ethio
pans; their hair is cured and crisped like the Africans
but grows longer; the nose is generally broad and fiat
and instances OF thick lips are by no means their
eyes are black and penetrang reachery, terociy and
deceit appear in every neament they are like other
people on the globe and il is difficult 10 give them
proper place between the black and coored races
they are so near the former that they would sell readily
in a slave market. .-
chest with sort OF ampback, bedaubed with cocoa nut
oil, which gives them disgusting appearance. This
custom, however, is only observed in time Of The
people OF Levuka have been at Tor years
with the people OF the mountain district, burning each
others towns, and killing few stragglers by treachery
and ambuscades, which is their cowardly mode OF war
fare Often al that dead hour OF the night that precedes
the dawn band OF these savages will pounce upon
unsuspecting family or hamlet, and make indiscrimi
nate slaughter OF men, women, and children A
and his wife going 10 cultivate their patch may be
surprised by hundred warriors carried off, cooked and
eaten as warke achievement. The word war, in its
common accepatlon, seems TO convey erroneous i'm
preston when applied 10 the disensons in these islands,
which carried entirely by deceit and treachey,
brutal murders, kidnapping assassnaons, toruret, and
cannbalism brave fearless meeting of hostile parties
in the open field decide their disputes by deeds OF noble
daring never takes place Hence their eowafdiness
keeps up state OF murder and plumber, called war; for
years that might be decided in day If they not
rant towards.
Native weapons now but little used every tribe
has its fighting armed with Queen Victoria or Uncle
Sans muskeis; some have double. bareled guns, and
even Colts chambered rifle and 81 shooters AT times
they Turn out in banterng mood, but their cowardness
keeps them far apart that they burn guDpowder in
whole day is often spent in firing al each other from
opposite hills, and no one hurt; perhaps
brave than the rest advances too far his hook,
gets captHred cooked and presented TO the SPIRIT and
afterwards eaten in triumph Such victory on side
and defeat the other will probably be sufficient stop
hostes until the bread-fTut OF the year be ripe
and gathered Such is the nature of sevenyears'
in Feee. and three years existing IN the Sa-
moan group.
From what have seen, | think would be mercy
and blessing to these people for civilized power
conquer them, and bring them subsection and order
zing them, and at putting stop 10 capnbasm and
all the other barbares that shock the sensbiy OF the
moral world by the bare recital.
Our steamers with about five hundred troops and
afew light hedpeces stationed at some convenient de-
pot IN the South Pacific, visiting The several groups OF
ISLANDS at short Intervals once IN three months,
would be amply sufficient put end all the foolish
dssensons and crueues of the natives give them good
chiefs and sanitary regulations and laws Encourage
ment would thus be afforded 20 industry of every kind
and safety to person and property
The Mountain and Levuka parties concluded a De ace
short time since, and on the day after our arrival at