New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-10-21
CUSTOMS OF THE FEJEE ISLANDS.


toms Of the natives Of that region. The Captain
| visited the Samoan Islands, where be found the
inhabitants very peceable, and 90 little disposed
to war that, we're they attacked, they would
probably practice the injunctions Of the Peace
Society. Very different from these inofensive
. folk, and affording striking contrast to them,
are the inhabitants of the Fejee Islands, among
: whom cannibalism prevailed until quite recent
!, ly, and is still far from unknown. Lying off
the shore at night, you will hear drum beat
ing tap-a-tap. tap-a-tap, tap-a-tap--it is the
death-drum Of cannibal feast. Not only do
the Fejeeans eat their prisoners taken in war,
| but the same horrible doom awaits the wretched
!, victims Of shipweck Vainly may the stranded
mariner present himself as casual traveller,
j requiring hospitality-the hungry villagers de-
tect what they term SO salt water in his eyes,
ana spring like tigers on their prey. SO babit-
ual indeed has been the practice. that the mis-
sionaries say the Fejeean language contains no
word for simple corpse, but tie term used inn
plies the idea OF food, just we might have no
other word than mutton TO describe our sheep.
1t is even asserted that at periods of scarcity
families will exchange children for this horrible
purpose. But the ordinary mode of obtaining
d supply in time of peace is By kidnapping, and
as the flesh Of women is preferred to that Of men,
these raids generally fall upon the softer sex.
We shall quote one narrative from the many
horrors related by Captain Erskine, because
the noble conduct Of the English women in some
kombean, the chieftain Of Ban, having to give .
return banquet, has surprised and captured ff-
teen women, who came down to the beach to
pick shell-fsh for food
''On Sunday, the Goth Of July, 1S49. the hol-
low sound of the awful lai, or sacred drum,
bore across the water to Viva, the intelligence
hat cargo Of human victims bad arrived in
Bau, and native Christian chief, Il believe
| Namesemalau who lad quilted the capital to
o'ring the information to the missions, related TO
the shuddering ladies, whose husbands were alb
,ent at Bau, in Madalwood Bay, in Vanua Leuv,
jn their usual annual meeting, the whole Of the
circumstances of the capture. In the course OF
| the day, reports as to the intentions af the au-
horites were brought over, but in the evening
. came definite one that all we're TO be slaugh-
tered on the morrow
SO An then was enacted scene which oughtto
! he ever memorable in the history Of this mis-
! sion.
son the Monday morning, Mrs. Lyth and
e Mrs Calvert, accompanied by the Christian
b chief above mentioned, embarked in a canoe for
r Bau, to save the lives of the. doomed victims.
l. Each carried whales tooth decorated with rib
| bons, necessary offering on preparing petit
: lon to a chief for even in the exciting moment
3 these admirable women did not neglect the ordi-
v nary means of succeeding in their benevolent
/ object As they landed at the wharf, not far
II from the house of old Tanoa, the father of Tha-
kombau, and in this instance the person to whom
they were to address themselves, the shrieks of
| two women then being slaughtered for the days
! entertainment chilled their blood, but did not
daunt their resolution. They were yet in time
! to save a remnant of the sacrifice. Ten had
been killed and eaten one had died of her
wounds the life Of one girl had been begged by
Thakombaus principal wife to whom she was
a | delivered as slave, and three only remained.
Regardless of the sanctity Of the place, 1t being
: taboued to women. they forced themselves into
L Tanoa's chamber, who demanded with astonish-
l men at femp
8 there.
e The Christian chief, who we'll maintained his
lately adopted character, answered for them,
that they came to solicit the lives of the suryl-
e wing prisoners, at the same time presenting the
e two whales teeth. Tanoa, apparently still fuli
r of wonder. took up of these, and turning to
| a messenger desired him to carry it to Navindi,
J. the executioner, and ask if it were good A
IS few minutes were passed in anxious suspense
Of The messenger returned, and sit is good waa
9 Navindi's answer. The women's cause Waa
,r gained, .nA-oa2R thus pronounced his Jsdg
Is ment Those who are dead, are dead; those
III who are alive, shall live With their three
as rescued fellow-creatures, these heroic women
ed retired and already had the satisfaction Of ex.
lp perienced that their daring efforts had prodnceS
%, | a more than hoped for effect. A year or tw,
oly ago, no voice but that of derision would hav
his been raised against them, but now. returning
ze- to their canoe, they were followed by numbers
their own sex blessing them for their exertions
l
ny Medals of humane societies and what not
IT, | how trumpery are such decorations eompares
OF with memory like this! =
s. But cannibalism is only one phase of the gen
a. eral blood thirstness of these savage islanders
OF | When the king builds house. man is buried
II alive at the foot of each post to insure the sta
d bilty of the edifice At the death of chief one
Is OF more of his wives are invariably stranpled
s. and the chiefs themselves, when grown old or
/ nhrm, are buried alive; their wives in such
J. cases being previously put to death and thrown
IS into the grave, to make a bed for their doomed
II lord. The women indeed. often make it a point
J. of honor to die in this manner, and reject the
p efforts of the missionaries to save them In order
d that canoes may be fortunate, they are fire.
e quently launched over the bodies of living slaves
as rollers.
e There are instances of all these atrocities in
the very interesting narrative of John Jackson,
d an English sailor, who lived prisoner in those
q Islands for two years, and they are amply con-
'f irmed by the Captains own personal observa-
e lion. But in Jackson's homely language these
a horrors too revolving for quotation.
u The object Of Capt Erskines cruise was the
e encouragement and protection of commerce, and
IS we regret to learn that the white trappers of
i these are too often disgraced by treachery
It and cruelty worthy Of the Feejee Islanders A
e principal article of traffic is sandal wood, and
e the toulest means are sometimes adopted to OBJ
If thin it; natives of one island being kidnapped
II and carried off to cut it in another, where they
are then abandoned TO their fate The mate of
Sidney vessel boasted of having shot six men,
+ as he sailed along the coast of Eromango, one of
d the New Hebrides, merely to spoil the market
ii for those who mig ght come after him. In 1884
e the commander of French vessel, to obtain
|. facilities for trading permitted Island CHIEF
d to cook and eat the body of an enemy On board
II his very ship. What wonder, that in a subse.
e quent dispute with his ally, he was himself, to-
y gether with the greater part of his crew, sub
h jected to like fate' The white residents, more
d over, in the habit of purchasing and main
is tanning female slaves--the common price beins
If a musket--and the missionaries complain thai
: even Christian women are sometimes thus bought
/ and, of course, forced into concubinage by En-
h glishmen. Such persons are by law amenable
e to the courts of New South Wales; but the dis.
tance, or prolixity Of the necessary proceedings
s. render the jurisdiction almost nugatory.
u PEBBLES PICKED UP AT THE SEA-SHoRE.--By
Sentimental old Young Lddy.-one's exist
ence down here is divided between donkey
l. riding and noyel-reading-pretty exercises fo
a the mind and body 1t would be difficult to sa,
re which was the slowest-the donkeys or th
"a ctr hf,f how