New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-25
PELJEE ISLANDS.



La KTsBA, FEEJrE IsLAsps
Long az have resided in Feejee land, confess my
self unable 10 tel you of exactly how many ielands
the group consists They are variously numbered at
from hundred and fifty 10 nearly two hundred, though
! think the first estimate is nearest right A little
mo e than one third Of them Inhabited. The Island
on which live La Kemba is about twenty miles in
circumference Wehave three Wesleyan missionaries
with their wives, of whom was trained al home
O school.master and to him my children go daily and
with much profit 10 school, There are also two jesuit
priests here, but they have hut few 70 lovers The
number of inhabitals of the Island Is about 1900 dis
tribu,ed in ten small vlleges-few persons dwelling
separately ia the country. All tie InhabItans are
nomirelly Christians also The 5000 900 in-
hsliia1ts of fourteen or fifteen isaLcs subject La
Kemba which Is Chiefs Island, and the great major
lily are professors OF religions but am sorry to say
that very many fail 10 live up 10 the maIims tbeg pro-
e. - sna the faith they have embraced. The great vice
of the Feeies has from time immemorial been lying,
and the habit has r generations become ongrai led
that strange az 1t may appear persons who In other
respects seem consistent Christians fe 10 lay aside
their craft cunning and deceit. | do not know, in
fact one single native in any of the Islands Of the
group whom / would implicitly trust the word of.
Nevertheless savages not 10 be judge like other
Ieople; Rome not built in DAY, and j, is to be
hoped that the unceasing labor of the Missionaries will
accomplish results among the rising generation which
must be dsspsirea Of 10 that which is now on the
stage.
The Feeiees are not brave people, although their
habits ard passions have until WY recently involved
them in continual warfare. Their battles have been
generally gained by treachey, the victorious party
never giving quarter, and most OF the blood being
sled after the field won. Conquered enemies
never spered but men, women aud children are
Slaughtered without mercy, excepting the few whom
the victorious party reserve TO carry home Tor Their
bloody demoniacaI, cannibal feasis and dances The
stoies hich are told of of .hese horrible
and disgusting hey Ond all Imagination 20 describe.
Hopes exist, however, tho few more of the Internal
scenes which the beautiful valleys OF Feeee have wit
.aNts tTrnlt
to II missionaries The principal island of the whole
Feeiee group is called Bau. It's Chief though possess
ing dominion IN reality only about one eighth of
the inhabited islands the title OF King OF Zee
iee and is man Of un4Oubied ability and power. He
il about as years of age and has been until two years
AGO most successful warrior; that If he was by far
the most willy re0cberous and 0eIterous maneuyerer
In all the islands, and the of sending more
people into the other world than any one that had
ever preceded him. He passes among whites and ma
tves for asuperior man, with many customs aud as
uiratiOns which would attract notice 10 him IN any
country In the world. His memory Is slnguarly re-
tentiye and his powers of adaptation Jnderful, a.
has been shown by the ease with which he has copied
the wa and of the whites. This singular mao,
who has beer one of the moot bloody OF canuibais
On most deceful and cruel of MONSTERS began sew
era wears since Aust ain from eating human flesh and
10y the efforts of the Rev. Mr.. Calvert and the oter
Wesleyan missiOnar es has gradually become praying
man. constant attendant at divine service, ana under
his protection over thousand natives nave Decome
IrOfesfCd Christians and tens OF thousands, MI.
Calvert tell ne, bid fair soon 10 bow the knee 20
Christ. 1t cannot be said that cannibal teasts
never take place. but they gre comparatively hire
ouent and lie King does all he TO discourage aud
suppress them. Tie Chairman of the Wesleyan New
South Wales Circuit, the Rev. X. b. Lyth, has Ia
bored hard for years in training natives for mis-
sonsry work and If emnenty qualified for tina. hard
plod0ing which is reeded for the native mind; but
with all bis labor still want men. The gsod that
might be accomplished by few more suc1 devoted
perfons as Mr. Calvert Mr. Lyth AID their associates
cannot lie calculated. He has been missionary out
here for fifteen years, al ways exposed to daDgertwice
within the past month of losing hs he-yet never
hncbes and finds his consolation IN seeing darkness
pass away in Feee and light begin 10 shine and pre-
vail.
and my family the only whites in the island of
La Kemba Our food is prnci pally pork, vans, very
nutritious vegetable called tara fowl of all kinds, and
sometimes when we are able TO procure then, flour,
sugar, tea, &c. Perhaps you would call my home
hut but it is at all events the most respectGbookiug
tenement on ned by white man in the group. 1t is
forty two feet by twenty-one is divided into three
rooms and possess the luxuri of tables bedstead
chest of drawers, bureau, quite assortment of
cTOcBery, knives forks spoons, &c. even have my
food cooked very much as you get II In America. AZ
for dress more fashionable turn out mg hit be j0ssl
BE. PaDtalooIs shirt and under shirt with ha, and
shoes are all can afford for every day wear coat
and socks are for Sunday sporting live within hail
ing distance of the Missionaries, and am of coure,
far removed possible from the natives. Not that
look down on the natives either. The Feeeeans,
savagos as they ell have been, aud many of them It'll
remain, are many degIeds above sOme OF their Poly
neeiGn u,iehbors. They have comfortable houses
mostly lined and cHrpfed with mats and usually very
clean Excepting tier caunib,l feusis, their food is
plain but plenty and cooked III the ceanes possible
manner. Their day behavior is more than civil
il il polite to each oher, and they 50 hospable
that Feeieeman will divide bis meal aud treat with
the or attest kindness a neighbor whom he intends kill
ling and eating within ali hour
Americans would be surprised to see the beautiful
boats which Feejeeans make aud own. The King at
81, -htff
stone house-owne fine vessel, built IN the United
States. Some of the built here are however,
even handsome. They immensely large, will
~ three or four hundred men, and are strong enough
TO visit the Feno y and Navigator Groups three aud
six hundred miles distant. Very handsome wooden
dishes, earthen pots and Jugs fishing nets, fancy bas
kets good servieeabe mats, and other articles foI
show and USE are manufactured IN all the Islands.
The soil is wonderfully productive. Sugar tobacco
and rice grow well; and when the time shall have
come that generation shall have sprung up who
shall have worshiped no false Gods, nor practiced
the atrocities aud abomnatious that passing away,
industry will succeed to the prevailing hatred of field
labor, and these will become the finest and most pro-
ductiye Of the South Sea Islands.
You ask what We want here. Why, dear me, every
thing that you throw away al home. A few hundred
empty bottles which you smash when the claret IL
gone would supply the most exravagant family in the
group with yetabe food for years. Our best articles
Of trade commol cottoDs blue and fancy prints,
goo sized butchers knives, axes wooden chests or
trunks, common iron pots for cooking aud such very
unpieending matters. Those things which find il
most difficult to procure for myself blankets fan
nell common sewing. thread, needles, tape and shoes
which latter sometimes not TO be had for love nor
money, and much sought after by the whites.
Mott of the whites reside island called Oralau.
There some forty of them there, among Others my
two psrines. Oraau is about 1870 miles distant from
here 80 that il is not possible for to communicate
very often. We had great calamity in September.
IT. whole town of Oral7u burnt TO ashes AID the
whites lost eveTyihiug-sOme did DO save a suit of
clothes. wss there al the time, bu fortunately only
lost the eff cts had with me. Trade however wac