Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-07-23
Caunibals of the Fejee Islands.

Caunibals of the Fejee Islands.
DR.. Harvey in his account of his tour in the
South Seas. in a letter dated from Sydney says
"At Wainunu had to visit the chief, Tui-
Wainunu, in order 10 obtain his permission to
botanize on his land AS he is rather noted
character shall tell You something about lin.
/ Has lives in q large house like q lofty barn
all being in one room, which may be some
sixty feet long and twenty-five feet wide,
| With the roof-pitcll some twenty feet from the
/ floor Hung midway from the ground are sun
dry shelves, which seemed we'll laden with prop
erty, and all along, at the upper end of the hall,
was a row of well-poshed muskets, apparent
ly fit for action. The floor was spread with
mats and those at the upper end, appropriated
to the chief guests, were of fine quality. Here
sat also. the principal wife, who is fine look
ing Young woman, with a pleasing expression
of countenance and dignifed manners, although
she was nearly naked (being heathen,) except
the very narrow or short native petticoat which
the Feeieean women wear She was nursing a
Young savage in a state of nature. Iproptiated
the chiefs good will by the present of a large
knife, and Captain Birkenshaw gave him pair
of hatchets. Tui- Wainpnr is of very great
stature some inches over six feet, strongly built
and well proportioned, with great muscular de-
velopment His hair, which projected from his
head fully twelve inches on every side, was
wrapped in sala of fine bark-cloth, and look
ed like huge pillow, He wore no Clothes ex-
cept the usual narrow strip of cloth, about two
inches wide, passed around the body and be-
tween the legs, and barely sufficient for the pur-
poses of Feejeean decency. When he gave, or
,ders to his crouching dependents, he walked, or
rather strobe, rapidly about the room, and slap
his thighs in o very significant manner. lie Is
heather and canniba and noted warrior,
and, commands very large district including
many towns and considerable population he
was very polite to us, and when he spoke TO us
You would have thought him very amlaole
parsonage. He looked over my plants, and
made remarks, and assisted in carrying the bun
die towards the boat; so that, when shook
hands at parting, gave the salutatlon, SaF0S0ane
My love to you.
"But the missionaries tell fearful stories of
his cruelty as well as daring. On one occasion,
when neighbouring village had offended him,
though it was at q time when his tribe were o.
way on some other expedition nothing daunted,
TUT collecting all the women OF his village,
started with them, and posted them in the bush
Immediately surrounding the village with which
he was displeased, then telling the women to
set up shout, and to initiate other noises usual
with a party about to attack town, the Chief
himself, with his club in hand, went alone into
the midst of the hostile village, and by his dar-
! ing threats and the fears awakened by the sup
posed besieging force he actually succeeded IN
clubbing all that he could find, and thus ne took
eighteen lives as morning excursion peiore
breakfast. When the men were slain, ne called
in his women to carry off as many OF the dead
bodies as he wanted for cooking Another OF
his exploits was still more cold-blooded, though
not attended with such loss of life. Among the
captives taken on one of his forays was little
girl of nine or ten years of age. She was not
Killed at the time of the battle, but suffered 70
live about his house, eating her bit among the
rest of the followers, like one OF the family
But some time after he went to pay visit by
sea to q friend of his at Solevu Bay, the next
bay beyond Mandy, and took this little girl with
him in the canoe, where she was treated as usu-
al, And so they went on together till they
came close to Solevu, and were about to land
He then gave his orders to club the girl, and as
soon as they went ashore she was cooked and
eaten. Her murder had only been deferred to
insure the freshness and good condition OF the
meat intended for the picnic. This happened
not very long ago, and there is no reason to sup
pose that similar brutality will not happen q.
gain, unless the lotu (or religion) comes in and
puts stop to 1T.
"If YOU wish to know what the Wesleyans
are doing at Fejee, get the Rev. Robert Young
Southern World, published by Mason. 1t gives
true picture Of the state OF society two years
ago but the last year has been very eyentful
one. Heathenism is fast breaking up, and thou
sands more than can be supplied with teachers
are anxious to lotu. They now count the at
tendants of public worship at thirty thousand,
being more than treble what they were last
wear. Yet, with all this, the heathen crueties
exist close up to the Mandy mission, though
that has been open for seven years. A few days
before we arrived, two instances OF cannibal-
ism occurred close to the village. In one case
the missionary was successful in getting the peo-
pie to give up part of the cooked body for 6u-
rial but in the other they refused insultingly,
beginning to eat the flesh off the limbs IN the
very presence of the missionary. Two cases OF
widow -strangling and one of smotherlng a SICK
person. also occurred during our stay. 1t is al
ways the next of kin that strangles the widow
generally her own daughter holds her While the
son presses the cord round her neck. could
weary you with sickening stories. Scenes like
these teach us, if anything will, the blessings OF
Christianity. Who talks of tue religion OF ma
ture9 There is not lovelier paradise on earth
than the Feejee Archipelago. 1t blessed with
fine climate, an exuberant fertile soil, a.
bundant streams of water and exquisitey pictu-
rescue scenery. Everything conspires to i'm
press mans mind with the beautiful and the
peaceful if estheticism is to be believed; yet we
find it peopled by race earthly, sensual, and
devilish to the last degree-hateful and hating
one another What better proof OF the truth OF
Christ's mission do you require than the con-
trast between the heather and Christian dis
tricts of Feejeea"
Singular Names.
The Hampshire Gazette says:-ln the Memo