The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-03-31
A soyage to the Fuiis.
SUxsER rHrRrEEx.


4
my boy, how you like this here FIiig7 |
replied that l was delighted and fascin-
ated with everything l saw, except the
practice of cannibalism, Of which / ex-
pressed the most unmitigated disgust.
"0h," said he, "s'pose you live with me,
you no see too much of that thing" l
said, What do you mean by living with
your" Putting his hand over my mouth,
he whispered, q Don't you speak too loud,
the mate will hear u.s." There was not
much fear Of that. for the individual in
question had taken strong dose of an
gona, and was at that moment sounding
all the notes of the gamut on his nasal
organs-snoring loud enough to be heard
at the distance Of half mile Phillips
went on to say, that he had taken liking
to me, and wanted me to remain in the
islands and live with him. He would give
me large tract of the best land in Rewa
with all the "kaisis equivalent to the
term serf F." in Russia, formerly-build me
fine house, and give me as many wives
as / wanted. / would have nothing to do
but TO eat, drink, and be merry. How
much more agreeable would this be, said
he, than the life of sailor, which at best
was life of privation. hardship and dan
ger. The proposition was to me, Of course,
"a thoughtless and romantically inclined
youth-a very agreeable one. But, / sug-
gested, l belonged to the brig, and the
Captain would never let me go. II fix all
that" replied Phillips; You say yes
that's all. l get you ashore. help you
run away. All right. By and bye you
big man in Fiji So saying, be rolled
over on his side and was soon fast asleep.
But not so the thoughts of desertiDg
from the ship and thus abandoning, as
it were, my native land and friends at
home for an indefinite period, and perhaps
forever, to live among savages, were alter
mated with pleasant musings on the happy,
easy and luxurious life might lead on the
islands; so got but little sleep that night
Towards morning, Phillips awoke, and or
dered one of the ever wakeful attendants
to see that angona was prepared. Turning
to me, he whispered warning to the
effect that l must be very careful not to
say word to any one on the subject of
the previous nights conversation, and en-
quired whether had made up my mind to
accept his proposition and desert from the
vessel. Ireplied that it was "big thing"
and that / had not concluded yet as to
whether l should do so or not "Well
plenty time," said he. Il hear, the brig be
at Nukulau" the eastern outlet of the
river, on the opposite side from Mbiwa
sin day or two. and then you and go
on board and we have some more talk" !"
And so we dismissed the subject for that
time; but brooded over it in my waking
moments, and dreamed of it in my sleep,
for days and nights.
Returning to Rewa on the day following
the conversation related above, we found
letter from the brig, stating that she would
sail that day for Nukulau, as Phillips had
previously stated she would, and so We had
few days more Liberty" before returning
on board. They were very pleasant days.
The cannibal saturnalia was over, or per-
haps had hidden its diminished head in
some obscure retreat, and we spent the
time in rambling over the country and OBJ
serving the manners and customs of the
people.
One morning, canoe arrived from the
island of KaRtayu, where Phillips had large
land possessions. On board the canoe was
white mana runaway sailor, years be-
fore-who had been trading at Kantayu
for tortoise-shell. He had a young native
woman with him, whom he spoke of as
any Moll,p and who had been presented
to him by Phillips. She was native of
Kartavu, and while the "beach-comberis"
canoe was anchored near the shore, wish
ing, no doubt, to see her relatives, she
slipped into the water one night and swan
ashore. During the day, the chief Of the
place, fearing Phillips anger, brought her
back to her man. BE had now come to
Rewa, to make complaint of the abscond-
ing of bis aMoll." Phillips heard the story
through, and then said-"All right; fix
that gal She no trouble you any more" :"
naturally supposed that these sententious
utterances portended some very condign
punishment to be inflicted upon The poor
agal." but Phillips, beckoning me to where
he sat, cross-legged, in savage majesty,
said in very low tone-"That fellow d-d
fool. He don't know how keep woman.
You see, make him scare" The woman
meantime was sitting few yards in front
Of the chief. with bent head, and her arms
crossed on her breast. She was, for a
Fiji woman, quite goOdlooking, light com
plexion. with yellow hair, and would pass
in Hawaii-nei as an aehu.1 Phillips, ad-
dressing the owner Of the @MolI, p observed
very cody. that he was satisfied that they