The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-09-16
PIantat1on Lie I'm the Fills.

thO MI ~ Va "a AC1AhA6 JOAA
published in Sydney, N. 8. w., has recently printed
a series of articles entitled, Mine months in Fiji
and other islands by a Sydney man. > that appear
to be the productions of an intelligent observer, and
one too whose mind is unbiased by considerations of
selfinterest. He visited freely among the planters,
and tells plainly what he saw, both good and bad
The conclusions to which we must arrive are first,
that the planters are generally accommodating wealth
very fast and secondly, that they are doing it by a
system of forced labor that is nothing more nor less
than slavery. The one instance of a plantation where
the g labor - was managed by kindness, is more
than overbalanced by the systematic cruel treatment
of the sniggers - on the others. The planters are
represented as a very comfortably situated, g jolly "
set of fellows, g liberal to extravaganza, careless as
to money, and always ready for a lark = yet after
a heightened stay in these comfortable quarters, the
"Sydney man . is compelled to acknowledge that
/ carried away with me this idea, that though material pros
perity may be the immediate result Of exacting to the
utmost from the powers or energies of the slaves, for they are
slaves whatever may be said to the contrary, yet such men as
the overseers are certain, sooner or later, TO bring about the
bitterest enmily between the two races, and that such treat
ment is and will be the most efectual means of preventing
voluntary engagements by the islanders for the purpose Of
working the plantations. H-
But let us glance at one or two of the plantations
Of FIJI in company with our cicerone. The first that
he visits presents a picture of good order and humane
management that leaves nothing to be complained of.
The special plantation we now visit is one conducted in the
mildest and most humane way. The overseer is neither an
importation from the Southern States of America, nor is he
sufficiently degraded TO consider those under his charge simply
as beasts of burden, the consequence of which is that there are
DOW among the laborers men voluntarily working in their sixth
year-some of them having been enabled to bring over from
their island homes their wives and families. The proprietor
himself acts only as a sort OF court OF appeal, and leaves the
management TO his factor. steward, overster, or whatever you
choose TO call him. 1 never in all the Fjis met with a man
who, on a large estate, kept in the stric.est order about ninety
sssages, without once seriously quar,eing with anyone OF
At the next establishment visited, we find a retired
New Zealand politician, who with his wife and eight
children had settled down on one of the largest and
finest cotton estates in the islands. This Cincinnatus
employed his time in educating his children sin the
different branches of modern education, - while the
entire management of the estate was in the hands of
an overseer. The diligence of the parents in teach
ing, and the eagerness of the children in coming
their lessons, was a charming picture to the Sydney
man. ..l. .r -4
But il the inner life was peace and quietness. il Was moi
altogether SO outside. Mr.. X had happened to purchase a lot
sequent 10 their :. passing" and landing on his plantation That
nearly every one of them had been detained on board by force.
although they only came on hoard the "labor" vessel as traders
in yams and other produce. lie had paid a large SUN of money
for them, and was under obligation to return them at the expi-
ration of the three years. He could by no means obtain any re-
dress from the eyildoer, and had therefore nothing else to do
than to make them work as best he could.
This making" a man work against his will or inclination, is
really a very serious affair, especially among untutored savages
WIN ave ~ VI TtaSOInLg power u see where the
blame lies. The victims have no help for it, hut to grumble.
Now, grumbing is not allowed in the Fiis among the Labor :"
whipping-post there TO receive a dozen lashes.
:" What has that man done ~ l asked IF the overseer who
counted The strokes, not very seriously administered.
!" Oh, he has been over in the village during the night, and,
being found cut, stands his punishment. This, you know. is
not our sentence, but that of the chief. He is, however, the
dozen. 1.-The does not work to-day, and work Well, too, III have
another dozen laid on the top OF The one he has just been
favored with, ami that before the sun goes down, as sure as
guns are guns"
chastisement he has had 20 said 1, quite amazed. ~
Wouldn't 1, though Good morning, sir you clearly
went.
AT g Bachelors Hail. which the traveller declares
was the most comfortable house he visited in the
Fijis, two young gentlemen, the owners of a fine
large plantation, lived a life of luxury and idleness.
while their 9 labor" under the charge of an overseer,
cultivated the cotton fields.
Being an early riser, 1 took a stroll at five in the morning, I,
seventy laborers of several shades of color were engaged in
npping cotton, and l observed, with regret. an ugly-iooking
teing blows here and there every half minute without any ap-
long, and (as l afterwards discovered) made of thongs of ami
mars intestines plated together. Accusing me, this individ-
that brutality aud ~selfshness were the principal ingredients Of
his carcase, smaingly calculated Il guess you have not seen
ringers work so well as these before! Hal" A pause. Don't
you see, mister-hallo, there. Mungo, 20 into the next track or
VIII De alter you m the twinkle OF a MOSQUITO, you rascal
Wen, don't you see, mister, it is necessary to make these mig
gers work TO keep them -quIet. When they work and I ami
cSS VI JOE. WHICH Is an u same, tney cannot COnSplre o r !
those huts down below 20 :" Yes" "Ah |; well, those are the
Ow several of the same tribe to sleep togetherl No, don't you
believe it if any one says So Why, we might he murdered, all
If US, some night ifl permitted such a thing. / mix Them 70
well up that no mors than three or four out of twenty can un-
mister ~ - - - -"N4 49, N
l will add that the owners are independent in circumstances,
md p ISIS their time without toll or worry of any kind. L be.
ieve they had little enthusiastically no hand in the cruz
overseers words to me the evening before / left. "
You see. mister, a black man and a white man is quite
elbow there is only one way TO convince him alfa-dozen
slaps Of this when he least expects itn And he showed
ne the thick weapon 4 had so-oftcn seen him WELD over the
6 always sleep with this here" were the last words L heard
1t must be remembered that the labdrers on the
in Fiji are all imported from other groups
IN Polynesia-your native Fijiman disdains to work
Tor any such wages as the planters give. Of the ma
ives themselves, the Sydney man. has a few good
words.
The natives, as seen in Levuka and other European settle
nents, such as Taviun, Rewa, and other places, present a
nay be mainly Sfchbed TO the efforts Of the Wesleyan mis-
aonaEes' whose ,soo1rs n TINS respect at least have been wen
.ured-where propriety and decency have been so conspicuous
the two sexes as here, where missionary influence has
so strong a footing and though they clearly have
adopted the rule laid down by Father Loyoia, that three al
conduct of the third, yet I forgive them. for, if Righteousness
would be fearful. As it is. / bear nv Cheerful testimony 10
his fact, thar the kings laws and religious influence combined
w utRpSu III Tue NCE dbtcmpL J. II naive le- u
males Of the island the prey Of INSCRIPTIONS rakes. So strict
re the laws IN this respect, that If a native woman is found by
native policeman, or other male native, outside the bound
Try Of their town after 10 in the evening, she is fined IS, and if
he money is not paid at once, she is sent away to hammer Co
oanut fibre for royal 4" sulss - till the debt is discharged.
OF His Fjian Majesty, who it appears is soon to
axe rank among the acknowledged sovereigns of
)hristendom. we read the following account ,c
Well, L have seen Cakobau or Thakombau-and It is Just az
veil here TO explain that, according to FiJan pronunciation
"a, is pronounced Tia, while ko Is kona, and so the word writ
en- Cakobau is pronounced Thakombau.
Behold his Msjesty this sunny day taking a walk on the
each, being on his periodical visit here in Levuka from his
apital Bau or Mbau. Some seven to ten yards in advance
larch two or three warriors, besides him is his noble-looking
alf-brother and heir apparent, Kau Ndranibaka, whilst i've
six warriors make up the train-the attendant slaves follow
q at a distance Wherever this great sovereign passes, down
0 his subjects on each side Of the road, crouching in the very
according to ancient custom Ii is a curious sight the 7
rst time you see il, and one wei calculated to produce some
i was, however, glad TO observe that the old fellow -s-
lewed all show of European manners and habTiments, and I
ut confess he looks the noble savage. He wears no rdcu- =
us three-cornered hat nor trousers that stop short Just be-
the knee. He disdains those adornments altogether. A
lperior sort of satus (the cloth beaten out of the fibre which
rms the inside Of the bark of the cocoanut tree) falls in sew a
al folds from his loins TO just above the knee 1t looks like d
uncouth imitation Of a Scotch kilt He seldom wears q
address, but always carries q staff or a club. I
Cakobau. who protested iotu Christianity if err not, as =
riy as 1855, is between sixty and sixry-ive years of age, of
ect bearing and well formed. but stOuf. with shortcut grey |