The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-01-26
Horrible Narrative.
THE rur ISLAND cANN1BAIs.


Noticing the departure from San
Francisco for I.evika of a brig Of one
hundred tons burden, owaed by 5. II.
Fuller, her captain, and $. a. st. John,
two veteran residents of tie Fiji Is
lands, the Ala says:
Captain Fuller Is the oldest Ameri-
can settler, having gone there from
Sydney over twenty years ago. Here
he also conveyed his English wife, and
here he has a large family of children,
who are truly ''natiye aud manor
born During their long residence IN
these flrolf isles. the above immed en-
terprising spilitslaye been actively
engaged in both niaratimc and agricul-
t,,gll pursuits. They now own ad-
Joining cotton plantations. which are
being successfully and pVfitAhly cult
waited, Their craft just about to sail Is
to hc employed in this business, and
more particularly in transporting Ia
borcrs and otllers'trom distant groups
to Lcyuka. for no work can be coaxed
or forced from the native Fijians, who
ridicule the idea Of one so degrading
himself as to resort to manual labor.
He has his bread fruit. his single and
scant garment, and his thatclicd cot,
and he is content. The working bees
come from Solomon's Island and New
lEebrides. The cotton raiseil is pro-
nounced in the Liverpool markets sli-
,perior to the Sea Island, and the last
crop shipped, amounting $4,000 bales,
commanded onedollar per pound. The
soil is sandy loan. and clay sub-soil
mixed with lava. Tie natiBe laborers
OH the plantations command $50 per
month, and there are some 5000 Of
them employed on the islauls. Near
" all Of the foreigners are English. In
pl.evuka there are 100 inhabitants, and
Methodist Episcopal churches, besides
a native mission. The religion Is
mainly controlled by public policy.
Their present chief was formerly a
camihal. Wien converted he had IL
coo followers. The human tlesll-cating
chiefs are known as Butchers"
CanniIalism still exists to an alarm
| Ing extent throughout tue interior Of
Viteleue, an island ninety by sixty
miles III extent. Annual feasts are
ghen to such chiefs rs have slain foe
| in battle and performed daring deeds
Astliese disgusting carEiyals the bod
| les Of native boys of twelve tofourteer
years Of age only are eaten. From
earliest childhood these subjects arc
f,ttened for the llorrid feast. They arc
fed wholly upon fruits and vegetables.
Whenth day of slaughter rolls round,
two of the front teeth are extracted
from the mouth Of the child. These
are inserted in a club, with wllicl
weapon the murder is committed, Tho
teeth being driven deep into the skull,
of the helpless victim. The body !!
then dissected, entrails, etc, removed
and afterwards Cit into suitable sizet
steaks. These are rolled ill bread-frui
leaves, placed in holes In the earth, ant
baked for the feast. The native boy
flesh is for the palates Of the chief
only. That of the white man Is con
sidcred too salty and smoky, aad il no
regarded as toothsome. Captain Full
er Informs us that there are over on
hundred thousand clnnibals on the Is
land, aud only last August two Scotcl
men were captured and eaten by til
natives. There is a prospect that thi
worse than heathenish custom will b
abolished In time, now that the entel
ing Of civilization is forcing the bal
barians to respect the white settlt
ments.