The Hawaiian gazette., 1875-04-28
Peace Policy i'm Fiji.

Inere nave been Tears that the inland SaVageS
of FIJI, who number about 10000, would not
readily endorse the annexation Of the group tc
the British Empire. BY the exercise of rare
discretion and tact on the part Of the arbitrator
a peaceable solution of the difficulty has been
attained, as will be seen from the following,
which we extract from the FIJI correspondence
of the 0tqgo WIhasSs:
One of the most important events to record
is, perhaps, the success of Mr.. Walter Carew,
in bringing to the Coast the whole of the Noun
tain Chiefs to make submission to the new
Government. Mr.. Carew was the secretary to
Cakobau's Government for the Upper Rewa
district Speaking the language, and in the
confidence of some of the principal chiefs of the
interior, he was deputed by the present Gov
eminent to bring about their submission if pos
sible They are cannibals and heathens, and
have for centuries been at war with each other,
and with the tribes on the coast, and the lower
Rewa especially. Inhabiting the high noun
tains of Wit Lew, they were invincible in their
strongholds, and the terror of their lowland
neighbours They are the men who ate the
Rev Mr. Baker and his native teachers when
trying to travel through their hills on an ex-
ploring expedition in 1866. They killed poor
Burns and his family and labourers, and Spiers
and Macintosh on the Ba River recently, and
are not by any means q sweet lot to know Mr.
Carew, however, went among them, and by per-
suasiOn and personal influence succeeded in get
ting them to submit to the new Government.
He brought some, numbering with their head
men over 200, to the Lower Rewa, which many
of them must have seen for the first time, and
dared not have visited there without the conf
dence in the safeguard offered them. There they
were met by His Honour the Administrator, the
Colonial Secretary, the Colonial Treasurer, and
a small host of minor officials who had come
from Leyuka for the purpose. Cakobau's son
Abel and his foster brother Savanea were with
the Government party. Both had been defeated
by these mountain chiefs when they went up to
avenge Bakers death seven years ago. Captain
Chapman, of the Dido, was also present and the
turned chiefly on two points. What
were the chiefs TO do with their numerous wives
ifthey embraced Christianity and what benefit
were they to have from the expenditure of their
taxes +? Mr.. Layard told them that as to the
first they would have no difficulty. He didnot
tell them, but they must have well known, how
Cakobau and others before them have overcome
it, by marrying off their surplus wives to young
course these hill chiefs would be sure
10 follow. As to taxes, the expenditure would
be strictly q localized, " for their people would
be employed to make roads through their own
country The latter is a wise course, and no
of following it could be better
han the present, while labour is so low. The
-oads would open up the country for settle
nent, and it has always been considered some
# the best in FIJI for sugar and coffee. They
would also be able to trade freely with the
cast. The interview ended by Captain Chap
nan taking them on board the Dido, and show
ng them rocket practice, &c, with which they
we're no doubt much delighted but they must |
AVE smiled to themselves as they remembered
low little mischief these rockets and cannon
alls did when fired over their heads at Diuka
n 1858. Of course, they could not know that
Commodore Lambert had given special orders
Or that great feat, and which ended in the re-
reat Of 20 men-of-warsmen before the old
luskets of these people, and the abandonment
their Plantations by the settlers at and
bove Diuku. The enraged sailors and their
commander were obliged to obey the Commo-
ores orders, which were peremptory also
gainst landing men on'the river bank, and they
streated sullenly, but had no help for it. The
hiefs of the mountains have in their ignorance,
huckled over this exploit many a time, and
robably do so still. AS one of the collateral
enefts from this submission, the planters
riven away in 1868 viii find themselves able
resume possession of their deserted plan
ltions."