Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-09-21

The FIJI correspondent of the London
J Daily NesOs under date of July 5 writes !:
Ii this letter were not already far too
long, I could give many most interest
ing incidents connected with this war.
A very few must suffice. One of the
towns, Bukutia, taken by Mr.. Gordon,
had never hitherto been captured in any
of the tribal wars. Tt was regarded as
a kind of sacred place by the cannibals.
When it was surrounded by the Gov
eminent forces the "Devils'' consulted
their chief priest as to the meaning of
these strange p%ortents. From the top
of the rock he announced, in the still
evening air, the response of the oracle
to his dispirited followers. -" My
house," he cried, I" is net accustomed
to be burned" His words were heard
by friends and foes alike, and scarcely
had the echo died away when a great
shout arose from the Christians sur
rounding the rock, "Wait till to-mor-
row." The unexpected response seems
to have struck terror alike into priest
and people, for during the night the
town was evacuated, and the "Devil"
temple, "unaccustomed to be burned"
was duly committed to the flames. One
of the customs is that before proceed
ing to the seat of war the soldiers
selected should parade before the chief,
and with his face painted in a warlike
manner, should commit himself to some
boast of his proves. One of the po-
lice-soldiers in thus parading before the
Governor at Nasova, said quietly as his
boast, "This is but an old musket, but
l bear it." The chiefs harangue their
followers before an assault, and as a
Fijian is naturally eloquent, these har-
rangues are uncommonly pithy, deliv-
cred with great vigor of elocution they
walk along the front of the lines, be-
seeching, haunting, imploring, breaking
out into great leaps and bounds, express
i've of the activity they themselves in
tend to display, and thus melting the
followers to initiate their leaders. This
may be regarded as an appeal to the
old savage elements, for when it is fin
ished a more seemly ceremony is OBJ
served. The Christian teacher comes
forward, and all the soldiers kneeling
down with their faces to the earth, he
pours forth a prayer for success in
battle.
The teachers are not slowto shoulder
the musket themselves, and some of
them had to be reminded after the fight
that it was their special duty to show
are for the wounded, and to prevent
any thing like cruelty to the vanquish-
ed. Mr.. Gordon showed them an eX-
ample which at first they could scarcely
comprehend, and one which certainly
had never been shown them before. A
poor baby vas shot on its mothers
back during the flight, the ball passing
across its stomach. The mother threw
it down as dead, but it was found alive,
and the utmost care was taken of it
and when at length it did die it was
buried wrapped in Mr.. Gordon's mat.
The cannibals did not observe similar
humane practices. They captured a
teacher belonging to MIR. Gordon's
forces. The unfortunate man was rather
short-sighted, and had walked into the
enemy before he was aware. He was
dubbed, carried off and eaten. His
bones, with the marks of the fire on
them, were found when the town was
captured three days afterward. And
the men who assisted in the capture
were themselves cannibals only a few
years ago, but are now as completely
well disposed and obedient subjects OF
her Majesty as if they had been born OF
Christian parents and hemmed around
with all the traditions of a Christian
country. Curiously enough it has beer
found that the hills upon which Buku'
tia and Matanivatu were situated are o.
marble, SO that a new source of wealth
has been probably disclosed by the sac
necessities of war.