Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-30

Some Facts From Consul Van Camp
About the Land Of the Cannibals.
THE CONDITION OF THE 'NATIvES-THE OLD
KING OF THE CANNIBALs-sAvAGEs WHO
TRAVEL IN PLEASURE YACHTS.


TRAVEL IN PLEASURE YACHTS.
Oh. A. Van Camp who has been for four years
United States consul at the Fiji Islands, besides
having spent most of bis life for the last thirty
years in the south Pacific, is now with his fam.
lily in this city, having made the long Journey
home chiefly on account of his health.
"The islands OF the Pacific are OF great import
ance," said Or. Van Camp to STAR reporter
who asked him for some information concern
ing the people among whom he has represented
more e y r states neif will be
completed. 1t has been mistake, think, on
the part OF our government to ignore the com
and Mr.. Evarts both discouraged Americans
from undertaking enterprises in the Pacific by
announcing that the government would not
chandise that comes to the island is from
America. 1t is shipped from San Francisco.
but it goes first to New Zealand or to sydney:
merchants who get their profits, and then
shipped to the islands. Under proper rcgula-
lions we could have the benefit OF direct ira de
with these islands which are rich in native pro
ducts.
There are 22o islands in the Fiji group, of
square miles of tillable land. Upon these
islands there Is native population of about
900 Among the Fijis there is little pro-
cloth, and are not always particular about that.
The people have been kept in subsection.
They are really slaves to their rokos and chiefs,
q condition of affairs rather encouraged by the
English settlers and officials, for there fears
OF an inSurrection among them, and a return to
the old practice of cannibalism.
THE LAST OF THE CANNIBAL KINGS.
"Tharkambau-then name is spelled C-a-k-a
b-a-u, for in FIJI C is pronounced like tn and b
like mb'-continued the doctor, "was the last
Of the kings. He died two or three years ago.
Until the last few years the islands have been
under a sort Of semi-barbaric government AS
far back as 1864 Tharkambau. having become
largely indebted to the United States for depre-
cations committed by himself and his people
on American citizens, our government sent
Commodore Boutwell, on the John Adams aud
Capt Magruder on the st; Mary to settle the &C,
Iharkambau $4,000. That sum he agreed to
pay within few years, but failed to do SO. Then
he proposed to pay 1T in cocOanut oil, the only
failed in that also. A number Of Englishmen
knowing Of this indebtedness organized syndi-
cate Mt Melbourne and sydney, and proposed
to Iharkanbau to pay this claim of the United
States against him in return for 200, 900 acres
OF land and certain privileges. To this Thank
ambau consented. The money was paid to our
distributed. The Englishmen men came I to the
islands and took possession Of the property.
They laid gu. out quite a large town.the town of
the group. The Engiishmen went on surveying
the land and selling 1t Off for twelve years, and
1nen taey ,d haa falling out among themselves
and they were known in the South Pacific as
THE FORTY THIEVES.
portion of them, possibly the majority, pro-
posed to the English government to take pos
session of the island. They had no difficulty
with the natives While the league or syndi-
cate were in control they continued Thank
ambau as king, and everything went on very
peaceably. So long as the chiefs were left in
entire possession and control Of the natives
there was v, no difficulty The government was
ali the land and all the people. The common
people did not own any land at all. 1t seems
to be the policy Of the British there as in their
bers OF the community to control. Under the
syndicate, however there was little trouble
They succeeded in putting down cannibalis1n
named Baker, missionary, who was devoured
twelve years ago. When the Forty Thieves
could not agree, they proposed TO Tharkambau
TO hand the whole country over to her Britannia
majesty, and such an arrangement was soon
completed. The chiefs had been for years sell
ing land to foreigners; all had been decided and
recorded, and when the proposition was made
to turn the island over to the English govern
ment, 1t was understood and stipulated that all
should be respected. After the English govern
ment got into full possession they proposed
that the people should send in their deeds to a
commission examined the titles, and instead of
respecting them allowed each land holder what
it chose. This created great deal of dissat-
prosperity OF the country. Until some better
arrangement Is made the country will not be
prosperous The governors sent there have not
been popular Now an effort Is being made to
have the island annexed to New Zealand or to
Australia. There are five sugar mills on the
river Rena and there would be more If it were
possible to procure labor. Out Of the 125 900
native population there are forty thousand
able.bodied laborers, but they are under the
work on any of these sugar estates. Each native
Is compelled to pay one pound year as a tax.
They pay in kind. in cobra or dried cocoanut,
allowed to pay in money thew could earn the
necessary amount in month. But they are
MOI not allowed to do that They are kept at work
"What becomes of oil this money!" asked the
reporter.
give thousand pounds goes to the governor,
and other officials receive heavy salaries. Three
thousand pounds used to go to Tharkambau
two thousand pounds to one Of his sons one
thousand pounds to another, and SO on. Why,
theS6 OLD chiefs and princes have the finest
yachts and live in better style than ANYBODY in
the South Pacific. Tharkambau left two sons
katu Epelo, , and Ratu Timothy These tus,
purpose of keeping them under control. They
keep the natives in abJect slavery. No man,
no commoner, dare stand up before the tut. He
must bow down. The English encourage this
thing, or anything, to keep the native down.
They tear that some time, possibly, these ma
there may be a native not willing to submit. I
have seen old Tharkambau eye such an one
and an then quietly say to one of his attendants,
Take that fellow out and let him work six
months In the tarro patch The poor fellow
would be taken away and put to work."
THE CANN1BALs.
"Tharkambau and his father" said the doc
tor, "were the greatest cannibals In the world
There were more people eaten on their islands
than anywhere else on the globe. The ovens
are still there, near Bau, the town where Thar
kambau lived in regal state. They are large
enough to bake thirty or forty people at q time,
The rock on which they knocked out the brains
OF their victims can be seen close by the ovens
No, canntbalism was not mere ceremony.
These cannlbalS really had liking for human
flesh. 1t is practiced now in the interior of the
Islands. There are districts there into which
the government Will not permit travellers to
CO.
1.-THE royal family are of better ply sique than
the common people," said DR.. Van Camp after
exhibiting photographs OF old Tharkambau
and his two sons. fne-looking savases of ath-
letic figure.
1.-THE FIT islander is darker and less keen and
intelligent than the Samoan islanders. The
Samoans are Of the Malay type and have never
been cannibais. The Fills came, l think, orig
1naiiy from the region Of the Mozambique
channel, and are related to the African races
Tharkambau was not originally king of these
Islands. He was one OF the tuis. Our govern
ment made him king. 1t was necessary to
recognize some head in order to enforce claim
against the islanders. There was one of the
tuis, or native kings, however, who never rec
ognized Tharkambau's authority"
asked the reporter.
There nave been missionaries there for many
years, but do not think they have succeeded
very well IN changing the habits or general
well-defined religious belief. They used to have
their gods OF the storm, and gods of the sea, and
gods Tor everything. A singular thing among
them is their love Of drugs and medicine. For
pnfix iniy,