The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-12
IN THE PARKWAY FEJEEs.
Where the Natives Bake Missionaries
and Otherwise Act the Savage.

and Otherwise Act the SaFaRc'
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
A. Van Camp, the late United States
Consul to the Fejee Islands, who arrived
here on Tuesday on the City Of Sidney
was interviewed last night by Chronicle
reporter on the political, business and
social condition of the islands and their
/ inhabitants. "You will be astonished,
said Mr.. Tan Camp, ''when I tell you
that there are 220 islands in the group,
some of which are very large. Wit Levu
/ big Island) has an area of four thousand
square miles and through portion OF 1t
/ flows the river Rivi, which extends from
/ the sea coast 180 miles into the interior
and upon both sides of which lie magnl-
ficent fields, suitable for sugar planta-
tions. Wanna Levu is the next largest
islands. and the third of the group IS
Tavinni. which is indeed a beautiful
place. On this island tea and sugar are
raised. [ have some of the tea with me
and the connoisseurs who have inspected
it say that in their judgement 1t IS better
than any other ever produced. There
are about 1900 whites on the islands,
whose principal residence was formerly
the town of Levuka, on the island OF
/ Ovalau. The missionary societies, how
ever, had possession of most of the val
liable land on this island and refused to
sell any of it to Sir Arthur Gordon, the
first governor of the group. and so he re-
moved the seat of government, which
up to that time had been at Levuka, to
Suva, on Witt Levu, about sixty miles
from Levuka. Suva now has popula-
ton of about 800 whites and Levuka of
about 400 The foreign population is
mostly English but few Americans have
settled there. The native population is
about 125, 600"
"What ia the condition of the natives?"
cat present the natives are slaves,
both body and soul, to their chiefs, who,
in the order of their rank, are called
Tuis, Ratus and Rokos. These chiefs
control all the people with a rod of iron
and the British Government, which vir
tuallv owns the islands, encourages the
chiefs in keeping the natives in subiec-
ton. Why, the common people are not
allowed by the chiefs to go from one town
to another, being kept at home at work.
Neither can they own any land, all ex-
cept that held by the foreigners being
owned by the chiefs. When old King
Sakambau ceded the islands to Great
Britain it was agreed that he was to re-
ceive pension of e3,000 year, his first
son, Ratio Abu, pension of e2, 900 a year
and his second son e1, 200 year. Now
every native is taxed 81 year to make
up these amounts. They pay their tax
in labor or produce. There are 10000
able-bodied natives on Viii Levu who
would work we'll if only treated prop
erly"
care the natives Christians?
"Well, if they are, they are pretty
hard Christians, replied Mr.. Van Camp.
up to ten or twelve years ago they
were the greatest canibals in the world.
Twelve years ago they ate missionary
named Baker. have his skull and
bones in that box over there. [ brought
them up as curios. They would be canni-
balls again tomorrow, too, if they had
, an opportunity. Even now you cannot
go into the interior with safety. The
government even forbids people to go in.
: baked and eaten. The natives could un
doubtedly be ruled much better, and
! they will have to be, or they will rise OF
G the chiefs as they did before and cool
! them The natives are such slaves that
they are compelled to prostrate them
E selves on the appearance of q chief.
|, have seen five hundred people throw
O themselves on the ground at the appear
: ance of old Sakambau and remain prom,
o until he had passed. All the clothes the
i, natives wear is a loin cloth and the gov
ernment encourages the chiefs in not in
o Producing civilized clothing. The wo
! men, though, have some modesty, as i
:. shown by the fact that only recent,
! eight of them were sentenced by tn
Roko, for some offense, to go nude fo
:, four months. There is very little educa
ton among the masses, but the mission
! aries have established few schools fo
children. Wesleyan missionaries ar
not very successful in making converts
! but they have succeeded in getting rich
r. Their principal missionary, Mr.. Lang
,. ham. owns nearly all Levuka.
a Secretary Lamar is the surprise of tn
r cabinet. Everybod knew of his ability