, 1886-01-07
!. olacus ~ rAs fssIss ISLANDS,.
A Picture of W ried Color and PrisaitivA
Nature--Theroughiy Amazed.

A Picture of W ried Color and Prisaitiv.
Internationally Amazed
chicago Timesl
DIR. Schwarzhach, In a letter from
Sidney, gives a description OF Il circus
at : IVA, the principal town of iii
Lew, the largest Of tho Feejee island
group. 1t so happened that one of the
families resident in teejee invited the
doctor to accompany them to the circus
that evening. They were in the seat at
b O'CLOCK precisely.
THE performance, continues the
doctor. was really creditable, and much
better than | had expected. But the
most interesting feature to me of the
entertainment was the audience. Such
a picture OF varied color and primitive
nature was never looked upon before
by / urCpean travellers. The tent was
crowded to its utmost capacity. The
reserved seats, If wooden benches with
out backs deserve this denomination,
wero occupied by Europeaus-the CON
suls and trayelers-some dressed in full
evening toilet, while others wore the
more comfortable white pants and their
rannel shirts. To the left Of these dis
tinguished citizens were the small turo-
pean tradesmen of the different contigu
Gus islands, with r sprinkling Of the
more prosperous islanders, a few half
breeds, and women from Tonga and
Samoa-people whose means would per.
nit them TO spend 81 for an evenings
entertainment.
Among these also were to be seen a
few lee GO soldiers, who, 10 denote their
distinction, wore upon their otherwise
nearly naked persons a belt TO which
was alta he'd a cartridge-box. The other
parts of the tent were filed with a very
miscellaneous audience the 50-cent
colored element-principally residents
Of the lao inhabited feejee islands.
They are strikingly singular-looking
people, with their dark skins and red
dish yellow hair brushed upon the tops
o. their heads in the shape OF a broom.
Then there were the Archipelago
islanders, and those from the New
Hebrides, marked by their narrow and
the amoan islanders by their high n
broad foreheads and lighter color, those
OF the Tonga Islands noticeable for their
beauty aud highly fantastic dress, with
flowers entwined in the hair; the Indian
cody, OF Bengal, who here dresses in
white, the females covering themselves
from head to foot with a soft white stuff
made OF fiber, l%ightened up the scene.
IAN these islanders, of various shades
In color, in dress and undress, with
their delighted expressions of face,
made a sight worth going around the
world to witness. They watched the
e~volutions of the riders with bated
breath, absolutely motionless with a
sort of wild surprise, and 1t was not
until the clown made his appearance
and commenced to cut up his pranks
that the silence was broken, and what
n cheering 1t was not the ordinary APP
plause or shout, but Il sudden, sponta-
ueous yell of delight, as If at the word
OF command, after which complete still
ness reigned again. The effect of this
unanimous enthusiasm was electric upon
tine performers. The mere speed OF the
horses or the agility OF their riders
seemed not to interest them particu-
larly, but the waggishness of the clown
and exhibitions OF strength of the aero
bats, the jugglers, and the girl upon the
trapeze received the same short, wild
yell of commentator.
This exhibition was the fourteenth
given at Suva by this circus, so the
islanders had become somewhat familiar
with the performance; but l was told
at the first these islanders were thor
oughly amazed. 1t seems they are be
ing educated up to an appreciation of
coarse humor, which at least shows pro-
gress. Since the departure of the com
pany the islanders and their children
can be seen at the places where the
performances we're held and in front OF
their huts going through the feats of
walking upon their hands, standing
upon their heads, balancing themselves
upon the neck of a bottle, and many
other tricks witnessed at the circus