The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-04-02
COURT DAY IN THE FIJI ISLANDS.
Scenes That are Dangerous to the Gravity
of thr Spectators

The GALA dresses are not startling.
Here is dignitic: old gentleman ar
rayc,l in a secondhand tuuic Of a
marine. in much t:te same plight as to
buttons as its owner is TO teeth: near
him stands a fine veung village police
man, whose official gravity is not en-
HANGED bv the >wailow-tailed coat OF
a niroer minstrel. while the back
ground is taken up i'y a bevy of village
madcns clad i'll gorgeous velvet pima
fores, who are g ""g:ing after the man
ner OF their white sisters until they are
fixed bv the ster:r gray eye of the chief
policeman. whic! turns their express
sion into one OF that preternatural
solemuity they wear in church.
The conrt-house, 4 native building
carpeted with mats. is now packed with
natives. sitting croSs-legged, only a
small place being reserved in front OF
the table for the accused and witnesses.
The magistrate takes his seat, and his
scribe, Sitting on the door at his side,
prepares his writing materials to record
the sentences. The dignity with which
the old man adjusts his shirt collar and
clears his throat is i little marred when
he produces from his bosom what
should have been i pair of pince-nez,
seeing that it was Secared by string
round his neck. but is, in fact, jews
harp. With the Soa notes Of this in
strument the man Of law is wont to be-
guile the tcdium of :, dull case. But,
although the spectacle of Lord Cole
ridge gravely performing on the jews
harp in court would at least excite sur.
prise in England, it provokes no smile
here.
The first case is called on. Re
iterated calls for Samuela and Timothe
produced two meek-faced youths of Il
and 10, who, sitting tailor fashion be:
fore the table are charged with fow.
stealing. They plead mot guilty,
and the owner OF 0 the fowls being
sworn, deposes that, having beer
awakened at night by the voice OF 9
fayorite hen in angry remonstrance, hs
ran out of his house, and after a ho
chase, captured the accused red-hand
ed in two senses. for they were pluck
ing his hen while still alive. Quite un
moved by this tragic tale, Faturebs
seems to listen only to the melancholy
notes of his jewS-harp: but the witness j:
a chief and Il man of influence withal
and Il period of ;,wed silence follows hi
accusation, broken only by L subdueo
twanging from the bench.
But Taturebas 5 eyes are bright anC
piercing, and they have been fixed fol
some minutes on the wretched prison
ers. He has not yet opened his lip:
during. the case. and rs the jewsharp !:
not capable Of much expression, it /:
with some interest we await the sen
tence. Suddenly the music ceases, the
instrument is Withdrawn from the
mouth, the oracle is about to speak
Alas! he utters but two words, ''Vuls
tolu" (three months), and there peal:
out Indignantly triumphant stralr
from the jewsharp. But the prose
cutor starts up with a protest. One O.
the accused is his nephew, he explains
and he only wished a light sentence tt
be imposed. Three months for one
fowl is two too severe; besides, if he ha:
three months he must 60 to the cen
trail nil and not work out his sentence
in his own district. Again there i:
silence. and the jewsharp has changed
from triumph into thoughtful melan
-holy. At length it is Withdrawn, ane
oracle speaks again: ''Bogi tolu'
ee days. CorMhW Magazine.