The morning call., 1893-04-15
AS FIJI SEES US.
South Sea Islanders in San
Francisco.
THEY DON'T LIKE ELEVATORS.
A Proposed Trip to Chicago IN
Cable-Car-Th Native Village
at the Fair.
THEY DON'T LIKE ELEVATORS.

There is pretty story handed down In
Fijian tradition which tells of how great men
of the race shall some day visit a village of
immense houses. filed to overlooking with
fruits, wonderful weapons and leagues Of
fine cloth.
Also that these great men shall be told to
help themselves to all the grand things and
shall return with them to their people. who
will live In peace and prosperity ever after
ward.
In the journey OF the Fijians now in this
port to the Worlds Fair the prophecy is
partially fulfilled, but as to the question
whether the big chiefs shall return In
purple and fine linen that is yet to be an
swered.
But the members of the Worlds Fair party
have hopes.
They think that if the American people
can build great war canoes of iron. make
houses which move by themselves Gable
cars. build temples which touch the skies
and eat regularly three times day without
going into the jungle for their food. they
certainly will be able to manufacture gratis
enough cloth of brilliant color to keep the
inhabitants Of the FIJI Islands in holiday
attire for ages to come.
II. j. MoOrs and his retinue Of dark fol-
lowers attracted great QGal OF attelLl0l
about the city yesterday.
The water front seemed to possess more
than the usual attraction for the natives,
who viewed the Oakland boats with awe,
and were very much interested in Henry
Peterson's racing she'll.
Mr.. MOoTs took his little band about the
city to show them the sights, telling them
that Chicago was q much finer and larger
place than San Francisco.
This statement was entirely beyond their
hon f~1.,
did not display any astonishment at what
they saw their minds were turbulent with
confused ideas of the wonders which were
before them.
The Fiiian exhibit will occupy about half
an acre of ground at the fair, and will con-
sist of a village composed of a dozen or
more huts Of bamboo and skins tied to-
gether with eocoanut fiber. In the eeRter
OF the village will be large open shed be-
meath which the warriors will hold war
dances and go through the pantomlme OF
devOuriDg OveIZeal0us missionaries.
The big man OF the party, q sub-chiet
with name incapable of being spelled in
English and who was familiarly known
among the MaripOsa's crew and steerage
passengers as "Big Charley" will be master
of ceremonies upon ali such auspicious oc-
casions
Already "Bg Charley" feels the weight
OF his Importance aud carries himself a lit
tie more mhjesticaliy than his countrymen.
His Ideas of civilization are vague, but his
knowledge of the bush and trackess jun
giles OF his native home are said TO be Hn-
surpassed.
Charley can fling a spear with great ac-
curacy, and his neutrality-suspicious. is
declared to be distant relative to the man
that killed the last missionary.
The assassins of the last missionary" In
the South Sea Islands are much talked of
in native society circles, but are something
like the man who struck Billy Patterson
as yet to be discovered.
Once Charley had an adventure with a
leopard, which earned for him the title of
"beast-killer"
When dragging himself along the limbs
OF fallen tree over marshy bit of ground,
he was suddenly brought to halt by
great leopard, that showed its tee th and
sprang upOn the Fijtan. Man and beast
rolled off the log In struggle for life. The
native disrntangled his arm, drew his
knife, stabbed the leopard to death and ths
"beast-kiler" hau won his title.
One man CT the crowd wants to 90 to
Chicago On the cable-cars and does not see
the reason why tile white men cannot
make the dummies go any place they have
mind TO if they were smart enough to
create them.
The Fijians have very queer ideaior dis
tance; inquiries have been made by them as
to how long it would take to walk from
here to the Worlds Fair, and when in-
formed that such task was impossible
they only smiled incTedueously, and declared
that good strong warrior ought to be able
TO get through any Jungle"
They will not believe that level plains
of barren sand hundreds OF miles across lie
between here and their destination, in
fact they do not believe anything until ab-
solntely confronted with the truth.
This is not so much because they doubt
the VeraeltY OF their protectors, but simply
because they cannot comprehend anything
vaster or more wonderful than their own
isles of the sea.
They are supeTstitious and believe that
their journey will bring them good luck
Ihey anticipate great pleasure In the recital
OF their adventures to the people of their
tribes at home, for. like the Indians, they
are boaettul among themselves. liking to talk
loudly OF their achievements and bravery,
naturally ilmid In the presence of strangers
and suspicious of anything savoring of the
supernatural; 1t Is not TO be wondered at
that the prospects Of being hauled to Chi
cago by locomotive. which piece of ma
chinery drew from them yesterday their
first expression Of fear, has filed them with
apprehension.
The great buildings Of the city did n ot i'm
press them nearly so much as did the
tri1es exhibited in the windows of toy
stores. Being able to eat TO their hearts
content without having to hunt or work for
the food is ample compensation for any
trials they may have to undergo.
The trip from Apia was not enjoyed to a
great extent, as some of the big fellows
were SeaslCk
lis little bit too cold in America to suit
their comfort, but the Joy of arraying them
selves In gorgeous style, as they will be
allowed to do at Chicago, will do much
toward keeping their souls warm, If not
their bodies.
The warriors followed Mr.. Moors about
the city like a flock of sheep, gathering
about him in an awkward manner when
ever he halted for conversation with a pass
Ing friend.
What the big chief does all the rest follow
suit in doing, and whatever Mr.. Moors does
the big chief initiates.
Nothing in the world could Induce some
of the tribe to enter the elevator of the
Lick House. 1t was "a witch's cage" and
although assured that no spell would over
come them If they rode all the dry goods in
San Francisco would not have induced the
suspicious ones TO enter the shaft.
Ihe tlJlans Will be permitted to give
exhibitions according to their own ideas at
the fair. Already one fellow has suggested
"a feast and has been seconded by every
man of the party
After the feast will be dancing and a
mock raid on the village. Imaginary inno-
cents will be indiscriminately slaughtered
and missionaries will be reduced to mince-
meat, all of which will end with grand
powwow, with plenty to eat and drink.
One of the native huts of the village will
contain an exhibit Of curios, of which there
are nine packages on the Mariposa.
The canoe and native boat will probably
be fioated ON Lake Michigan and manned
with warriors in war costume.
The party will leave for the East In q
few days.