Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-06-30
LIFE IN FIJI.
A PICTURESQUE DOT IN THE
GREAT PACIFIC.
The Lazy Fijians and Their style Of
Existence-A Native Drink and
Its Curious Enect-PrOud
of Their Hair.
NE-HALF of the world doe

nent homes of peoples having their
own language, characteristics and GUS
toms. Not only so, but they are really
the most independent people i'll the
world and exemplify what one might
call primitive or instructive agriculture.
That is to say, if vessel never touched
their shores it would make very little
difference to the great majority OF
them.
This scarcely applies to the Fiji isl
ands. about which | have something to
write. There are two towns in this
little colony, one the cool and pictur-
csque Levuka, and the principal one
the hot but lively capital of the group,
Suva. A steamer arrives every fort
night from Sydney, and once month
vessels come from both Melbourne and
Auckland. During the sugar season
there are extra steamers, occasionally
men-of-war for coaling purposes, and
numerous sailing vessels.
Although the Fuians number over
10000 it is a matter Of great difficulty
to get them to sign agreements to work.
One cause Of the trouble is because out
of their earnings their chief will prob
ably expect something and their rela-
tives the rest. They dislike work also,
and are spoiled by the leniency of the
British Government through It's repre-
sentative. Governor Thurston. In re-
turn for that protection they do next
TO nothing. They pay taxes in pro
duce which does not entail much work
TO cultivate and no burden on them
to find. The principal articles are
tobacco, cotton and copra, and this
latter is for the most part shipped to
Europe in vessels chartered in the
Australian colonies Copra is simply
the flesh Of the coccanut, cut of the
nut and dried in the sun. It Is put
into sacks or emptied into the hold Of
small cutters or schooners. These
vessels may be seen coming IN daily
from all the outlying islands while the
tax season Is on. As soon as sufficient
copra is on hand it is taken ont of the
receiving sheds in sacks, which are
afterward emptied into the large ship,
which they fill, if possible, clear mp 10
the matches. Then off to Marseilles or
Lisbon to await instructions, rs it is
generally sold "to arrive" On the
voyage home the copra usually loses
four or five per cent. by drying and
the depredations of rats and cock
reaches. 1t soon reaches the crushing
machinery where the oil is extracted
and the refuse sold for pig, feed and
other purposes.
The export of cotton has decreased
on account of difficulty in getting it
picked. but some of the districts still
send it for their share OF the taxes.
The tobacco prepared by the natives IS
sold to the storekeepers, who retail 1t
again it is fit only for their own use,
being, as a rule, badly seasoned and
very strong. 1t varies in price accord
ing to its scarcity or abundance, rang
ing from ten cents to twenty cents
a pound.
To turn to the natives and make their
style of existence palmer, let rs sup
pose ourselves to be i'll a small village
of say thirty men and as many girls or
women. At daylight on n working day
ten might be told off to 90 and do some
work in their small plantations. AT
about ten or eleven o'clock these ten
would return, bringing yams or taro
sufficient for day or two. This taro
is species of root, and when roasted
is not unlike new bread, but Of a grayish
color. The yams are splendid eating
and grow to a great size. | saw one
weighed on the island Of Iutuna which
turned the scale at considerably over
100 pounds.
While these men were away the others
would be preparing an oven by build
ing a fire in hole, lined with stones.
The dirt is cleared away, banana leaves
are thrown over the stones and then
the food laid on. If any strangers are
present or if it be a special day the fare
includes a pig and sundry native pud-
dings. made with cocoanuts, arrow
root, etc.
The third lot of men might be carry
ing thatch or some special work, but
would most probably be smoking and
drinking kava, which is the National
drink. Kava is the dried root of
species of pepper tree and is prepared
with great ceremony. No large meet
ing is opened without it and no busi-
ness among the natives considered
complete if the kava has not been
made.
The performance Of making the kava
is not edifying to q white man, who, as
a visitor, would be expected to take a
drink Of it, The "grog,' as we call it,