Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-12-20

the Homes of the Fijians-The Mar
ket-Description of the Native
Drink-Aboard the Ship ono,
More.
we went to shore cat Suva IN The
Fiji islands, i'll white mans boa
with two native rowers. one of then
did something amiSs and the white
man took the oars out of, his hand and
he threw himself down in the bottom
of the boat without saying Il word, as
If he felt disgraced. The town of Suva
Is very unpretentious compared with
! Honolulu, but at every step there is
something to interest the stranger
/ Little hills rise abruptly behind the
streets with deep cut roads winding
between them. They look like rail
way cuttings and their steep banks
are covered with flowers. On vuo
point of the vantage stands the Pres
, byterian church; on another IS the
Catholic with the bishops residence
overlooking it. The shops in Suva are
not so like American stores as those
Of Honolulu. They resemble more the
ship-chandler's in British seaport
People who are living in these isles
" Eden must have many Il longing
Tor n sight of the bleaken shores of
the North COuntrie," from the WiSt-
full way in which they gaze ii the new
arrivals. one tall burly BrtShcr
cO;ld not resist addressing us, in
hopes of finding some link with home.
He was disappointed to hear that al
most all were Australians on the globe
trot; but when | said, "My home is in
Mid Lothian" his hOle face lit up. He
had spent some years in the neighbOr-
hood Of Edinburgh, and he piled me
with whole volley Of questions. Did
| know the Scot SkirVingS; and the
Hopes of Fenton-Barns, etc, etc He
might have talked all day and my
time in Fiji was too precious for that,
so had to break short his eager
queries rs my companions were losing
raticncc. We Sauntered along the
main street, till suddenly the name
Walter Horne above Il store brought
to my memory something that the
Scotch officer had told me about Il
brother scot from the banks Of Forth.
who had the largest dry goods business
in the colony, who was Il power for
good in the island, Il missionary in CIV
erything but name and who must have
known my father and would rejoice
to see me. On the impulse of the mo-
menr | went in, while the others
waited for me in the photograph shop
next door, and asked the benevolent
elderly gentleman, who advanced to
meet me, If he were Mr. Horne. He
was. aud when | told him who | was,
what Il warm Scottish welcome re
received. Indeed, he had known and
revered my father and still held
him in sacred memory in his
new tropical home. He, also, had
a flood of questions to ask about
the old country; but he was
quite abreast with the state of politics
and religion, for he correspondent with
the rising young statesman, Lord Bal
four of Benleigh (whose parents were
dear friends of my father on Who's"
estate he had been brought up. He de
plorcd that | had no time to visit his
family, rs their residence was too
far from town. but like Il kindly Scot
h1 was determined that | should see
all that could be seem In one day and
offered to send his son with me as
picorone. When we Joined the others
proved that our Unexpectedly pro-
yidcd guide was n delightful addition
TO our party. He could speak Fiji
and Hindostanee as we'll as Eng
fish and translated for us the remarks
of the stalwart brown natives and of
the tall, slender Indian whom we en-
countcred, many Of the latter having
emigratcd to Fiji since it became n
British colony,
A band of convicts We're employed
in levclling the ground between the
main street and the sea under the sur
veillance of the native constabulary.
The convicts wore nothing but the
calico sula around their loius but the
force in charge looked quite civilized
In their sensible uniform Of loose
Turkish trousers uf white duck and
/ blue blouses with scarlet facings.
/ They had Il fine soldierly air and their
tawny mats of hair stood above their
! heads with as martial an air ms 4
/ Highlander's bear skin.
We went along beautiful road
made ct coral ms firm and smooth As
the finest cement pavement Through
the trees on one side we had n glimpse
of the sea. Beautiful flower,
hung from the branches overhead
single and double Hibiscus OF Il GLOW
ing crimson; and also magnificent widt
flowers of deep cream color, veinet
in a paler shade, with hearts of rici
chocolate brown Bread fruit frees
with their broad leaves of POLISHED
green and their clusters OF oval shApoC
fruit lemons, mummy apples ant
caual, nuts were hanging by the way
side where all might pluck WIT
chose. After going for mile through