The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-10-02
WITH MR.. CELL IN THE FlellsLAND8.
Letter No. 81
My DEAR FRIENDS:

ary efforts Of the IVES e, an Methodists
Of Australia in this so recently canni-
bal archipelago. | am amazed beyond
measure at the changes that have been
wrought through the missionaries and
the lotu flotu is the Fiiian word for
the gospel / do hope that ! may be
able to convey to your minds right
conception of what the Holy Spirit has
done through human agency in this
South Sea group. The Fijian group
contains about $50 islands of which
eighty odd are inhabited. Fertile and
fair to look upon are the islands Of
the Fiiians.
''Sea grit isles,
That like to rich and various gems
inlay
The nnadorned bosom of the deep. "
Milton.
The native population, while de-
creasing, still numbers over 1000
souls, the East Indians 1000, $500 OF
whom are white, and not much over
1000 Polynesians. The work among
the Indians, who are reported rs an
aggressively bad people, is carried on
by two missionaries, and there Is a
need for few persons to come and
work with these folks, using the Eng
lish language Why will not some OF
our well-to-do young men and women
give their time and talents to this
work without remuneration? This Is
Il great need because of the great
influence strangers have on the
Fijians. The Indians average ono
murder II week. The day before
| arrived i'll Suya, FIJI, three women
threw man down and cut his throat
lie had willed his property to one of
the women with the understanding that
she marry him, and she thinking to
get his possessions at once, arranged to
take his life mention this as a
specimen case. A Moslem missionary
has recently come among them and
crime, he says, has decreased 30 per
cent. since his work began. Others
remark on the Improvement.
The Wesleyans have S9G churches in
Fiji and $50 additional preaching
stations, with n membership, includ-
| ing probationers, of over 1000, and
all this when as late as 10 years ago
cannibalism had not quite died out.
The Church of England has three
| al, oil I,n Iut
The Catholics report 81 white mission
aries and have perhaps 5000 adherents.
Tho Wesleyans continue ON the field,
but only have fourteen white mission
workers.
The first Sunday | spoke Mt Navuloa
aud II professed conversion. OF
course the speaking did was through
an interpreter. Among the converts
was Fijian Chief and the wife of
the Roko, one of tho most prominent
women among the natives. 1t was n
grent victory. During that week, nj
what | may call the University of
Fiji, | addressed some two hundred
students besides others, on 'Fhe
Higher Life" and over one hundred
pledged themselves to the better way.
This was rejoiced in by al ms this
institution furnishes the teachers and
preachers for every town in FIJI. Mr..
W. HI sthdbr Tdnfpn L nan ban, '@phssfiA
than il has ever been. The next Sun
| 4 4 an
ancient capital of Fiji. While only an
island loss than milo in circumfer-
enee. il contains n family or tribe of
chiefs Mono but chiefs of the King 8
| family are buried here. King Thak-
ombau, the last of the Fijian kings,
lies ON the hill He was terrible
eater of human flesh but was converted
aud died christian. We'll, here
| forty-four protested conversion. Let
| us return thanks. The missionaries
express themselves rs cheered and
greatly helped by the visit. Every
opportunity has been offered me TO
see the actual conditions. The
missionaries | find are company of
choice christians doing wonderful
work.
will, to show the contrast, give
| You some stories of the old days,
reported verbatim that you may mark
the odd phrase i'll which Joseph of Ban
tells me of n cannibal feast.
| The banquet ON human flesh was
held on tho FIJI Island of eau. Old
Joseph of Bau said, "When | was II
young man, more than fifty years ago,
Tanoa was still living. We were
building house, the elders of the
| town were. 1t was my fathers house
that was being built. was sitting
ON the ground when II woman camo
| to me and said two men are near
how would it do to kill them and have
them with your bread. The bread of
which she spoke was the bread of
which the builders were eating. The
builders, when it was told them,
agreed and took their clubs and waited
IN the path. While the builders stood
in the path, the two men came along,
and the builders said to them Where
did you come from? They replied,
From getting mangroye bark fused
for dying the hair). An elder said,
Look at the boat coming in This
was done to get them to turn around,
whom one of the builders struck him
on the head and split it and spilled
the brains. The second was sent ON
his way, they did not want to kill him,
The one killed was to avenge wrong
done by the man to member of n
chiefs family. Such an avenging
would not be inquired into. 1t was
justifable death in the eyes of the
people. The body was dragged to the
heather temple and report was
taken to tho town where the building