Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-06-28

A FIJI NAPOLEON.

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why he had permitted som Of his subjects
TO mob a citizen 81 Meadvile, Pa. Col.
Cochrane IS now commander OF marines
at the League Island navy yard. His home
Is in Chester, Pa. Isirty or more years
ago he was a captain IN the old Philadelphia
navy yard at the foot Of Federal street.
While he was there he was ordered to San
Francisco. The gunboat 10 which Col.
Cochrane was assigned was ordered back to
Panama. While there a message Was re-
ceived TO proceed at once TO the flJl Islands
and find out what was the matter with
! George II. Burt, u citizen OF Pennsylvania,
who had, as alleged by an American consul
in Australia, been outragcousiy maltreated
by Cakobau's subjects.
ut was a bright and beautiful morning,
like one OF our June days al home, SAID
Col. Cochrane, when we arrived in the Bay
Of Levuka. We were told that the king
lived on the island Of Bau, about 20 miles
distant, and | was sent, with another Off
Ger, to bring him aboard ship for trial. 1t
was the first time, ! believe, that a steam
ship had ever been seen in those waters.
Sailing vessels and whalers had put in there,
but never a steamboat.
when our little launch ran alongside
of the landing stage at Bau-a little pier
Of cocoanut shells swaying with the tide
the Fiji ISLANDERS had no use for us. If it
had not been for the kindly Offices Of the
British missionaries / do not know what
we should have done. When we had ex-
plained our errand the missionaries took
us TO Cakobau's palace. IL was made en-
/ tirely OF coeoanut and eocoanut fiber, with
out a nail in it. The ground surface was
about 50 by 40 feet. The partitions between
the rooms were of tapa, a cloth that the
natives make from the inner bark Of the
mulberry tree. The garment thst Cakobau
wore was Of the same material, a queer
looking thing that reacaed from his neck
20 mis- knees.
His wife, when he presented Us 10 her,
had on a garment Of the same material.
Cakobau apologized, through one Of the
missionaries, for having only one wife to
introduce us to. When he had been CON
verified to Christianity and baptized, be
said, he had %renuunced polsgany as he
had renowned cannibalism. He frankly
admitted that before his conversion he Rad
been a cannibal, and that he was sorryfor it.
While a peaeeable man in practice he was
intensely interested in military operations,
and thought of nothing but grns and gun
powder. He had never seen either, but he
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Some American sailor who had been cast
adrift there had filed Cakoban's bead with
IDEAS of NAPOLEON. He dreamed of Napo-
leon. talked Napoleon and ended up By call
ine himself THE Napoleon Of 0eeanica
"Well, after luncheon witi the mission
aries we went back to the cocoanut palace
Ia persuade Cakobau to come aboard our
launch. Ii seems that he had sent mem
bers of his council down to inspect the craft,
and that they had cautioned him to keep
away from the fire craft, which could be
nothing but an emissary Of the devil.
Througl the missionaries, we made it un-
ierstood that Cakobau's presence was de-
sired by our commander, and that If he
did not come willingly we should be COM
PEELED to resort to other measures.
"The old king walked all over his little
island almost. taking counsel here and there,
while we sat il the shade of his coeoanut
! alace and waited. Finally he agreed to
come with us il his sons, Joseph and limo
thy. with one Of the British missionaries,
might be permitted to accompany him 1T
was ov%ercrowding our launch a little, but
we agreed. The missionaries explained TO
us that since his conversion Cakobau had
rechristened all his sons after biblical char
acters. Joseph ana Timothy were his ia
v~orites.
after the whole thing was over the mis-.
sionary who accompanied Us told us what
Cakobau had said TO the elders, and they
to him, before he consented to go with US.
They told him that it required a brave man
to 90 aboard the 6reboat, and that he was
the embodiment OF bravery. II it was the
intention of the men on the fireboat to carry
him away among strange peoples, perchance
TO kill him, what matter? He could come
back to them, whether in the flesh or the
spirit.
"Cakobau came back to the tent. shook
hands very solemnly with hin wife. took
from her a huge pair OF spectacles, which
had been gwen him by one of the mission
aries, a bapsana handkerchief and a Bible
Just as tie king was leaving his palace
a servant brought him a drink IN a cocoa
nut she'll. He proffered it to us, but at a
signal from one OF the missionaries we de-
c'ined. / learned afterward that it was a
stimulant made from the root Of the kava
tree, and was more powerful than any in
t|oxicant known to civilization. IL was
the champion nerve tonic, and no mistake.
The maidens of the kings household pre-.
pared it 10y chewing the root, Tlis was
SKINNED, boiled and served TO the king
a. a bracer Whenever he required il.
Once the start was effected Cakobau
made up his mind 10 90 the limit. His CON
duct was savage dignity personiied. The
way he threw the end OF hat tapa garment
around his shoulder, in imitation Of Ma
poleon's cloak, was a caution. He was
barefoot and barehaded, We gave him
the place Of honor in TIE boat-tle stern
seat. The British missionary sat ON his
right and his two sons on his left.
I'VE pushed the launch well away from
the cocoanut pier before the engineer was
told to put on steam Following the naval
regulations, he tested his escape valve. The
siss-ss-ss Of steam made the Old king
jump from ms seat, He would have leaped
overheard to swim ashore but for the ne
straining hand OF the missionary. He put
his Bible between his knees and claspeo
the Seat with both hands. Nothing wa,
said as we steamed awey over the smooth
surface Of the bay. We youngsters Were
glad at the success OF our mission.
The boiler door opened right into the
stern uit Where we were sitting. The fire