Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-27
HABITS OF FIJIANS.
islanders Hospitable, Polite, Clearly
and Moral.

and Moral.
From the New York Tribune.
1t Is difficult to realize that the good
natured hymn singing natives to be en-
countered today about Suva, Levuka and
Yuma are the children Of men who Toasted
on "bokola" or 1.-The long pig as they des-
ignated their human victims-around the
ovens at Bau and at the festal grounds
among the mountains Of VIII Lew and the
! Businesses Of weird Wanna Levu. Yet
among the survivors Of the old regime there
are yet to be found men who consumed
their share Of ''bokola'' at the oldtime
merrymaking, when tribal victories were
celebrated by cooking and eating the van
pushed warriors. 1t will hardly be con-
tended that the practice Of cannibalism was
a peculiarly wholesome habit for the sur
vivors. Those who INDUCED in "long pig"
assert that they did not particularly care
for 1t as an article of food. but the custom
was national one and consequently ex-
hilarating, and man always felt better
in sort of sentimental way when he had
partaken of a portion of roast enemy 1t
was royal sport, too, to go out skirmish-
ing In the morning with the mixed feeling
that the fortune of war left it an open
question whether the warrior would be IN
the oven himself before shutdown or be a
joyous partaker of the evening human meal.
Today, however there Is hardly an act of
cannibalism to be heard of even in the most
remote and wild part of any of the islands,
and. what is more wonderful, there is
scarcely a Fijian to be found who is not a
convert to Christianity. The inhabitants
are devoting themselves considerably to
agricultural pursuits in the development
OF which they are gradually importing ma
chinery, hardware. implemeirs, coal, bread
stuffs. meats and other eatables and espe-
cially modern clothing. So far the bulk of
the import trade is carried on with New
South Wales. New Zealand and Victoria
The Fijians are hosptable, open handed
and remarkably polite. They are sensitive,
proud. vindictive and boastful cleanly in
their habits and cooking, possessing good
commercial tendencies. much sense of hui
NOR, tact and perception of character. Their
code of social etiquette is minute and elab-
crate, the<gradations Of rank we'll marked
Ihey are. moreover. wonderfully moral
Their houses are of various forms. Moste
of them are built on posts, and are of diff
ferent subsequently, they measure about
100 feet long and 40 feet wide. They are
have no windows. The men wear round
their loins a kind of sash made from the
paper mulberry. The women wear a firing
ed band or apron made of the fiber of the
paper mulberry, which is tied on the right
side. and is sometimes long enough to form
train.
AS the Americans have their cocktails and
English their ale. SO the Fijians have their
national kava. which is an intoxicating
drink. made from the roots or leaves of
species of indigenous pepper. The roots
and leaves are chewed by young girls or
boys, or BOTH possessing good teeth, clean
mouths and free from colds, and are then
placed In a large wooden bowl, with water
or cocoanut milk poured over the mass The
liquid Is then stirred up, and the woody
matter having been removed, what remains
is muddy looking liquid resembling cafe
au lait. which is distributed to those who
wish to buy. Overindulgence in this. as in
other intoxicants, has it's mischieyous after
effects Too much kava causes what is To-
callys known as elephantiasis-a disea se
that can be easily cured, it is said, by re-
moval into better air.
AT present there are no railways, electric
ity or telegraphy in the islands The only
mode of internal communication is a BIZ
weekly overland mail along bridlepaths over
the large islands. a few of which only have
macadamized roads. There is an existing
mail service with Sydney about once a
fortnight, and another with Auckland New
Zealand. once month. The Introduction
OF the cable system and the contiguity of
the islands to the Philippines should pro-
vide America with further scope for her
commercial enterprise, which will be ma
terially facilitated by the successful con-
struction of the isthmian canal as the
Fiji group lies not far out OF the direct
route between Australia and Central Amer
lea