The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1915-10-21
DA-BUlA IN FlJH
BY Rev. Father Helliet.

Larkin and a missionary in the FIJI
group, visits Algiers on his way back
to Fiji.
He acts as a secretary to Right Rev.
Bishop J. Vidal, S. NJ. of Fiji.
It's a far cry from New Orleans 10
the islands of the South Pacifc ocean
still as former Algerine, small man
in stature and of apparently OF weak
frame, Father Helliet has gone 10
Fiji and has come back and is return
ing there very soon to continue his
work there as a missionary, those
islands ought not to be so far away
after all and the world apparently Is
very small.
Let us have a look at map and
point out where in the world FIJI Is.
There. we find it somewhere between
l5O and 20' south latitude and
1852 and 1902 longitude, west. If we
are to believe Father Helliet, who is
now our guest, the Greenwich merid-
ian passes through the Catholic
church of Wairiki, on the Island OF
Taveuni, so that strictly speaking both
the Seventh-Day Adventist and the
Catholic could worship in the same
place and be true TO their holding for
the Sabbath or Lords Day at the same
time. For practical purposes though
Fiji is considered entirely in the West
ern Hemisphere.
Fiji is mere speck on the map, but
nevertheless is one of the largest
groups of the Pacific, composed OF 254
islands, the largest of which, Viii
Levu. has an area of 1900 square
miles. The second largest is Vanno
Levu, OF about 200 square miles.
Those islands. volcanic in origin and
rising as they do like basket of lux,
uriant vegetation out of the bluest wa,
tiers of the deep ocean. are thing OF
natural beauty worth seeing and are
Inow becoming in the winter season
Temperature IS to so degrees-the ia
yorite resort of the tired workers OF
Australia, only 100 miles away.
All the islands are encircled with a
belt of coral reefs wonderful to look
at when leaning over the side of a
small pulling boat. but the terror OF
sailing ships as they make their way
through a narrow channel that leads
to a safe anchorage, the high waves
of the ocean in foaming rollers dash
ing over the natural surging cora
breakers.
The principal reefs are named after
the many bold schooners hailing from
American ports which found them
selves piled up high and dry on the
coral reefs just as they were makins
safe anchorage. Close to Tunuloa
where our missionary lives, there i:
"Fawn" Harbor, where, like man!
sandalwood or beche de mer schoon
ers. the ill-fated vessels crew were
S picked up by the cannibal natives
dubbed and roasted. and served up OF
D taro leaves the gods sent to the de
lighted neighboring village.
Times have changed. Europeans
especially Christian missionaries
have come; Englands sway has BEEF
1 felt; the atrocities that disgraced hu
mankind have disappeared, ii is to b
= hoped, forever, and Fiji cannot be an
= more pointed at as the last refuge O
|, beachcombers, the land of no law o
the land of club law.
S Yet Fiji of today has kept many {
its quaint and primitive customs.
Take their social etiquette, for il
y stance; for etiquette there is in Fl
as IT. among all self-respecting tribe
- of men. The chiefs, turban of whit
: native cloth wound up around his 81
cred nair, proudly proceed along tn
: narrow path or on the sandy beacl
He carries in his hand a large ia
- made of the leaves of the palm ire
~ just like those in front of the presb.
terry in Algiers, or he may sport E
ropean umbrella raised aloft, eve
" though the sky may be cloudy. Ju!
two yards away, behind him, folio
- his large retinue. Should his majest
stumble, all the followers will be see
stumbling; should he smile, all wi
= smile, and as soon as he stops til
followers squat down. Should he wal
to light his cigarette rolledin a drie
= piece of banana leaf, one is ready
hand the lighted piece of wood alway
:, carried along. At meal time the foe
" will be offered by the women wit
much squatting and clapping of hand
. the kan bowl filled with the solutic
of the pepper methysticurn," a kir
of pepper tree, is brewed in silent
and served long before fermentatic
=, so that his lordship may be cooled al
refreshed.
~ But what about the commoner
nc Why, they do not count for much G
20 rather, they count for somethin
N They alone are the owners of the 81