Denton Examiner, Audenshaw, Hooley Hill and Dukinfield Advertiser. — 1876-08-26 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

FIGHTING IN FIJI.  Wenn Britian, at the tequest of King Thankombau, agreed to take the sovereignty of the Fiji Archipelago off his bands, it was not surmised that any of these troubles would come which had already befallen the the young Colony. Of the 150,000 inhabitants who occupied the islands at the time when they joined to the dominions under the British Crown, 130,000 were Christians, who had turned from heathenism and canibalism in a very short time by energetic Wesleyan missionaries, while the remaining 20000, chiefly mountaineers living in the interior of Viti Levu—which is an island as large as Jamaca—still adhered to Devilwoi ship, and indulged, when occasion offered, in their old savage and predatory habits. Hie Governor had good hope that a policecamp, which had tteeu established as early as pcosible in the vicinity ot the hill - country, would have the effect of overawing the " Devils, "as the Fijian highlanders delight in calling themselves, and of gradually getting them to adopt the same tractable and orderly rpirit as the converted or • loted " natves. Unfortunately. however, the terrible outbreak of mewls, which carried off so many thousands of the natives, was regarded by the Devil-worshippers to a punishment inflicted upon them for allowing the religion of the white men to gain a footing in their midst. Accordingly they resolved, by making sudden murderous raibs from the mountains, to set about doing what they could to exterminate the native Cnristisns living in the riverside and coastside villages. On the 12th of April last they began their outbreak, and as there was no sufficient force at first on the spot to drive them back, they succeeded in burning several villages, and in murdering and eating the inhabitants, their cannibal appetites being apparently revived by the sight of t blood. They were repulsed in some quarters by the Christianised natives, who are all on the side of order and authority, and in other quarters by the Fijian police, who inflicted upon them considerable loss. The mountaineers, after their murderous and cannibal raid, in which women and children were the chief sufferers, retired into their fastnessess, waiting their opportunity no doubt to indulge in a similar ferocious outbreak and savage descent upon the people of the plains. But Sir Arthur Gordon proved himself to be a Governor equal to the occasion. He recognised at once the danger of permitting the continuance of bloody enmities between the heathen and Christianised natives, and the necessity that existed far putting down the rebels wiih a hot and heavy hand before orderly government could be established on a firm  and secure basis, There were no English soldiers or sailors available, but as it was necessary no time should be lost, the Governor resolved on making the most of the means at his disposal, and in a short time he had the satisfaction of seeing a little army organised, composed'partly of native police and partly of friendly chiefs with their followers' who had come at call with the utmost readiness, eager to inflict punishment upon the savages of the hills for the atrocities they had commited. In a s.rait for arms, the Governer had to send to New Zealand for a supply of one hundred Snider rifles, which gave his force a great superiority over the hillmen who were only provided with old muskets. When properly organised the Government little army was divided into two co'umns, the one commanded by Mr. Gordon, Sir Arthur's pi ivate secretary, and the other by  Caytaiullya, of the 32nd Regiment, So energetically were all the operaaions carried out by the these two extemporised columns—consisting in all of 1500 fighting men—that the strongholds of the cannibals. said to iesemble New Zealand paha, " were gallantly captured in succession, fifty of the t erocious savages were killed, iind a large number of the worst criminals were made prisoners. Of these prisoners thirtyfive were tried near the scenes of their inurders and horrid feasts ; fifteen were condemned to death; and all but one—a 'professional poisoner" be is called—who made his escape, were shot or hanged as a terrible and salutary lesson to all rebellions Pijians, There is no doubt great cause fel regret that such stringent and summary retributive measures should have been need ad; but it is quite clear that Sir Arthur Gordon carried out the vigorous policy which the character of the crisis urgently required.