Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1875-06-12 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

TERRIBLE EPIDEMIC IN THE FIJI ISLANDS. An epidemic of measles introduced at Levaka, it is believed, by Her Majesty's ship Dido. when that ship returned from Sydney with the King and his two sons last January, has assumed alarming propert ions. The Levuka correspondence of the Sydney Morning Herald, writing on March 2, says:—" The measles have been and are still producing sad distress among the native population. Hundreds have alree.dy died, and the ravages of the disease still continues unabated. Rain Sayanea, half brother to Thakornbau, and Boke, a Governor of the Central Province of Fiji, one of the most intellivent chiefs, and highly respected by all clivises of persons, diet a few days ago, and Bitova, the troublesome old chief of Macuata, also died on Saturday evening last, at Nasova. Eight or ten deaths have occurred almost eve!), day for the last fortnight or three weeks. The disease has made its appearance in several of the families of the white residents, especially the children, though some adults have also been visited by it; but as none of the whites have died, the natives are greatly perplexed. They say it is a big sickness which has come from Sydney, and why do not the whites die as ' well as themselves? Seeing this is not the case, they have come to the conclusion that, to use their own expression, 'God is angry with them for giving away their land, and so He has sent the sickress and death to punish them.' They say further that the white men brought the sickness to Fiji, that the natives may all be kllled, and the white men get all the land. Under this impression, whenever they are taken sick, they refuse to take either food or medicine, or to obey any of the directions given by the medical officers. However much they are cautioned against exposing themselves to the cold, the moment their attendant leaves them they rush out of their houses, jamp into the first water hole they can find, and drink cold water to any extent ; the consequence is that tl ey are almost invariably attacked with dysentery, which very speedily carries them off." The Melbourne Argus of the 19th April Bays:—" According to the latest reports from Fiji, via New 'Zealand, the epidemic continues with fear. ful mortality ntuong the natives. They are paralysed, and refuse a assist each other. All the head chiefs are dead. Three hnudred natives have died in the island of Ovalan alone, and in the other islands a greater number have succumbed. The disease, which is always followed by dysentery, has assumed a form of plague. Several of the native towns are depopulated. At one town the bodies lay for days uncovered, and were mangled by pigs. The natives are only burying tha bodies a few inches below the surface, and the late rains have washed the soil Gff. The effiuviumu emitted is sickening, and the worst results are anticipated. The natives are too panic-stricken to obey the directions issued by the Government for the suppression of the malady. Trade is at a standstill."  Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherbmis is expected to arrive in London the wiek after neat, and will make a stay of several weeks. MURDER or A