Journey to Taviuni - Samoan Songs - Whistling for the Wind -
Landing on Koro - Nabuna - Samoans and Fijians Compared - Fijian
Dances and Angona Drinking - A Hurricane in the Southern Seas -
Arrival at Taviuni - First Impressions of Ratu Lala's Establishment -
Character of Ratu Lala - Prohibition of Cricket - Ratu Lala Offended
- The Prince's Musical Box.
Among all my wanderings in Fiji I think I may safely say that my
two months' stay with Ratu (Prince) Lala, on the island of Taviuni,
ranks highest both for interest and enjoyment. As I look back on my
life with this great Fijian prince and his people, it all somehow
seems unreal and an existence far apart from the commonplace life of
civilization. When I was in Suva (the capital) the colonial secretary
gave me a letter of introduction to Ratu Lala, and so one morning I
sailed from Suva on an Australian steamer, taking with me my jungle
outfit and a case of whisky, the latter a present for the Prince, -
and a more acceptable present one could not have given him.
After a smooth passage we arrived the same evening at Levuka, on the
island of Ovalau. After a stay of a day here, I sailed in a small
schooner which carried copra from several of the Outlying islands
to Levuka. Her name was the LURLINE, and her captain was a Samoan,
whilst his crew was made up of two Samoans and four Fijians. The
captain seemed to enjoy yelling at his men in the Fijian language,
with a strong flavouring of English "swear words," and spoke about
the Fijians in terms of utter contempt, calling them "d - -
d cannibals." The cabin wag a small one with only two bunks, and
swarmed with green beetles and cockroaches.
