In the Good Old Bad Days: A Wanderer in Fiji a Hundred Years Ago

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In The Good Old Bad Days

A Wanderer in Fiji a Hundred Years Ago

By Julian Hillas

ALMOST a hundred years to a day have passed since John Jackson, the son of a yeoman farmer of Ardleigh, in Sussex, sailed away from London Docks, being, in his own words, desirous of seeing “foreign countries and strange manners ."

That these modest ivishes were more than amply fulfilled appears plainly from the record of his adventures, written at the request of Captain Erskine, R.N., when employed as an interpreter on board H.M.B. Havannah in 1850.

AT the beginning of 1840, whilst cruising off the coast of Samoa, Jackson — then one of the crew of a whaling vessel— was sent ashore with a party in search of fresh provisions. Here, although hospitably treated by the natives, he was forcibly restrained from rejoining his ship, since, as the islanders explained, they wished to have a white man reside among them.

In Manua, Jackson quickly became a great favourite with the king, until on one occasion, finding a piece of meat set before him in an offensive state, he flung it away in disgust. The king at once told him that he was also pua alo or “stinking pig.”

Jackson, bent on making a day of it, slapped the Royal chops, and was only saved from instant death by the monarch himself tying a strip of sacred tapa cloth around the young man’s neck.

Shortly before his own arrival, two missionaries from Rarotonga had settled at Manua, and the work of converting the Samoans was proceeding apace. Incredible numbers of pigs were killed at the opening festivities of the new churches.

At Fitiuta, 1050 hogs were slaughtered in a single day. As a distinguished guest, Jackson’s share of these amounted to 30 hogs, with vegetables in proportion.

He was by now becoming resigned, and even fairly contented with his fate, going so far as to contemplate setting up for himself as a trader. But these notions of respectability were rapidly dissolved by the missionaries refusing to marry him to a young girl of his choice, and, discouraged by this, he tramped over the mountains to Pago Pago, where the presence of a brig had been reported.

Gaining passage on this vessel —which mounted 12 guns—he left Samoa bound for the Fiji Group. But, following the overtaking and boarding of a strange schooner that turned out to be the Mission-ship Triton, Jackson grew suspicious of the true character of the craft on which he had embarked, and, believing her to be a pirate, decided to desert at the first opportunity.

His chance came when the ship anchored off Somo Somo, in Fiji. Taking with him a clasp knife and two suits of ducks, he slid down the hawser and swam ashore, intending to remain hidden until the vessel sailed. Walking inland along the bank of a small stream, he awaited daylight and then bathed.

Whilst thus engaged, he was approached by an elderly and fierce-looking man who perfunctorily demanded his clothes. After a short argument, which terminated with Jackson leaving his knife in the old gentleman’s stomach, the former retraced his steps to the coast, where he threw himself on the hospitality of King Tuithakau, who begged him to remain at Somo Somo.

T'UITHAKAU was soon after visited by a renowned chief named Bonavidongo, or “Stinking Mahgrove,” so called on account of the great number of bodies with which he had strewn a certain mangrove swamp. Bonavidongo came to solicit Tuithakau’s help in an expedition to quell a disturbance between the people of Male, an island off the coast of Vanua Levu, and the neighbouring district of Mouta.

The king consenting, forty canoes, containing upwards of 2000 warriors, left Somo Somo. Halting for a night at the island of Rampe, they were here supplied with fresh stores, including two hundred bushels of crabs, ready cooked and strung on sticks.

On arrival at Mouta, an up-river settle- 17 Pacific Islands Monthly, January 22, 1 937 Leave

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The people of Male lived on top of a sugar-loaf mountain, to which the only means of access was a narrow path, easily defended by the inhabitants. Down this, three of the Male men now rashly ventured, dancing and hurling insults at the attackers, who promptly fired upon them with their muskets, killing all three.

The bodies were immediately collected and borne back to Mouta, each one hove into a sitting position at the bow of a war canoe. On being landed, they were painted with vermilion and soot, and placed in front of the king’s house. The tribal orator then approached and, laying his hand on their heads, asked each in turn whether he was not ashamed at finding himself in such a predicament?

Working gradually to a fine pitch of fury, the orator ended by kicking the bodies down from their formal postures.

This was the signal for the general public to rush forward and drag the corpses higgledy-piggledy over the rocks, and bushes to the temple of their chief deity.

Here dwelt an old and bearded priest who took his meals off a little table constructed from human bones. The walls of the temple were decorated with long broad strips of coloured tapa, which gave the place a serious and sacred air.

While the bodies were being dissected and prepared for the ovens, the king of Mouta, growing impatient, ordered that the ends of the noses be sliced off and, when this was done, he placed them carefully on the hot stones to cook. The first he scarcely allowed time to heat through, but the second was better done.

When he was about to eat the third, now cooked to a turn, he caught sight of Jackson looking at him, and, mistaking his glance for one of longing, generously offered him the nose-tip! Quite unconvinced by the European’s repugnance the king merely replied “different countries, different fashions,” and despatched the rejected morsel himself.

On the return of the party to Somo Somo, Jackson obtained Tuithakau’s permission to spend several months with Bonavidongo at Nateva.

IN comparison with his fellow chiefs, Bonavidongo was a moderate and enlightened man, having little use himself for the practice of cannibalism. His capital, Nateva, situated on the coast, was well fortified with wood and stone walls, outside which was an embankment almost twelve feet high and surrounded by a deep moat.

The entire top of the palace was constructed like a huge loft, and here were stored hundreds of bales of fine tapa cloth, specially woven and kept in readiness for diplomatic gifts to neighbouring chiefs.

At Nateva there was none of the ceremonial noticeable at Somo Somo, and the king lived almost as simply as any of his subjects.

Soon after his arrival Jackson accompanied Bonavidongo to collect tributary property from among the inland tribes.

At Wace Wace, a large town on their route, they were entertained lavishly, a vast heap of raw provisions being gathered immediately the visitors appeared.

Going out to inspect this, Jackson noticed a young and pretty virgin seated on the top of a great pile of yams. Her body was heavily oiled and her face painted.

But, knowing something by now of the customs of the country, he at once realised that she was destined to be cooked along with the vegetables on which she perched so gracefully.

Thereupon he began to upbraid the people, swearing at them and threatening to shoot the first who attempted to butcher the girl. Turning to Bonavidongo, he explained that it was more than he could stand “to see them eating nice young women who were so desirable alive.” At this the assembled people laughed and called out to one another that the “white man” wanted a wife.

Their remarks so exasperated Jackson that, throwing discretion to the wind, he rushed up to the heap of yams and hauling the girl down, stood with her against a nearby tree, promising to shoot any man who approached. The people, however, only laughed more loudly, adding that he had no cause to put himself in such a rage, as he was welcome enough to the girl.

On the return of Bonavidongo’s party to Nateva, Jackson carried his new wife along: and it is satisfactory to relate