The First Crossing Of Na Viti Levi

By Erie Wilson

1 i 'HERE may still be one or two “old hands” alive in Fiji whose memories go back to the days when Levuka was the capital of the group and the interior of Na Viti Levu was not so well known to the Papalagi as—through the explora tion of Messrs. Taylor, Leahy and Fox— the Bena Bena-Wahgi territory in New Guinea is to us to-day.

Time was when the centre of Fiji’s big island was thought by many to be a huge plateau, but, owing to the fierce and sus tained hostility of the Kaicolo (mountain people) full 15 years elapsed between the first attempt at inland exploration—by an expedition from Captain Wilkes’ squadron in 1840—and the first success ful crossing of the island in 1865 by a party under the British Consul, Captain Henry M. Jones, V.C.

Four Europeans made up the party: Captain Jones, Mr. F. Hennings (trader), Mr. J. Boyd (planter) and Dr. Graafe (naturalist, of Hamburg). With them, in the capacity of servant to the Consul, went Charlie Lailai (Little Charlie), a half-caste son of an “old hand” named Charlie Pickering.

They set out from Levuka in the whale-boat of “Spanish Frank,” shot the reef at Naitasi, and proceeded up the Rewa River to Nukumoto Island, spend ing the night at Mr. Storck’s plantation.

Moving on next day, they reached Davis’ store on the Wai-ni-bokasi where John Humphrey Danford (“Harry the Jew”) joined them as guide and interpreter.

The third day saw them pulling through Suva Bay, in all its natural beauty, before any white settlement had been made. One can imagine the scene: wisps of blue wood-smoke rising from the native town of Uluvatu, half-hidden among the rich greenery on the summit of the great rock that rises sheer from dark mangroves skirting Walu Bay. West ward, Joske’s Peak showing against the mass of jungle-covered inland ranges, Shark Fin Hill standing out clearly against the blue of the sky and, looming over all, the great, sheltering bulk of Kbrobaba.

In Ransacked Namosi Village

nPHAT night was spent on the island * of Qara, at Eggerton’s cotton planta tion, and next day they entered the Lohau River. Some miles up. they made their camp among the blackened ruins of a Namosi vilage which had been but re cently sacked by the Serua people. Un deterred by this unpleasant evidence of the disturbed state of the country into which they were about to penetrate, Cap tain Jones dismissed “Spanish Frank” and his crew, and, under the guidance of “Harry the Jew,” the five men turned their faces resolutely towards the un known interior.

At first their way lay through a wide swamp at the foot of the ranges, where, in grilling heat, they toiled through mud and slime, tormented by myriad insects and sweating heavily beneath the weight of their unaccustomed packs. Presently, the ground began to rise and the miasma

shrouded swamp gave place to dense, primeval jungle where occasional bird cries were the only sounds to break the heavy stillness. They were without water and to allay thirst were reduced to lick ing moisture from hanging mosses that covered the boles of the trees.

Word of their coming had gone ahead by bush telegraph, and, late in the after noon, runners sent by Ratu Kuruduadua, of Namosi —their objective, deep in the mountains—met them with a supply of cooked food, smoked oranges, and— water!

That night they slept the sleep of ex haustion in the company of the warriors of Ratu Kuruduadua. Dawn saw them afoot and toiling on once more through the silence of the thick forest. They were stiff and sore from the previous day’s labours and would have made little head way in that up-ended, jungle-smothered country had not their Fijian escort re

lieved them of their packs. Once more, at evening, they were met by runners carrying provisions from their thought ful host-to-be, away ahead.

Next afternoon found them clamber ing down into the beautiful Namosi Valley, through which flows the crystal clear Waidina. Ratu Kuruduadua awaited them on the riverbank, outside the war-fence, in the shade of an ancient shaddock tree whose branches were fes

tooned with human bones. He received his white visitors ceremoniously, con ducted them into his town, and bade his wives attend to the preparation of food with their own hands.

Missed Cannibal Feast

explorers rested in Namosi for *• two or three days, then, hearing that the Laselase people had killed two women, they set out hurriedly for that village— about nine miles distant—hoping to wit ness a cannibal feast. Their gruesome wish was not realised: they arrived in time to see merely the bones of the vic tims strewn about the town.

When they moved on next day, they were accompanied by Ratu Matanitobua, of Namosi, who was vasu (nephew in the Fijian way, having power to take what he pleased from his uncle) to the chief

of Mua-ni-vatu, their next objective, a large town of about 3000 people, further inland and high in the mountains.

At Mua-ni-vatu a feast had been pre pared in their honour and in honour of Ratu Matanitobua: seven whole pigs, great piles of yams and dalo, and several large roots of yagona. It was there that Dr. Graafe, from his habit of scratching beneath logs and stones for entomologi cal specimens, was named Toa-ni-Papalagi (Fowl of the Whitemen) by the Kaicolo, who thought he was preserving insects for future food.

The party found Mua-ni-vatu an inter esting ethnological field and planned to stay there some days. But, in the mysterious way of news in the bush, there came word to that savage strong hold in the black heart of the land, that

a British Man-o’-War had arrived in Le vuka, and Captain Jones, mindful of his Consular duties, decided to push on with all possible speed.

Leaving Danford and Ratu Matanito bua behind, they followed a track that took them through more level but still mountainous country to the town of Nu butautau, where they were given a friend ly welcome by the chief who, when they left, forced a number of his unwilling warriors, literally at the musket point, to act as carriers to the party. Accom panied by the chief and a large follow ing of admiring mountaineers, the ex plorers moved on. Soon they detected a smell of smoke in the clear mountain air and, presently, they began to meet parties of refugees fleeing inland, with all their portable possessions, from the warriors of Bau, who had made one of their dreaded, swift descents on the Bau coast.

The Might Of Bau

nTHE chief of Nubutautau, on hearing of the presence of the manmding Bauans, refused to go further with the Consul’s party, in spite of Captain Jones’ assurance that he wou l d be given the protection of the British flag. He had heard, he said, that the Kai Perifnnin were strong, but he knew the strength of Bau! Nothing could alter his decision to turn back and the explorers, deprived of their carriers, had to abandon most of the botanical, mineral and ethnologi cal specimens thev had collected.

Rearranging their packs as best thev could, thev set off again and turned in to camp that night tired out and supuer less. Three days later, exhausted and in a state of semi-starvation, they staggered into Tavua. sought out the vale of the chief and asked for food. After a long delay, a large dart was placed before them, heaped with vivili (small black, periwinkle-like shellfish that cling to mangrove roots') and an assortment of thorns to extract them from their At the sight of such poor fare. Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul, Captain Jones, V.C., rose in a cold rage and threatened the unlucky Ratu with the wrath of the British Empire if some more suitable food were not brought iip mediately.

His bullying was to no purpose: the Bauan host had passed like a plague over the land leaving it bare of all other * edibles. The best that the chief could do was to offer his double-canoe and a crew to take them to Ratu Epeli, further along the coast.

A Bauan Feast

HTHEY fasted that night, and after a long and tedious journey by water the next day, reached the headquarters of the Bauan forces. There they feasted to repletion on the plundered fat of the land: turtle, fish, pork, dalo, yam and fruit. Tui Cakobau knew, as well as Napoleon, on what part of its collective anatomy ap army marches, and his warriors in those days were doing a con siderable amount of campaigning.

From Ratu Epeli. Captain Jones hired two camakaus (single sailing canoes) with crews, for which they promised to

pay a keg each of powder and bullets, and the last leg of their journey took on the nature of a race, with Captain Jones, Dr. Graafe and Charlie Lailai in one canoe and Hennings and Boyd in the other. Reaching Rukuruku on Ovalau. they disembarked and walked the rest of the way to Levuka.

A considerable amount of money changed hands on their arrival, for numerous bets had been made by their fellow-residents on the expedition’s chances and the odds against their re turn had been high. They had been ab sent nearly a month and were the first Europeans to cross Na Viti Levu from coast to coast.

Perhaps the presence of Captain Jones (Turaga Levu), the Consul of the Kai Peritania in the party is the explanation of their peaceful reception in country where others, equally conversant with native ways, met only implacable hos tility and, sometimes, death: but. in any case they had achieved their object in determining the nature of that pre viously unknown interior.