When Cakobau Was King Of Fiji

Told By THOMAS HORNE, Who, as a Child Knew Many of The Famous Native Characters He Describes

RATU CAKOBAU was the last King of Fiji. His correct name was Ratu Seru.

Cakobau was the fourth Vuni Valu that we know of. The first was Ratu Banuve; next, Ratu Radomodomo; third, Ratu Tanoa; and fourth Ratu Seru, who was

afterwards called Cakobau. Cakobau was a direct descendant of Ratu Banuve.

Ratu Tanoa had many wives, ladies of high rank from different parts of the Group. The ones that we know of were as follows: Adi Saru Saru, of Bau; Adi Qereitoga, of Rewa; Adi Vulase, of Vuna, Cakaudrove; Adi Verivalu, of Sewaieke; Adi Taqici, of Lekeba; Adi Manakilagi, of Koro; Adi Reki, of Nakorotuba.

The mother of Cakobau was Adi Saru Saru. When Ratu Cakobau was born, his mother was very sick, and she died when Ratu Cakobau was three months old. He was fed on sugarcane juice.

When Cakobau was two years old he was taken to Rewa by his mother’s sister, and lived with Roko Tui Dreketi.

Trouble arose between Bau and Rewa, and Cakobau returned to Bau. When he grew up he was sent to Moala to collect tribute. He was at least three years at Moala. When he returned to Bau a large, double canoe was presented to him, called the “Dranivia.” When he was in Lau, Ratu Radomodomo, his grandfather, died, and his father, Ratu Tanoa, was Vuni Valu of Bau.

When Cakobau returned from Moala, Bau declared war on Naigani, and Cako bau went on his first war expedition. In another war on Vanua Levu he was wounded by a spear, and he was very ill for a long time, and got very weak.

He was a great sailor. Once they sailed —he and his brother Ratu Tubanokoro — right round Vanua Levu.

He married Adi Samanunu, daughter of Roko Tui Bau, and they had seven chil dren; Adi Kuila; Ratu Epeli; Adi Kakua; Adi Vuikaba; Adi Kawanavere; Ratu Timoci; Ratu Josef a. Ratu Timoci was the father of Adi Cakobau and Adi Vui kaba.

While Ratu Tanoa was alive, he re mained Vuni Valu; but he left everything to be done by his son Cakobau, as he was an old man.

As the Government of Bau was in Cakobau’s hands, he became very power ful and engaged in many wars, in which Bau was generally victorious.

AT that time, Verata was a powerful state. One day, two Bau chiefs went there, and were murdered. When the report reached Bau, Cakobau as sembled the Bau chiefs to discuss mak ing war on Verata. But the chiefs said nothing, as they were afraid to fight Verata. y Cakobau said they had to stay until they made their minds up, as they were going to fight Verata. The discussion continued for a week. It was decided to fight Verata; and Verata was beaten.

When the Verata people surrendered, the Rewa chiefs started a war at Suva.

As Suva belonged to Bau, this started a war between Rewa and Bau.

One day, Ratu Cakobau was at Nakui, and they saw some Rewa canoes return ing from feadavu; and Cakobau gave orders to fight them at sea.

The three large double canoes that went outside the reef were .named Tui Nayau, Kabalavu and the Lemaki. The rest of Cakobau’s canoes remained in Laucala Bay.

Cakobau had 200 war canoes, counting the double canoes, those with outriggers, and sailing canoes. Before they sailed

Bay was absolutel y “I™. can °es. 1 two sewa5 ewa ca **? es «rfv? ply saile< * ri Sht over them. They were empty, because the crews, seeing what was inevitable, took to the sea and swam to windward.

The Tui Nayau rammed a Rewa double canoe, and the Bau people killed nearly all the crew. Some of the crew of the Tui Nayau were also killed.

The Kabalavu chased a Rewa canoe

and ran into it, and rammed it near the shore at Bega.

The rest of the Rewa canoes fled, went about, and returned to Kadavu.

THEY had a second naval battle. An English ship ran ashore at the reef near Nukulau, and Ratu Cakobau went out to the ship to see if he could help. While he was there, two double canoes, drusas, came from Kadavu to pillage the vessel. These Kadavu canoes were named Bulunakau and Buka Niva nua; and, when they came in through Nukalau passage, Ratu Cakobau up sail and after them.

Cakobau had three canoes. The Tai wabula and the Lekau ran into the Bulunakau, and the latter’s crew were all killed. It was the “Brook” all over again; repel boarders, man to man, club to club.

The Lewayada, on which was Ratu Cakobau himself, chased the other Rewa canoe, the Bukanivanua.

The Bukanivanua was a very fast canoe, and it ran ashore to save its crew, who fled into the bush. The canoe was cap tured, and all the gear was seized, and sent on to Suva, and then to Bau.

When Cakobau had vanquished Rewa, and burnt the town. Tui Dreketi was killed and Ratu Quaraniqio fled to Soloira, and stayed there.

The mother of Ratu Quaraniqio and the mother of Cakobau were said to be sisters, but I should say they were cousins.

Ratu Quaraniqio was a very tall man, and the Europeans called him Long fellow. The Rewa people pronounced his name as Ligavala.

Many times, the Fijians tried to murder Cakobau; but, as you know, they never succeeded.

WHY did Ratu Cakobau not keep his original name of Ratu Seru?

Civil war was on at Bau, and Ratu Tanoa had to leave. While they were fighting, Cakobau (or Ratu Seru as he was known then), with his army, set fire to Bau, and all the houses of the Bau chiefs were burnt. And from that time Ratu Seru was given the name of Ratu Cakobau (Bau is destroyed—Bau is bad—Ca Ko Bau).

Cakobau had many wars while Ratu Tanoa was alive.

At one time, Ratu Cakobau fought with Ratu Ritova at Macuata. They attacked Vunirara and burned it and captured two of their large double canoes, the Ratu Samu and the Tui Benau. He also took his army to Cakadrove to attack Natewa.

He did this to assist his friend Ratu Lalabalavu, Tui Cakau.

A younger brother of Cakobau, Ratu Doviverata, a vasu to Rewa, tried five times to shoot Ratu Cakobau in his house, but his gun always missed fire. When Tanoa heard of this he gave orders that Ratu Doviverata (his own son) be clubbed.

Ratu Cakobau remained a heathen while his father, Ratu Tanoa, was alive.

When Tanoa died, Cakobau became a Christian.

The Bau chiefs did not want to become Christians. So Cakobau ordered all the heathen priests to be flogged—and they also became Christians.

In 1853, Ratu Cakobau was installed as Vunivalu in a great ceremony. Many chiefs from all over Fiji were there; there will never be one like it again.

AT this time Ratu Cakobau had four wives—Adi Samanunu, Adi Qalirea (the eldest sister of Samanunu—she had three children. Ratu Sukuna, Adi Lui sana and Ratu Williame), Adi Lalaciwa (a lady from Lakeba, who had two children, Ratu Yavola and Adi Mataika), and Adi

Uvu (a lady of Cakodrove, who had no children). When he joined the church he divorced, so to say, three of his wives, and he married according to our religion, in the Wesleyan denomination, Adi Sam anunu, and she was also baptised in 1857.

The Christian name of Ratu Cakobau was Ratu Epenisa, and Adi Samanunu was baptised as Adi Litia.

While Ratu Cakobau was at war with Rewa, his greatest foe was Ratu Mara.

King George (known as Tupou, King of Tonga) arrived with 50 large double canoes. They attacked Kaba, and Kaba was beaten, and Ratu Mara fled to Lau.

At about that time there came to Fiji large numbers of Europeans, who bought land from the various chiefs, for guns.

The Americans were always making claims on Cakobau. The American Con sul was a Mr. Williams, who lived on the island of Nukulau. Laucala Bay was the rendezvous of the American whalers, because they could always get out through Sandbank Passage, Suva Passage, Nukulau Passage and Makaluva Passage.

Mr. William’s house at Nukulau was burned. He blamed Cakobau, and made claim on Cakobau. The Fijians said they were not guilty.

Other Americans made claims on Cako bau, through their Consul, and an American warship was sent to Levuka to investigate the claims. Cakobau was sent for to go on board, and he very wisely got Mr. Pritchard, the British Consul, to go on board with him to dis cuss the claims.

The Americans wanted Lomai Viti in settlement of the claims. But, after dis cussion, it was agreed that Cakobau was to pay £9,000 in full settlement.

But he could not pay, and he opened up negotiations with Great Britain, sug gesting that Britain take over Fiji and

pay the debt, he to remain the head chief

of Fiji.

Negotiations went on for some time, but Britain refused to take over Fiji. So, in 1871, Cakobau, with the aid of a number of European settlers (including my old friend G. A. Woods) Mr. Swanson, I. B. Thurston (afterwards Sir I. B. Thurston), set up a government, with Cakobau as its head, to control and govern the Fiji Group.

Cakobau was then sworn to carry out his duties as King. Here is the record of his oath:

The Oath Of Cakobau

1 swear positively in the presence of our God that I will wholly hold to and wiU not be false towards the constitution of the Kingdom of Fiji, and I will govern the land and the people according as written therein.

Written on the 30th September, 1871.

Cakobau R.

We witnessed when Cakobau swore and wrote this document. Signed: J. Breheret, Catholic Priest; Joseph Nettleton, Wesleyan Minister; W.

Floyd, Church of England Minister; Marika Toroca. Ratu Ilaijia; Samisoni.

Quite a number of chiefs from various parts of the Group had appointments in the Government, and they were also sworn to be true to the King of Cakobau.

Their oath was as follows: — We hereby swear that we will rightly serve the King of Fiji, and we will be faithful warriors of his Government until the time when it Is decided for us to rest, we will protect the King and prevent his enemies from harming him. We will endeavour to keep the land at peace and to prevent evil according to our respective ability.

While we have appointments we will strive with our whole soul, and, as we are able, to carry out these our great duties. Sworn and signed the 30th September, 1871.

Tevita Ului, Navolloni, Tui Bua, Ratu Kini, Quaranivalu, Tui Deuba, Tui Noeo, Matani

tobua, Tul Levuka, Tui Nakelo, Katonlverfc.

Witness: G. A. Woods, JP.

The failure of this Government, and the cession of Fiji to Britain, is another story. But it must always be emphasised that Fiji was not conquered and was not annexed, but was ceded voluntarily to Great Britain on the understanding that the Fijians and their lands would be pro tected and safeguarded always by the British.