The Cakaudrove Wars

When Tonga Shaped Fiji History

IT began long ago when a young chief of Verata (one of the pre- European Fijian kingdoms and situated on the Tailevu coast of Viti Levu) developed a bad case of wanderlust and desired to travel about and see the islands of the Fijian group for himself.

His father consented and put at his disposal a large sea-going canoe and a picked body of followers, as was the chiefly custom. On reach ing the Koro Sea, the wind took them to Waikava, on Vanua Levu.

They chanced on a passage through the main reef, but went aground on a small island inside the harbour. This island is called Cakaudrove i Wai.

They remained on this Island for some time but when food supplies ran short they went to Waikava and gradually made friends with those people and the surrounding villages.

Although the Verata people were very peaceful, the warlike spirit of the Waikava influenced the young Verata, and when a strong local force was built up for an attack on Taveuni, the young chief was per suaded to lend the support of him self, his canoe and his followers.

They landed at Wairiki in a very hostile manner, a pitched battle was fought and resulted in the in vaders conquering Wairiki. Buoyed up by this success, they set out to subdue the rest of North Taveuni.

During this period, the Verata contingent made a trip to Tunaloa, which is situated on Vanua Levu, Natewa Bay, and here the young chief fell violently in love with the daughter of the local chief.

The girl’s father consented to the marriage, a great presentation of native food and goods followed and the young man took his bride back to Wairiki, Taveuni.

After due time a son was born to them, and thus the Verata people became Vasu to Tunaloa, and Verata and Cakaudrove people were united.

Vasu (literally nephew) in those days was a powerful thing, paving the way to great privileges. It is still in vogue, but, perhaps, to a less degree. By way of a better explanation as to the meaning, it may be said that a person may go into any district or town to which he is Vasua, and demand and take anything that he fancies; nothing can be denied to a Vasu.

The title of Tui Cakau now came into use; this was created by the Cakaudrove people who were noted for their fighting. They would not wait for their enemies to land, but on seeing them approach would at once launch their canoes and put to sea at intercept the enemy and

fight them on the water by board ing their canoes.

THE first Tui Cakau contracted leprosy and died of it. On his death, his brother (afterwards also called Bale-ne-matau ) suc ceeded to the title. As Vasu to Tunoloa, he raised

an army of warriors there and sailed up to Loma Loma Lau, and conquered some of the sur rounding islands, before he returned to Wairiki.

The North Taveuni and Lau cala Island people were jealous of this Chief, and a trap was laid for him by the latter.

He was waylaid and struck down by an axe, hi s body was cut up, the Laucala people’s share be ing the head, which was cooked on the point of the island of Qamea, known as Mau-ni-ute.

The next Chief to succeed to the title of T u i Cakau was Ratu

Golea. He had a younger half brother named Ratu Mana Korovou, who was a very powerful warrior and who was personally known to Mr. Beddows.

About this time Tongans under a Chief named Wainiqolo landed at Loma Loma, Lau Islands, and hearing about the exploits and deeds of Tui Cakau, collected an army from the Windward Islands (Lau Group), and especially from Mango, Naitauba, and Kanacea.

He tried also to enlist the aid of the people of Yacata, but they refused to fight against their own Chief. Wainiqolo, in anger, pro mised that when he had finished with Tui Cakau he would go back to Yacata and “wipe your island with your people’s blood.”

Wainiqolo then sailed to Laucala Island (later owned by Mr. and Mrs.

Gordon McGowan), where he had more success in recruiting, the Laucala people, being enemies of Tui Cakau, willingly joining up.

Qamea Island fell into line also,

as did the people of Boma, on t northern tip of Taveuni. Wainiqol< army was now of considerac strength, and as he proceeded doc the Taveuni coast, taking every toe en route, more and more fightid men were forced to join him. ’

Meantime, Ratu Goiea c: Cakau), hearing of the Tong invasions under the leaders!* of Wainiqolo, sent to Tualoa, Natewa Bay, and using his pov of Vasu gathered all the Tuai warriors to him.

The following history of the Cakaudrove warsi during the mid-19th century in Fiji has comes to us through the South Pacific Commission,, Social Development Section, to whom it wasz sent as a manuscript for micro - filming, by\ Mrs. L. A. R. Howell, elder daughter of the late.i Mr. W. Beddows, of Vuni Vasa, Taveuni, Fiji.

In 1937, the manuscript was compiled by Mr: P. R. Whysall from Mr. Beddows ’ dictation andt in a note made at that time, Mr. Whysall saysi that although Mr. Beddows was only a childl at the time of the wars, his recollection oA events was extraordinarily clear.

It seems certain that in his story, thes narrator has somewhat over-simplified the ex tremely complicated series of events that in Fiji history preceded the advent of Europeans to the a Fiji group.

Again, some of his statements may be opem to challenge. For example, Mr. Beddows statesi that Ratu Goiea was Tui Cakau and that the 3 Tongan warrior, Wainiqolo, was killed by Ratm Mana Korovou, a brother of Goiea. R. A..

Derrick, in his History of Fiji, says that Goleas was a younger brother of Tui Cakau, and that, it was Goiea who met Wainiqolo on the beach at Wairiki and shot him dead with a musket.

However, whichever version is correct, Mr - Beddows ’ account of events in Fiji a centum ago will be of considerable interest.

Wainiqolo and his victorious ai. also began to converge on Wain but on coming to a creek nan.

Nailutau, Wainiqolo saw a Is number of pigs running about, being a Tongan, and very fono roast pig, ordered his army to them and to look around for local yam gardens.

During this diversion, an Wairiki native sighted Wainio and was able to give the als Quickly, while Wainiqolo’s army cooking the pigs and the yams, Cakau’s forces were split into tw one part under Ratu Golea defe ing the road; and the other, un Ratu Mana Korovou, defending 5 beach. Later, the two sections again at the mouth of Nailv.

Creek.

It was while the two section!

Tui Cakau’s army were rejoin that Golea was shot in the arm one of Wainiqolo’s sentries, was posted behind a tree 30 y\ from the road and armed withJ old flintlock musket, known loot as a “Russia/’ These muzzle-IoJ

ers could fire a large round lead bullet, or if no bullets were avail able, a round stone was substituted.

A European, named William Coxon, who was known to the natives as Ratu Koli (he got the name because he followed Ratu Golea everywhere —Koli in Fijian means dog), saw Ratu Golea stagger and about to fall; he at once led him away to the town. [(During Fiji’s cotton boom, Tui Cakau gave Mr. Coxon a tract of land named Soqulo, which later be same a large coconut plantation Dwned by the estate of the late A. Cobrough. After the cotton Doom burst, Coxon sold Soqulu to a lew settler named Hulton, who was ifterwards murdered by his Tokelau abourer. Mr. Coxon died in Suva D the 1930’s at a great age).

Iwith the retirement of the founded Golea, Mana Korovou irdered the army to advance. In he early stages of the encounter, liana Korovou saw Wainiqolo com ng towards him, whereupon he ushed right up to him, fired point lank and shot him dead. Then he pversed his musket, and in a state f frenzy, used it as a club.

A pitched battle was fought where tie armies met at Nailutua Creek, nd many were killed on both sides, t great pit was dug on the Wairiki roperty (later owned by the latholic Mission) and the bodies tirown in and buried.* After Wainiqolo was shot, all the laveunl army that he had recruited V force ran away, only the Laucala fcople standing their ground for a hile. Ratu Golea’s wound healed ithin a few weeks. i YEAR or two later Ratu Golea 1 took his army to Loma Loma and ransacked all the islands lat had joined Wainiqolo in the ittle at Wariki, At this time Mr. Beddows’ father as a settler on a block of land wned Kavula, at Loma Loma—Mr eddows being a child of 6.

He was taken care of in a speci fy built nursery and was attended f a native nurse girl. The nursery as a separate building and the nld was kept here for safety.

One of Ratu Golea’s warriors, a ttnoloa man, went to the nursery K)r and looked in. The nurse re .nt£d and told him to go away. ? this the man became very angry id thrust his spear in at the door ay. The nurse told the child to

run to his father and tell him that there was a man in the nursery who wanted to kill him.

At this time Beddows, Snr., was talking in another house to one of the Wariki warriors, a man called Ratu Samate, of short build but fearless and greatly respected in Cakaudrove.

In the meantime a crowd of Tunoloa people had collected on the beach in front of the house The crowd rushed at Beddows, Snr., as soon as he appeared, knocked him down and would have killed him had not Ratu Samate jumped to his assistance. This act on Ratu Samate’s part undoubtedly saved Beddows’ life.

Infuriated by the whole business, Beddows thereupon took his son to the house occupied by Golea, say ing, "Kill this boy, my son, whom your men wanted to kill to-day!”

Ratu Golea was so taken aback by this challenge, he was at a loss. He took the child and sat it upon his lap, saying and doing nothing.

From this event sprang a great friendship between Mr. Beddows and Ratu Golea, a friendship that strengthened as time went on. Be fore Ratu Golea took his departure from Loma Loma on that first occasion, he gave Laucala Island as a present to Beddows. Golea cleared Laucala of its indigenous natives, granting them land on the island of Qamea. The descendents of the Laucala people are still on this land—the name of their town being Dreketi.

Very shortly after this grant to Beddows, Ratu Golea sold the island of Naitauba, which is to-day owned by the Hennings family. The

descendants of the people of this island are now living at Kocoma, also on the island of Qamea Then following the sale of the islands of Kanacea and Mango, the natives of Kanacea were banished to Korovou, on the South end of Taveuni.

After the Beddows had been on Laucala Island for three or four years, Ratu Mana Korovou became seriously ill at Wairiki, so Beddows Snr., had him brought to Laucala to try and cure him, as in those days no medical assistance was avail able.

Ratu Mana Korovou stayed at Laucala for about a year, and was frequently visited by Ratu Golea. who, seeing that there was no hope of recovery, took him back to his own people at Wairiki, where he shortly after died. So thus ended the life of a great Fijian Chief.

After the Tongan War, Ratu Golea confiscated all the land held by the natives who joined the Tongans. Most of this land was sold to Europeans for cotton planting, and the native owners were sent to" those parts of Taveuni which the Europeans did not want.

I 1 Miss R. D. Griffiths, BA, formerly headmistress of the Dudley House Girls’ School, Suva, has been appointed headmistress of a new Methodist secondary school for girls which will be opened on February 6 at the Jasper Williams Girls’

School, Lautoka. Miss Griffiths, who is expected to return to Fiji in April, is at present on the staff of the Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, India.

?afu S tho a x in 186 u 2 -' r A S cording t 0 Derrick, afu the Tongan chief of Royal blood, who, fll Laem . a . in 1848 ' had mada him er h $ L° f . a ' . Lau Wlthm five y® ars and I awVv n x d the * s u u P remac V of Cakobau, ifiiMcf y " J° nga at the time Wainqolo made In to F - f? tac f on Tui Cakau - 0n his S .iLn+L 11 '- h ! hastened t 0 declare the rTJ a r d made amer, ds for it.

N before. d Ma afu became closer a,,ies