Old Levuka really DID

rip and roar

From F. J. RYAN, in Suva

The Levuka of the old days— of the roaring ’sixties and ’seven ties —has now become legendary, and perhaps, with most things legendary, the more boisterous of the exploits of some of its citizens may have become

slightly exaggerated with the

passing of the years.

BUT a perusal of the old files of The Fiji Times proves that life in Levuka in those days was boister ous enough, for that which was pub lished stood open to contradiction by the town’s own colourful, cosmo politan and polyglot population, and there were not too many contradic tions.

In its issue of September 11, 1869. for example, the Times stated: “We surely have had rows enough during the last week to satisfy anyone for two fortnights.”

“And if broken heads, black eyes, and a narrow escape from a Japanese disembowelling with a broadsword, or a few gentle prickings with a 14inch ham sheer do not make us all go about with revolvers in our belts, and many of the more cautious do, they make us all wish either for a magistrate that would be a terror to evildoers, or for a besom, to sweep the beach of the drink-maddened ruffians.”

The Times said that on the previous Sunday night “there was not a little

You can read about it in the papers

disorder by some of our unruly mem bers.”

The paper added; “One individual armed with a knife somewhat under a foot in length made passers-by feel anything but safe as he flourished it before their eyes calling on them as being the man for whom he was in quest.”

One of the slight exaggerations about Levuka of those days which one can probably overlook was made by the authoress, Miss C. F. Gordon Cummings, who, even in the “ad vanced” days of 1875, observed that “ships needed no chart to bring them to Levuka” as “they would find their way marked by floating gin bottles, increasing in numbers as they reached the Group.”

She added, primly: “If the multi tude of broken bottles which strew the beach are any evidence of the amount of liquor consumed, we might imagine that the old drinking days are not entirely forgotten.”

But the good lady could see some hope for the wicked town in the formation of the Order of Good Templars, although she admitted that their work was possibly being facil

ated by the increased price of gin. his, she said, “formerly flowed like ater at the modest price of one lilling a bottle, but has now risen ) five shillings.”

A year later another writer, H. tonehewer Cooper, observed that ie Good Templars Hall was among ie attractions of Levuka, and that suitable entertainments and good ctures” were given there. But, he lid, “to put it very mildly, the tee itallers are not in a majority.”

Meanwhile, the Fiji Government ad introduced a tax on spirits.

But this did nothing to discourage nice little trade in bootlegging the [famous “gun barrel rum”.

This was distilled by the simple •ocess of boiling a whaler’s tri-pot [ molasses and sticking an old gun arrel through the bung with a re ;ptacle underneath to catch the con ;nsed raw and highly potent spirit lat dripped out.

It was good currency to barter with trade and commerce, the com ierce often being comely native rls from the bush or along the last.

Thus ready at hand were all the gredients for the night life so igerly sought after by the “tourists”

I those colourful days—the sandal ooders, the blackbirders and the halers anchored in the calm waters : Levuka Bay.

There was little or no authority, aw and order was of the ready-made iriety.

Lashed in street

“Last Thursday evening a native ffected stealing money from Mr. udlip’s was flogged in front of that mtleman’s house,” The Fiji Times ported on November 26, 1870.

“The flagellator was an unusually awerful man who used a thin piece : Manilla rope. Ten lashes were iministered.”

On July 8, 1871, the paper reported lat in a dispute between two egroes over cards one of them had ed a sling shot, and that members the public had chased him, caught Im and given him a dozen lashes.

Justice was, indeed, summary— jrhaps too summary to be just at mes. There was the case, for ex nple, of a woman sentenced to be anged within three days for murder ig her newly-born baby.

It transpired, however, that the ;ntence was not carried out because lother woman was subsequently larged with the offence!

This case would have provided fine laterial for anyone supporting aboli on of capital punishment—if any ich had existed in Levuka then.