Wanderings Among South Sea Savages | Page 4

Waters, Suva, Fiji;
Kerry & Co., Sydney; and G. O. Manning, New Guinea. To these and
all others who have helped me I now tender my heartiest thanks. I have
met with so much help and kindness during my wanderings from
Government officials and others that if I were here to mention all, the
list would be a large one. I shall therefore have to be content with only
mentioning the principal names of those in the countries I have here
written about.
In Fiji: -- Messrs. Sutherland, John Waters, and McOwan.
In New Guinea: -- Sir Francis Winter, Mr. C. A. W. Monckton, R.M.,
The Hon. A. Musgrave, Capt. Barton, Mr. Guy O. Manning, and Dr.
Vaughan.
In the Philippines: -- Governor Taft, afterwards President of the United
States, and Mr. G. d'E. Browne.
In British North Borneo: -- Messrs. H. Walker, Richardson, Paul
Brietag, F. Durege, J. H. Molyneux, and Dr. Davies.
In Sarawak: -- H.H. The Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke, Sir Percy
Cunninghame, Dr. Hose, Archdeacon Sharpe, Mr. R. Shelford, and the
officials of The Borneo Company, Ltd.
To all of these and many others in other countries I take this
opportunity of publicly tendering my cordial thanks for their unfailing
kindness and hospitality to a wanderer in strange lands.
H. Wilfrid Walker.

List of Illustrations
FRONTISPIECE -- Belles of Papua. A Chief's Daughter and a

Daughter of the People A "Meke-Meke," or Fijian Girls' Dance Interior
of a large Fijian Hut A Fijian Mountaineer's House At the Door of a
Fijian House A Fijian Girl Spearing Fish in Fiji A Fijian Fisher Girl A
Posed Picture of an old-time Cannibal Feast in Fiji Making Fire by
Wood Friction An Old ex-Cannibal A Fijian War-Dance Adi Cakobau
(pronounced "Andi Thakombau"), the highest Princess in Fiji, at her
house at Navuso A Filipino Dwelling A Village Street in the
Philippines A River Scene in the Philippines A Negrito Family Negrito
Girls (showing Shaved Head at back) A Negrito Shooting Tree
Climbing by Negritos A Negrito Dance Arigita and his Wife Three
Cape Nelson Kaili-Kailis in War Attire Kaili-Kaili House on the edge
of a Precipice "A Great Joke" A Ghastly Relic Cannibal Trophies A
Woman and her Baby A Papuan Girl The Author with Kaili-Kaili
Followers Wives of Native Armed Police A Papuan Damsel
Busimaiwa, the great Mambare Chief, with his Wife and Son (in the
Police) A Haunt of the Bird of Paradise The Author starting on an
Expedition A New Guinea River Scene Papuan Tree-Houses A Village
of the Agai Ambu H. W. Walker, L. Dyke-Acland, and C. A. W.
Monckton View of Kuching from the Rajah's Garden Dayaks and
Canoes Dayak in War-Coat Dayak Women and Children on the
Platform outside a long House Dayaks Catching Fish A Dayak Woman
with Mourning Ornaments round waist On a Tobacco Estate On a
Bornean River

Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.

CHAPTER 1
Life in the Home of a Fijian Prince.
Journey to Taviuni -- Samoan Songs -- Whistling for the Wind --
Landing on Koro -- Nabuna -- Samoans and Fijians Compared -- Fijian
Dances and Angona Drinking -- A Hurricane in the Southern Seas --
Arrival at Taviuni -- First Impressions of Ratu Lala's Establishment --
Character of Ratu Lala -- Prohibition of Cricket -- Ratu Lala Offended
-- The Prince's Musical Box.

Among all my wanderings in Fiji I think I may safely say that my two
months' stay with Ratu (Prince) Lala, on the island of Taviuni, ranks
highest both for interest and enjoyment. As I look back on my life with
this great Fijian prince and his people, it all somehow seems unreal and
an existence far apart from the commonplace life of civilization. When
I was in Suva (the capital) the colonial secretary gave me a letter of
introduction to Ratu Lala, and so one morning I sailed from Suva on an
Australian steamer, taking with me my jungle outfit and a case of
whisky, the latter a present for the Prince, -- and a more acceptable
present one could not have given him.
After a smooth passage we arrived the same evening at Levuka, on the
island of Ovalau. After a stay of a day here, I sailed in a small schooner
which carried copra from several of the Outlying islands to Levuka.
Her name was the LURLINE, and her captain was a Samoan, whilst his
crew was made up of two Samoans and four Fijians. The captain
seemed to enjoy yelling at his men in the Fijian language, with a strong
flavouring of English "swear words," and spoke about the Fijians in
terms of utter contempt, calling them "d -- -- d cannibals." The cabin
wag a small one with only two bunks, and swarmed with