A correspondent of the Tirnes, writing from Levuka, described on
Saturday the proceedings which preceded the cession of Feejee to the Queen. We cannot pretend to condense a most charming letter, but it is evident from it that King Thakombau or Cacobau, twenty years ago a ruffianly cannibal of the worst kind, thoroughly understood what he was doing, and was under no pressure except his own fear that Feejee, if not annexed, would become "like a bit of drift-wood on the ocean," and be taken by the first passer-by. He freely agreed to waive all conditions, understood that a bargain must be made about the land by which much of it will revert to Government, in consideration of the increase of value accruing to the remainder, and like all Polynesians, showed a natural talent for
-debate. He is even said, though we can hardly believe this, to have comprehended a description of what his own position would be from an account given him of the place occupied by -the " king " of Kandy under the Government of Ceylon. [We do hope, en passant, that the Colonial Office will abolish every- where this word "king," and use either " chief " or the native -title instead. The word works pure mischief.] His chiefs seem all to have followed him, and the only difficulty was with the white settlers, who, with the regular stupidity of the English- man, interpreted Lord Carnarvon's promise to make Feejee "a Crown colony of a severe type"—i.e., of a simple and not corn- plea type—to mean that he would set up some tyrannical machine.
Previous page
