I True Story of the Western Pacific in 1879.1880. 13y
Hugh Hastings Romilly. (Longmaus.)—A very curious story this is, and as Mr. Romilly pledges his word for its truth and gives all the oir- curnstances, well worth notice. The scene was Rotumalr, a little island between three and four hundred miles north of Fiji. The chiefs of Itotumah, finding the place ruined by incessant civil war, agreed to ask for annexation to England. Sir Arthur Gordon,. Governor of Fiji, consented to forward their petition to England, and in the interval which must intervene before an answer could be received, to send a relative of his own, Mr. Arthur Gordon, to advise them. Mr. Gordon went, taking with him an Australian half-caste, Thomas Simpson by name, to act as interpreter ; and Mr. Romilly went to Retamah a few weeks afterwards. The half-caste murdered a native, Kimueli by name, who seems to have been aware of a robbery which the man had committed. Mr. Remaly was called in to sea the dying man—for he was not killed on the spot—and particularly noticed the way in which his head was bandaged. "Apiece of coarse 'sloth was over the top of the head, and round it, to keep it in its place, were strips of banana-leaves. The whole was secured with cotton and strings of fibre." Thomas Simpson was tried for the murder, found guilty, and condemned to twenty-one years' imprisonment. About six months afterwards Mr. Romilly returned to Retumali, which was by this time annexed, to act as Deputy-Commissioner till a resident magis- trate should be appointed. Throughout his stay, which circumstances prolonged beyond his expectation, he was in the habit of receiving daily visits from a certain native, Albert Alipati by name. These visits wore, much to his surprise, suddenly suspended. Seeing the man, he asked him the reason. Albert's answer vras,—"Mo 'fraid ; dead man, he walks !" When asked, "What dead man F" he replied, "Kimueli." Mr. B.omilly thought nothing of It Such fears were universal. But evidence accumulated. The interpreter answered that Kimueli had certainly been seen ; every one in the neighbouring vil- lage had seen him, So Mr. Romilly determined to watch. This was his experience :—" I certainly saw about a hundred yards off what appeared to be the ordinary figure of a native advancing. Ile had something tied round his head, as yet I could not see what A recollection of having seen that figure was forcing itself upon my mind more strongly every moment, and suddenly the exact scene when I had gone with Gordon to visit the murdered man, came back on my mind with great vividness. There was the same man in front of me, his face covered with blood, and a dirty cloth over his head, kept in its place with banana-leaves, whieb were secured with fibre and cotton-thread. There was the same man, and there was the bandage round his head, leaf for leaf, and tie for tie, identical with the picture already present in my mind. By Jove ! it is Kimueli!' I said to Allardyee, in a whisper." They followed the figure to the edge of the bush. There, though it was bright moonlight, they lost all trace of him. Curiously enough, the day of the appearance was Christmas, the anniversary of the murder. It was never seen egain. Kimucli, one might Bay, was satisfied, when he had been seen by the white ohief. Mr. Romilly has some curious things to tell us, apart from this strange story, about Rotutnah, and his little book is worth reading.
Previous page
