From The Pall Mall Gazette. II. THE NATIVES. contrived to procure in the Rewa district of the births and deaths in the native villages showed quite a remarkable fallingoff in the former. It is, perhaps, difficult to account satisfactorily for the almost invariable fading away of native races; but in this instance the complete change which has been brought about in their social system by the introduction of Christianity must have produced a great effect, even if gin and disease had not of late years worked together in the same direction. The more enlightened of the Fijians themselves are convinced that their race is doomed, and sometimes say to white men who have gained their confidence that the Kai Viti have run their course, and that the Kai Papalangi will soon possess the country undisturbed. And so it is throughout Polynesia, from the Sandwich Islands to New Zealand. THE Fijians, among whom so many of our fellow-countrymen have thought proper to risk their lives and their fortunes, were formerly though by no Fijian society, before the coming of the means quite without civilization of an in- white man, rested almost entirely upon choate sort-one of the most treacher- the system of chieftainship, which linked ous and bloodthirsty races of cannibals together in a more or less stringent bond to be found in the South Seas. Neither the different islands of the group. It so black nor so woolly as the natives of was, in fact, a sort of rude feudalism, the groups to the west of the New Heb- which was thrown off or submitted to acrides, the Solomon Islands, or the great cording to the strength of each great or island of Papua, they are nevertheless petty chief at the particular time. The nearer akin to the full-blooded negro than chiefs of Mbau, a little island scarcely they are either to the Tongan or to the separated from Viti Levu, have long Samoan. The comparative lightness of claimed a nominal supremacy over most skin to be observed in the windward por- of Fiji, but in reality they had little means tion of the group, and among some of the of enforcing it, especially in the two chiefs on the coast of Viti Levu, is due large islands. The chiefs took rank by to an admixture of Tongan blood. In their mothers, but wars of succession the interior of the two large islands the were common enough. All below them negro type is more apparent, and to this were bound to show the most complete day the mountaineers, with their great deference, and any unfortunate artisan unshapely heads of hair and singular or slave who failed to display a grovelmethods of painting their bodies, might ling obsequiousness to his superior stood pass muster as immigrants from Central a good chance of being clubbed on the Africa. The men are for the most part spot. An accident which happened to tall stalwart fellows; but those who live Tui Levuka, the chief of Ovalau, before on the leeward side of the islands, he died of gin-drinking a few years ago, sheltered from the trade winds, seem, will serve to show the extraordinary delike the vegetation, somewhat weak and votion displayed towards a chief by his stunted. This no doubt arises from the immediate followers in some cases. greater difficulty in getting food. The Levuka was upset in his large canoe women, too, are scarcely a match for the when about half-way between Wakaia men in appearance, and become flabby and Ovalau, seven miles from land. He or wizened at an early age. Various es- had with him at the time some forty-six timates, between 120,000 and 250,000, dependants. As the canoe sank these have been made of the numbers of the men made a circle round their chief, joinnative population. Probably at the pres-ing hands and keeping themselves afloat ent time 150,000 would not be very far with their feet. One by one the sharks, from the mark. There can be no doubt who quickly gathered to the spot, took that they are rapidly dying out before the his attendants down. The remainder advance of the white man, like the Mao-joined hands afresh over the gaps thus ries, the Kanakas, and other Polynesians. caused, and Tui Levuka continued to The statistics which Mr. Lorimer Fison swim about peaceably in the midst of the Tui constantly narrowing circle. The sharks | great skill by streams brought down the kept steadily at their work, and when at mountain sides through rock-channels length the whole party was picked up and bamboos. Of late years, of course, only twenty out of the forty-six survived. they have had the advantage of European There can be no doubt that the chief's implements and have shown themselves retinue were the less inclined to shirk by no means incapable of turning them their duty from the knowledge that if to advantage. they had landed without their chief they would have been considered candidates for the oven. Thakombau, the chief of Mbau, who has been such a prominent figure in the recent history of Fiji, is a very fitting repNotwithstanding the power which resentative of the transition period from these rulers possessed, their right of club- the old system to the new, and to him is bing whom they saw fit was in practice owing in great part the change which considerably restricted, and they held has been wrought. In his early youth much of their authority in trust for the he commenced by retrieving his father's benefit of the artisans, the sailors, the fortunes and his own by the exercise of cultivators, and others who went to make an astuteness, a determination, and a up the population. The slaves, however, cruelty beyond that of the ablest and oldseem to have been fair game, and the est among his adversaries. Warfare and vilest insult in the Fijian language is to conquest in Fiji are as a rule carried call a man "kaisi mbukola," or slave on without much actual fighting. It is ready dressed for the oven. The canni- from the outset one long contest of balism to which this refers, and which is treachery and lying manoeuvring on the not even now wholly extinct, appears to part of both. The moment either side have arisen from very simple causes; obtains by deception an overwhelming and though curiously enough baked advantage then of course the foe is to be man is now called "long pig" in Fijian, slaughtered without mercy. Thakomthere can be no doubt that man was bau was the beau-ideal of a Fijian waroriginally eaten because he was the only rior. He was in no hurry; but when he meat handy. The lust after flesh which struck he took care that he should have comes from a constant vegetable diet no chance of failure. After his triumph, drove the Fijians to eat their enemies, like Narvaez he had little need to ask and religion afterwards sanctified the pre-pardon of his enemies; he had clubbed vailing usage. It is not impossible that them all. In spite, nevertheless, of his the man-eating instinct might be awak- early success and of his being proclaimed ened anew even among some of the chief of Mbau, he was more than once Christian tribes; and the cry of "To the sorely troubled to hold his own in after oven!" sometimes breaks out when dis- years. There is little doubt, indeed, that putes have become bitter between the had it not been for the interference of natives of different islands or between the white men and their war-vessels, Fiji the Fijians and the imported labourers. would have been conquered by the TonIt is believed that no white man has been gans long ago. The Tongans fight in no eaten in the group since Mr. Baker, the Fiji fashion, and hold the Fijians themmissionary, so rashly courted his fate in selves altogether in contempt. On one the mountains of Viti Levu. But the Fi- occasion when Thakombau himself was jians were not simply brutal cannibals. present at a battle with them, the Fijians They showed a considerable advance be- were so amazed that their enemies conyond the stage of pure barbarism when tinued to advance after a few of their white men first made their home in the men had fallen that in true Fiji fashion islands. Their canoes, their houses, they, without losing a man, ran away. their agriculture, their pottery, their tappa Still, in the end, Thakombau, by negotia were by no means to be despised. The tion, and by the support of the white large double canoes are marvels of pa- men, assured his position; and about ten tience and ingenuity, put together as they years ago, when it was suggested to are without a nail and without the use of King George of Tonga that Fiji might be iron tools. Their yam-beds and taro-a desirable acquisition, he replied that patches have evidently been cultivated for centuries with the greatest care and industry, the latter being irrigated with The best account of the Fijians in their native state is to be found in the Wesleyan Mr. Williams's admirable "Fiji aud the Fijians." the islands were already "too white." These Tongans are a very fine race, and whether the Malayan or the American theory of their origin - which Mr. William Colenso now so stoutly maintains in reference to the Maories- be correct, it them. cult one. is clear that they have little in common missionaries have been ready to confess with the negroish races to the west of that Fijian Christianity is very superficial, and that it would probably disappear tomorrow in a reaction to fetichism if the white influence were withdrawn. But what has been achieved is not the less creditable, and the fact that the chiefs have very rarely permitted men to be taken by the planters for a longer period than twelve months, and then only under some sort of guarantee for their good treatment and proper payment, may be attributed almost entirely to the influence of the Wesleyan missionaries, who in some instances have gone even beyond what was justifiable in their zeal for the interests of the natives. We believe that most of them are now in favour of annexation to England as the only way of preventing serious encounters between the Fijians and the planters. On the whole it is unlikely that any great difficulty will be experienced in forming a Government which will be much to the advantage of all the Christianized tribes, while the few thousand cannibals who still linger among the mountains will gradually yield to the central authority. It is to be hoped, however, that the first governor appointed may be a man who has had previous experience in dealing with a mixed community, and one not inclined to work out new crotchets at the expense of the people whom he is com Returning to Thakombau, who is at the present time a rather feeble old man of nearly seventy, it must be conceded that according to his lights he has done his best to maintain a proper rule among his own people since he became Christian and the white men have flocked into Fiji, but his position as well as that of the other great chiefs has been a very diffiWhat with the white men who advised him, and the white men who bullied him, and the white men who persisted in making a "king" of him, to say nothing of the naval captains who were "proclaiming" and presenting "petitions" to him, the old man, clever as he is, became completely confused. No doubt he and his followers would be heartily glad if, retaining their present advantages, they could clear every white man out of the group, but the constant appearance of men-of-war puts that out of the question. Accordingly, he is ready enough to surrender his nominal supremacy, and end his days in peace. Fond as he is of money and power, he has seen clearly enough that for the last three years he has been merely a tool in the hands of the unscrupulous whites around him. It is the same with the other great chiefs, who, so long as they are permitted to exercise authority over their respect-missioned to rule. ive confederations, will be glad enough to give up to others the difficult task, to them, of dealing with the whites. Unfortunately, the grog-bottle has taken fast hold of nearly all the chiefs of Fiji, and when Thakombau and Maafu die it will be no easy matter to find sober successors to them. From The Spectator. THE DOMESDAY BOOK OF SCOTLAND.. WE wonder if the Domesday Book of Scotland is satisfactory to Lord Derby? The effect of Christianity upon chiefs His object in moving for the remarkable and people is outwardly very marked. record which has just been presented to Constant attendance at church, absti- Parliament, and which will hereafter exnence from the old Fiji dances, and a ercise no small influence upon politics, strict adherence to rules which have was to dissipate a popular delusion, viz., been laid down for their domestic guid- that the land of Great Britain belonged ance, are enforced by heavy fines and to very few persons, indeed, as it was punishments. Native Christian teach-imagined, to less than 30,000 individuals. ers are provided for all the villages, and He maintained that there was no authorthey almost overshadow the authority of ity for this belief, that there were prob the local chiefs. Polygamy and nearly ably half-a-million owners of the soil, and all the devil-customs have been uprooted, requested an inquiry so full as to include and it is possible that a few may really a nominal roll of every man or woman comprehend the highly refined religion owning more than one acre, or holding which has now been established among land on a lease of not less than ninetythem for little short of a generation. It nine years. The Peers, who knew peris clear, nevertheless, that the supersti- fectly well that if the limit were fixed low tions of former times die hard, and some enough, and the long leases of the cities of the more observant and plain-spoken 'included, the number of owners would Duke of Sutherland 149,879 seem large, consented, and the first Di- omitted every man just under the 20,000 vision of the New Domesday Book acres, the single exception being Lord that for Scotland - has now been pre- Lothian, who must have some outlying sented to both Houses. It is an admir- bit sufficient to make up his fractional able return, a monument of patient re-difference. One man alone in his own search and indomitable inquisitiveness, right and his wife's holds more than a and requires but two improvements to be fifteenth of the entire area of the kingperfect. The first is a separation be- dom, and 21 men own nearly a third, a tween leaseholders and freeholders, the proportion probably exceeding anything absence of which greatly and, in our known in Western Europe. There are vast judgment, unfairly increases the appar- estates in South Italy, no doubt, and in ent number of the latter; and the sec- Austria, and in Spain; but except in the. ond is a note to remind the reader that instance of grandees of the latter counthe person mentioned has property in try, they are held by families, and not by more than one county. Apart from this, individuals. We have abstained rigidly the work has been most patiently done; from adding anything to the avowed ownbut whether Lord Derby, who under-ership of the individual, except, in one or stands statistics, will approve the result, two cases, his predecessor's "Trusts," is a most doubtful question. Of course which, on expiry, rejoin the main properthe Tory papers, reading the Abstract, ty-and this is the result: and finding that the total number of owners is stated at 131,530, have raised their usual pean of exultation over "those prejudiced Liberals;" but unfortunately the statement is true only to the ear, being in the sense in which the inquiry was ordered ludicrously and flagrantly false. Nobody was inquiring about borough property, or about the owners of single cottages with less than an acre round them, and apart from these two classes, the whole of Scotland outside the cities is owned or leased by 17,151 persons, of whom a large section own less than 20 acres. This number includes all who own even one acre many hundreds own but two- even by a lease which was originally given for 99 years, and shows that the average ownership of Scotland, which contains nineteen millions of acres, is a block of 1,100 acres,-a result of no use in itself, but indicating the presence of an unusual number of enormous proprietors. This, accordingly, we find to be the case, there being no less than 106 who hold more than 20,000 acres of land, and among them 52 who hold more than 50,000 acres. We give a list of these men, drawn up as accurately as we can manage, the only doubtful case in our own mind being the Duke of Roxburghe, who must have a fourth estate somewhere which we have failed to find, and the list shows past all doubt or question that 106 persons hold within a fraction half the whole extent of Scotland. From the method of calculation we have adopted, two or three men may have more than we have said-for example, Balfour of Whittinghame, whom it is necessary to hunt through an actuary-but no one can hold less. Moreover, we have sternly Sir K. Mackenzie of Gairlock Acres. 1,176,343 406,070 220,433 437,596 432,183 306,000 300,000 270,000 255,000 194,000 Sir C. W. Ross Lord Middleton Countess of Home Duke of Roxburghe Acres. true, as Sir C. W. Ross has 55,000 acres, 54,500 52,000 50,400 with his wife, the Countess of Cromartie 25,000 24,500 and 25,500 where they have split their estates, ne25,000 cessarily vast, for they were the estates 25,000 of tribes, it has been usually among their 25,000 own families. The men not heads of clans who have bought great estates are 24,000 few, though three of them, Sir James 24,000 Matheson, the China merchant, of whose 24,000 birth we know nothing, but who was once 24,000 a penniless clerk in Calcutta ; Mr. Evan 24,000 Baillie, and Lord Portland, who in Scot24,000 land is a new man, stand in the very front 23,000 rank of great proprietors. 22,600 22,500 It will, of course, be observed that the amount of revenue obtained from these estates is not now commensurate with 22,000 their acreage, the Duke of Sutherland's, 21,000 for instance, being valued at only a shil21,000 ling an acre, while there are small estates 20,000 valued at two pounds; but that is the 20,000 very evil of which we complain, as the 20,000 result of these huge aggregations of the surface of the kingdom. They keep down cultivation, improvement, and, above 20,000 all, building. The Duke of Sutherland, for example, is said to be a good landlord, and is certainly an active one, but can any one believe that he can or does manage his gloomy deserts as a hundred proprietors would with 11,000 acres apiece, and the whip of necessity behind 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 9,350,884 The popular idea that the Duke of Sutherland owns an entire county is not |