A Court-Day in Fiji.
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fallen and ridiculous as that cockatoo who prosecutrix's finger already described. The was plucked by the monkey. The self- mountain dialect used in evidence is almost assurance of a Fijian is as dependent on unintelligible to us, so that our admonition, the length of his hair as was the strength couched in the Bauan, has to be translated (with additions) by our native colleague. But of Samson. But now there is a shrill call for Natombe; our eloquence was all wasted. Defendant ut and a middle-aged man of rather remarkable terly declines to express contrition. Our last appearance is brought before the table. He resource must be employed; and we inform is a mountaineer, and is dressed in a rather her that if she does not complete the task im dirty sulu of blue calico, secured round the posed on her as a fine, she will be sent to Suwaist by a few turns of native bark cloth. eva Gaol, there to be confined with the Indian He is naked from the waist upward. The women. This awful threat has its effect; and charge is practising witchcraft ( " drau ni the dread powers of our court having thus Kau " ). But it appearing that the whole been vindicated, the crier proclaims its ad ceremony was a decidedly tame affair, the journment for three months. The spectators accused is acquitted, to be condemned by the troop out, to spend the rest of the day in gos other tribunal of public opinion, which evi siping about the delinquents and their cases. dently runs high. The men who have been sentenced are already Two cases of larceny are heard and dis at work weeding round the court-house, — posed of; and then two ancient dames clad subjects for the breathless interest and pity in borrowed plumes, consisting of calico pet of the bevy of girls who have just emerged from court, and are exchanging whispered ticoat and pinafore, are led before the ta ble. Grav-headed and toothless, dim as to comments upon the alteration in a goodsight, and shapeless as to features, they look looking man when his hair is cut off. None singularly out of place in a court of law. are left in the court-house but ourselves, the One o£ these old women is the prosecutrix, chiefs, and the older men. The table is re and the charge is assault. We ask which is moved, and the room cleared of the para the prosecutrix, and immediately one holds phernalia of civilization. Enter two men out and brandishes a hand from which one bearing a large carved wooden bowl, a bucket of the fingers has been almost severed by a of water, and a root of " Yagona," which is bite. The quarrel which led to the appear presented to us ceremoniously, and handed ance in court of these two venerable dames back to some young men at the bottom of might have taken place in Seven Dials. De the room to chew. Meanwhile conversation fendant said something disparaging about pro becomes general, witchcraft is discussed in secutrix's daughter. Prosecutrix retaliated all its branches, and compassion is expressed by damaging references to defendant's son, for the poor sceptical white man. " Suluand left the house hurriedly, to enjoy the lux kas " (cigarettes rolled in banana leaves) ury of having had the last word. Defendant are lighted; the chewed masses of Yagona followed and searched the village for her, root are thrown into the bowl, mixed with with the avowed intention of skinning her water, kneaded, strained, and handed to each alive. They met at last, and having each person according to his rank to drink; called the other a roasted corpse fit for the tongues are loosened, and it is time to draw oven, they fell to with the result to the the meeting to a close. — Cornhill Magazine.
