THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



with scars, as the Australians do 

 to this day. Finger- rings, armlets, 

 and anklets are still worn, but the 

 old native customs in dress are 

 rapidly dying out. 



The Fijians have an abundant 

 supply of food. From the sea they 

 obtain plenty of fish, turtles (of 

 which they are very fond), crabs, 

 and shell-fish. The soil produces 

 yams, tomatoes, bananas, cocoanuts, 

 and bread-fruit in considerable 

 quantity. An intoxicating drink 

 is produced from the root of a tree 

 of the pepper tribe (Piper methys- 

 ticum). They are very fond of 

 feasting and giving entertainments 

 on a large scale, and on these 

 occasions their manners are ex- 

 tremely polite, and the utmost 

 good-feeling prevails. Everything 

 is done according to a strict code 

 of etiquette; indeed, there is no 

 part of the world where etiquette 

 is carried to a greater extent, or 

 where it is more intimately inter- 

 woven with every action of ordinary 

 life. 



There are various modes of 

 salutation, which differ according to 

 circumstances. When two people of equal rank meet early in the day, the correct phrase 

 is "Awake!" or "You are awake!" Whereas in the evening they will say, "Sleep!" or 

 "Go to sleep!" When the master of a house receives a visitor from a distance, he claps his 

 hands three or four times, exclaiming, "Come with peace from vour home." In offering a 

 present they modestly remark, " I have nothing to offer you but this gift as an expression 

 of my love for your children." Every kind of present must be offered in some set form 

 of words, varying according to the nature of the gift. 



Although the Fijians may be said to be in many respects a civilised people, yet within 

 recent times they displayed a most reckless disregard of the sanctity of human life, and 

 cannibalism was practised on a very large scale. Almost incredible cruelties took place in 

 connection with their cannibal feasts, and even natives who professed to be converted 

 to Christianity were liable at times to break out and revert to the old customs. King 

 Thakombau, for example, became nominally a Christian; but on .visiting in his war-canoe 

 a district , under his rule, he was invited to walk through a double row of living victims 

 men, women, and children of all ages suspended by their feet, and placed there so 

 that he might choose those which were most to his fancy. The king, notwithstanding 

 his recent profession of Christianity, fell in with the local customs, and condescended to 

 accept this horrible offering, touching with his club those unfortunate wretches whom 

 he thus marked out for slaughter. Cannibalism was so ingrained in their nature that 

 some individuals proudly boasted of the number of human bodies they had consumed, 

 and one chief, who had "beaten the record," as we should say, was held in great respect, 

 and received the nickname of the " Turtle-pond," thus comparing him with a pond in which 



Photo by JoAah Martin 



[Auckland, New Zealand. 



NATIVES MAKING FIRE. FIJI. 



