THE CANNIBAL OUTBREAK OF 1876. 35 



armed Christians of the coast, and so provide the material for 

 their horrible man-eating feasts. Mr. Walter Carew was de- 

 spatched by the Governor into the interior of VitiLevu, and made 

 a most interesting report to his chief. The highlanders thought 

 that the epidemic of measles was the result of the anger of the 

 heathen gods at so many of the Fijians having embraced 

 Christianity, and it was evident that an outbreak was con- 

 templated. 



Very wisely, Mr. Carew requested a native missionary to 

 leave the people to themselves for a while, and not to push 

 Christianity against their wish, and stated that the Govern- 

 ment expressly forbade any attempts of this kind that 

 religion must be left to the individual will of every person, 

 but that the law must be obeyed. After clearly explaining 

 the submission of the Vuni Valu and the supremacy of the 

 Queen, Mr. Carew added that it would be ' easier for them to 

 attempt to stay the heavy breakers on the beach than to attempt 

 by their insignificant scheming to thwart the benevolent inten- 

 tions of the Government on behalf of the people.' Mr. Carew 

 suggested to his Excellency that a meeting of the chiefs of 

 the cannibals should be held, and that under the presidency of 

 the Governor a complete understanding should be arrived at. 

 This advice was taken, and on the 5th January, 1876, Sir Arthur 

 Gordon met the Kai Colos, and made them a very effective 

 address, warning them in the plainest language of the conse- 

 quences of insurrection. But all was of no avail. The heathens 

 of Viti Levu could not and would not tamely allow their island 

 to be ceded to a Christian Queen. They had been accustomed 

 to regard with the most perfect contempt those who had lotu'd 

 or become Christians ; they had been used to sweep down on 

 the Christian villages, and after murdering all who resisted, 

 imprison the rest, and reserve them for a series of cannibal 



32 



