A LITTLE ' BLOW THE CANDLE-NUT. 191 



when some thoughtless fool in the European assemblage fired 

 ;i revolver. The 'Royal Guards,' under the command of 

 English officers, quickly advanced, and drove the unhappy 

 demonstrators right along the beacL Such a stampede of 

 Europeans had never before been seen in the Southern Seas. 

 With their fixed bayonets at the charge, the native soldiery 

 made the pace, and kept it up. Some of the stories of this 

 absurd fiasco of a deputation will live for ever in tradition. 

 One gallant gentleman, finding that his brother had longer 

 legs and better lungs than he had, and "would soon get shelter 

 in the town, cried out excitedly, as he was being rapidly out- 

 stripped, ' Tell mother that I died a Christian, and the key of 

 the safe is in my right-hand drawer.' Another is of the un- 

 fortunate new-comer, whose knowledge of Fijian extended to 

 only one word, ' rinaka ' or ' good,' and finding the bayonets of 

 the troops in unpleasant proximity to his person, exclaimed 

 repeatedly, ' Finaka, vinaka /' whereupon the soldiers increased 

 their attentions, to his manifest terror. However, no harm 

 was done. It speaks volumes for the discipline of the niilitary 

 force and the character of Messrs. Woods and Thurston that 

 Lcvuka was not that day the scene of a sanguinary struggle. 



'I think you Fiji fellows were rather fond of agitating,' I 

 said. 



' We wanted annexation and we got it,' was Black's com- 

 ment. 'Did you ever hear the nigger sort of annexation 

 doggerel which was sung in procession up and down Levuka 

 beach in 1873 1 The chorus went : 



4 " Oh my ! Glory ! Hallelujah ! 



Fiji is a happy land ! 

 But on England we rely, 

 And old Cacobau defy, 

 And we'll all join the annexation band." 



