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H. Wilfrid Walker - Wanderings Among South Sea Savages
dotted about irregularly on a natural grass lawn, and large trees, clumps of bamboo, coconuts, bread-fruit
trees, and bright-coloured "crotons" added a great deal to the picturesqueness of the village. At the back
the wooded hills towered up to a height of nearly 4,000 feet, and white streaks amid the mountain woods
showed where many a fine waterfall tumbled over rocky precipices.
Ratu Lala lived in a wooden house, built for him (as "Roko" for Taviuni), by the government, on the top
of a hill overlooking the village, and. thither on landing I at once made my way. I found the Prince
slowly recovering from an attack of fever, and lying on a heap of mats (which. formed his bed) on the
floor of his own private room, which, however, greatly resembled an old curiosity shop. Everything was
in great disorder, and piles of London Graphics and other papers littered the ground, and on the tables
were piled indiscriminately clocks, flasks, silver cups, fishing rods, guns, musical boxes, and numerous
other articles which I discovered later on were presents from high officials and other Europeans, and
which he did not know what to do with. Nearly every window in the house had a pane of glass[3] broken,
the floors were devoid of mats or carpets, and in places were rotten and full of holes. This will give some
idea of the state of chaos that reigned in the Prince's "palace."
Ratu Lala himself was a tall, broad-shouldered man of about forty, his hair slightly grey, with a bristly
moustache and a very long sloping forehead. Though dignified, he wore an extremely fierce expression,
so much so that I instinctively felt his subjects had good cause to treat him with the respect and fear that I
had heard they gave him. He belongs to the Fijian royal family, and though he does not rank as high as
his cousin, Ratu Kandavu Levu, whom I also visited at Bau, he is infinitely more powerful, and owns
more territory. His father was evidently a "much married man" since Ratu Lala himself told me that he
had had "exactly three hundred wives." But in spite of this he had been a man of prowess, as the Fijians
count it, and I received as a present from Ratu Lala a very heavy hardwood war-club that had once
belonged to his father, and which, he assured me, had killed a great many people. Ratu Lala also told me
that he himself had offered to furnish one hundred warriors to help the British during the last Egyptian
war, but that the government had declined his offer. One of the late Governors of Fiji, Sir John Thurston,
was once his guardian and, godfather. He was educated for two years in Sydney, Australia, and spoke
English well, though in a very thick voice. Not only does he hold sway over the island of Taviuni, but
also over some smaller islands and part of the large island of Vanua Levu. He also holds the rank of
"Roko" from the government, for which he is well paid.
After reading my letter of introduction he asked me to stay as long as I liked, and he called his head
servant and told him to find me a room. This servant's name was Tolu, and as he spoke English fairly
well, I soon learned a great deal about Ratu Lala and his people.
Ratu Lala was married to a very high-caste lady who was closely related to the King of Tonga, and
several of whose relatives accompanied us on our expeditions. By her he had two small children named
Tersi (boy) and Moe (girl), both of whom, during my stay (as will hereafter appear) were sent to school
at Suva, amid great lamentations on the part of the women of Ratu Lala's household. Two months before
my visit Ratu Lala had lost his eldest daughter (by his Tongan wife). She was twelve years old, and a
favourite of his, and her grave was on a bluff below the house, under a kind of tent, hung round with
fluttering pieces of "tapa" cloth. Spread over it was a kind of gravel of bright green Stones which he had
had brought from a long distance. Little Moe and Tersi were always very interested in watching me skin
my birds, and their exclamation of what sounded like "Esa!" ("Oh look!") showed their enjoyment. They
were two of the prettiest little children I think I have ever seen, but they did not know a word of English,
and called me "Misi Walk." They and their mother always took their meals sitting on mats in the
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