Mary Wallis’ journey of the Pacific
Part 3
AFTER an absence of nine months while sailing the waters of Vanua Levu on a beche-der-mer mission and encountering many challenges, Mary Wallis and her husband returned to Bau.
In the continuation of Mary’s log of experience in her book, ‘Life in Feejee,’ she wrote that she immediately paid a visit to Viwa to visit her missionary friends.
Several conversions to Christianity had taken place since she had left and was told by the missionaries that they had many anxious hours on account of the anger of the Bau chief.
“Thakombau visited Vewa (Viwa) and passed nearly a day with the missionaries, but did not go near either of the chiefs and made many suspicious inquiries such as, where do the lotu people live? Where do you and your families sleep? Where do your servants sleep? And Mr. Hunt told him the various reports in circulation. He neither affirmed nor denied them,” Mary stated.
Mary then returned to the bark and found Cakobau and a Tongan chef, Tubou Toutai on board.
Their conversation with Mr Wallis was referred to how Mary looked particularly thin, and he replied that he could not procure pigs or chicken to eat while away.
“Now she lives at Viwa where you have forbidden your people to sell food so she must continue to look poor and thin,” Mr Wallis told the men.
After their departure, a canoe came from Bau loaded with damsels, two of them were the late daughters of the late King of Rewa.
“We were truly glad when night came, and they departed.”
Mary returned to her little house at Viwa and later received a visit from a widowed queen, who was a good-looking woman of about 35 years of age.
“I presented her with a basket and a few little notions, which pleased her much.
“On her departure, she took a tortoise shell ring from her finger, and presenting it to me said, ‘This was my husband’s love to me. He is dead but I have others which he gave me, and this is my love to you.”
Mary later made a visit to Bau, with the Mr and Mrs Watsford and Mr Hunt.
“On our arrival at the house of Thakombau, Samonunu called to us to come in.
“Her Highness was seated on several fine mats, and she invited us to be seated beside her.
“Thakombau soon joined the party, seating himself familiarly on the same, I was surprised at this, knowing that the Turaga Levu usually occupies a place at some distance from the females of the household.”
Mary was told according to Mr Hunt’s observations that this was because Cakobau was very fond of Samonunu and it was known that they would often eat together.
“Thakombau appears to possess sufficient independence to please himself, whether it is in accordance with their customs or not.
“His house is the largest in Bau, measuring seventyeight feet in length, thirty-six in width, and forty in height.
“Its posts, of which there are twelve inside, measure six feet in circumference; the rafters are of bamboo; the sides are thatched with leaves, and the roof with a kind of long, tough grass.
“The house is all tied together; no hammer or nails are used in the building of a Fijian dwelling.”
When they left, Cakobau presented them with valuable and curious looking war clubs to show to the Americans.
After gaining permission from Cakobau to enter the sacred temple, they headed towards the place, and received looks of displeasure when several of the natives saw that they were going to enter.
The natives told them that no woman had ever been inside the bure and that it was a great ‘tabu.’
“Mr. Hunt stopped to talk with them and try to gain permission for us to go in, as was proper for him to do, knowing as he did the rank of the parties.
“While this was going on, I quietly slipped my arm from that of Mr H and thinking my offence might be attributed to my ignorance, I hastened into the sacred building.
“On seeing this, the natives left talking and looked astonished at so unheard of a thing in Fiji.”
When the group came out of the temple, they were met with Roko Tui Bau, a great chief of the town who had
been informed that two females had entered the sacred place.
“The angry chief looked as though he would like to bite us.
“I tried to look very sweetly at him, and Mrs. Watsford did look so, for she possesses a lovely countenance; but he still appeared displeased.
“Before leaving, we called at the house of Tanoa; he had gone to attend a ceremony on the spot where Rewa stood, called quenching the fires of Rewa.
There they saw the mother of the murdered King who was aged, quite deaf and blind.
“On being informed who I was, she showed the most extravagant fondness saying that she had never thought to see the wife of Mr Wallis, whom she had known so long.
“After seeing everything to be seen, we left the cannibal city, and visited the bark; after this we returned to Vewa.
“Samonunu came, and presented me with some mats, saying she had ordered others to be made, but we should sail too soon to receive them. I told her they would be just as acceptable when we returned.”
In the evening, Mr Wallis had come to Viwa to take Mary back to the ship as they were to soon depart.
“I had received some little token of remembrance from them all, and we parted with mutual assurances of friendship.”
After sailing for Ovalau and then Raviravi, the ship headed towards Ba where they hoped to procure some yams but no canoes came to them.
“There is a little tale connected with this place, which shows why the natives would not visit us.
“It appears that the vessel to which Mr. W belonged in the year 1835, visited this coast.
“On their arrival at Ba, a chief, accompanied by several natives, came to the vessel to dispose of shell.
“His price was more than the captain thought it worth, who told him that he must send to the shore, and have more of the article brought, when he would trade for the whole.”
The chief had declared that he had no more and was detained by the captain onboard.
Frightened, some of the native jumped into their canoes, but the chief was prevented from doing the same.
The captain had placed one of his men with a loaded musket with orders to shoot the chief if he tried to escape.
“Mr W. thinking there would be trouble, went below for his pistols, while there he heard the report of a musket which was followed by others.
“He hastened on deck and saw the bleeding chief in the water; he had been shot. The captain now ordered his men to fire upon the natives.
“In this case, however, it is said that, contrary to their usual custom, they are waiting to get possession of Mr. W., or some of his people if they cannot get him, which they would much prefer, to wreak their long pent-up vengeance upon.”
After leaving Ba and sailing for Vuda collecting yams along the coast, Mary Wallis left the seas of Fiji, only to later return once more.