Walter Lawry’s journet to Feejee
Part 2
AFTER spending a considerable time on Viwa Island, Reverend Walter Lawry began on a missionary cruise among other islands in the Fiji Group.
On November 2, 1847, the missionary brig, ‘John Wesley,’ began on its new course with Elijah Varani as the native pilot accompanied by a double canoe under the command of the King of Viwa, Namosemalua.
In the continuation of Lawry’s insight into his journey in the book, ‘Friendly and Feejee Islands, a missionary visit,’ he stated they steered past a few islands before anchoring between the reefs at the entrance of Bua.
“The spot over which we are now sailing is one which Varani will not soon forget,” Lawry wrote.
“He was here, a short time since, in his terrible character of warrior and
— shanelle.prasad@fijitimes.com.fj cannibal and in one canoe he met and encountered a fleet of sixty canoes, one of which had a small cannon on board.”
Anchoring at Bua Bay and the new mission station Goods, furniture and goats were sent ashore to the new mission station when the tides settled.
“Varani has gone ashore in the first boat, in the service of a new master, even the captain of our salvation.
“No doubt the lotu people will rejoice to see the man who once destroyed them become a fellow helper to the truth.”
Soon all hands that came with the ship were busy landing old parts of the houses and furniture that were removed from Somosomo.
There were stools were two legs, chairs without bottoms, tables with corners broken off, and teapots without lids, but each of these items was too good to be discarded because of its necessity.
“The changing of stations is only to be tolerated here on the ground of being unavoidable.”
“In the afternoon I went ashore with Mrs Williams and her four children. Mr Hunt and Mr Williams were busy receiving the goods that were constantly coming ashore, and setting up doors, bedsteads and other things required for immediate use.”
Lawry shared how the natives with their curiosity were crowded around, most of them entirely naked.
“If it were not for decency’s sake, I am sure they are far more comfortable without clothes, in such a climate, and where they are so much of their time in the water; but in my eyes their appearance is very disgusting.
“They lent a hand much more cheerfully than did their more polished native brethren of Tonga.
“Some of them ventured off to John Wesley and asked permission to go below that they might see the wood wherewith the temple of Solomon was built; meaning cedar, of course.”
The mission station chosen for Mr Williams was about a mile inland on the side of a fine river.
“The natives had built a mission house sixty feet long, a chapel about the same size and a good store.
“These three strong and commodious buildings cost next to nothing for the naked native was willing to work that he might have a missionary; native teachers have laboured here for some time.”
The people of Bua Bay and
lotu
After the set-up of the mission was complete, Lawry and the missionary families proceeded to hold a school examination.
The school was composed of the entire Christian population in the village.
“I was pleased with this meeting for their order was as great as their solemnity and all appeared well dressed for the first time since we arrived.
“Their knowledge of scripture was by no means small, and one of them repeated one of Mr Hunt’s short printed sermons.
“They brought mats and oil as presents to Mr Williams and many more fine pieces of sandalwood were handed to me.”
Lawry said lotu at Bua Bay came when the chief and two or three of his people went to Viwa where they received the gospel.
“They came home and were followed by a teacher named Joshua, who had visited the Australian Colonies with my excellent predecessor, the late Rev John Waterhouse.
“Joshua was soon joined by a second teacher, whose name was Solomon.
“In those days a general war broke out over the whole island of Vanua Levu and presently the storm gathered portentously over the lotu chief of Bua Bay.”
About 800 warriors had marched into the defenceless village however Solomon had been a man of war and was instrumental in saving the village from utter destruction.
“In the grey of light of the morning, he heard the approach of a multitude and concealing himself behind a tree, saw their advance and levelling his piece, brought down his man.
“The report of a gun and the fall of a man filled the invading army with consternation.
“They no doubt imagined a man with a gun behind every tree.” Sailing onwards to Nadi and Ba
Lawry soon set sail from Bua for Nadi, a journey that proved to be dangerous due to the innumerable reefs and sunken rocks.
“By God’s merciful care, we have just come to anchor in 12 fathoms but there is no shelter except from a distant reef.
“On the morrow we hope to move off and plant two missionaries on the coast. All these things fill my mind with gratitude, joy and love.”
Upon arrival at the mouth of Nadi Bay, Lawry went ashore to visit two mission families settled there and to meet the native school.
“They came in procession as in every other instance, singing as they slowly approached, headed by their chiefs and teachers.
“Everyone had his present in hand, consisting of either a large mat, or a club, a spear, a shell, a lego, fowls, coconut oil, or some food ready dressed.
“They repeated the Catechism, and some other pieces, very satisfactorily and were all well dressed; I am told that 30 such families reside there, all these lotu.”
After Lawry completed his visitation, the sail carried on for Ba but because of the struggle among the reefs due to bad weather had to return to Bua Bay.
“Today we came across from Vanua Levu to Viti Levu through such a passage as I never sailed in before.
“Reefs, sunken rocks and shoals encompassed us on every side.
Screams were continually heard from the masthead.”
After the nerve-wracking navigation through these waters, they soon lay anchored off Ba, free from harm.
“We went in a boat from the ship to Ba, a distance of 30 miles there and back, leaving the sea and entering a river almost as wide as the Thames.
“We passed one heathen town after another, until, about three miles from the mouth we came to the town at which we had determined to leave a teacher and his family.
“Nearly 50 persons have embraced Christianity here and we have blooming prospects among this dense population, having nothing but sin and devil to oppose us.
“This is by far the most beautiful part of Feejee that I have seen.”
During this trip among the Fiji Group, Lawry helped set up three new missions and placed native teachers in populous parts of the islands.
After completing his mission cruise in Fiji, Lawry returned for a second voyage in 1850.
PART 3 NEXT WEEK...