en by Dr Seemann, in "Viti: An Account of a Government Mission
to the Vitian or Fijian Islands in the years 1860-61." He was sent out
by the English Government to ascertain the fitness of the group for the
production of cotton. He was absent only thirteen months from England,
and had time not only to sow the seed, but to pluck the cotton which it
produced. Speaking of the missionaries to the group, he says: "It was
all up-hill work; yet results have been attained to which no
right-minded man can refuse admiration. According to the latest
returns, the attendance on Christian worship in 1861 was 67,489, and
there were 31,566 in the day-schools. For the supervision of this great
work the Society had only eleven European missionaries and two
schoolmasters, assisted by a large class of native agents who are
themselves the fruits of mission toil, and some of whom, once degraded
and cannibal heathens, are becoming valuable and accredited ministers of
the gospel." Dr Seemann is a naturalist, and certainly is not
prejudiced in favour of the Wesleyans, or of any other religious body.
His evidence is therefore of more value. A description of the condition
of Fiji as it was is sickening; and yet it is necessary to show the
depth of depravity to which human nature can sink, and the glorious
change which the gospel can work even in savages such as these. They
were constantly at war with each other, and often fought for no other
purpose than to procure people for their ovens. They have been known
even to bake men alive. Often a town was attacked, and all the
inhabitants, sometimes four or five hundred in number, were slaughtered.
When the son of a great chief arrived at manhood, it was the custom to
endue him with his _toga virilis_ on the summit of a large heap of
slaughtered enemies; and the whole population of a town was ruthlessly
murdered for no other purpose than to form such a heap.

When a chief received a visit from a brother chieftain, if he had no
captives ready to kill, he would kill some of his own slaves, or send
out to catch some men, women, or children from a neighbouring island, or
from among his own people. Indeed, no man, whatever his rank, was safe;
and hundreds thus lost their lives every year, that the cannibal
propensities of the chiefs might be gratified.

Infanticide was common among the chiefs as well as among the lower
orders; and mothers, abandoning all natural affection, considered it no
crime