Fiji

Today in Fiji we learned that there is archaeological evidence of settlement here going back 3,000 years. Linguistic evidence suggests that the earliest settlers here may have come from Taiwan. However, oral tradition and poetry may link these early settlement to Tanzania in east Africa. Back in the days of the whalers, the closest contacts to so-called Western civilization were with Americans. On one occasion, though, the U.S. imposed a heavy fine on the Fijians for burning an American ship. Threatened by war with the U.S., Fiji asked Queen Victoria for help. She consented to pay the fine, and the island nation became a protectorate of Great Britain until it was granted its independence in 1970. The Methodist missionary presence here is still palpable. Suva, the capital city of Fiji, is in many ways just another city of a million inhabitants. Outside of the capital, however, the Fijian culture with its extravagant hospitality is still strong. We traveled around the entire island and especially appreciated some of the smaller towns. Whether in or out of the city the people of Fiji are kind, friendly and beautiful. One is constantly greeted with an enthusiastic “Bulla!”, a word that means “hello,” “all is well,” “relax,” and “welcome”—all at the same time. In the museum we saw an exhibit explaining the ancient custom of cannibalism here. The last Western missionary to be eaten here was the Rev. Thomas Baker in 1867. He had plans to visit a local chieftan, but stood him up at the last minute, visiting a neighboring chieftan instead. To rectify the insult, Baker was captured, cooked and consumed.Читать далее