This letter describes life in the New Hebrides, Fiji and other islands in the South Seas including of canabalism, kidnapping of labour and poisoned arrows..
(It is addressed to W S Harding Esq which suggests Wm Sextus although Wm Sextus is shown as the grandson of W H Lee’s great grandfather Wm Quartus. Flora and Emily who are mentioned were two of Wm Sextus’ three daughters. Emily died 14.1.1872 ie the week after this letter was written)
Delai Kaba, Namena, Fiji Islands
January 6th / 72
My dear Uncle
I received your letter of Augt 22nd and I ought to have answered it before, but hard work all day and plenty of mosquitoes in the evenings must be my excuse. Poor Stewart was never married. I expect a man of the name of Captain Bailey spread the report. I must tell you Uncle that my brother Stewart would never allow me to write to my Mother about his affairs. When he settled up with Theodore Harding of Brisbane, he was some £600 in debt. I advised him to go through the court but he was afraid it would break my Mother’s heart if she came to hear of it, so Harding gave a release of all claims and he gave Harding a deed stating he would pay when he was able to out of his profits in Fiji. Stewart would have given me a half share of this station in Queensland if it had paid, so I promised him a share of everything I had in Fiji but there was no partnership, everything in my name as we were afraid of Harding, Stewart having lost his release. When Stewart died, Harding wrote to me asking me to pay the £650 and I never took the trouble to answer the letter. After we had been down here about 8 months Stewart was taken ill and went to Sydney in HBMS Brisk, Capt. Hope, and soon got well again. He fell in love with a Mrs Trotter, that he met in Sydney, her husband was up country and they were not living together, having quarreled about six months previous. Stewart got her to run away with him and brought her down here as his wife. A good many people called on them, but I got them away from Levuka the chief town as soon as I could and brought them over to the plantation. She stopped here about six months and then went back to Sydney and I was very glad of it as it put me in a false position. He was never married to her nor did she have any children by him. I don’t think Stewart even made a Will – I would have known if he had – I made a Will before I went down to New Hebrides for labour and left it with my agent in Levuka.
In 1870, 706 people took up their residence in the group. In 1871 only 325 imported labour for terms of 2,3 or 5 years. In 1870 there arrived 1700, in 1871, 2275 have arrived. In 1870 we exported 2150 bales of cotton, estimated value £85,733. In 1871 2223 bales of cotton, value £88,920. Now we have a full fledged Government consisting of whites and natives under King Thackourbau, the old canabal. The country has been canvassed twice, once to send members to form a constitution and afterwards to send members to form laws and transact general business. They asked me to stand for our district but I declined. I am afraid they’ll make a mess of it. All the Fijiimen getatable are taxed for this year. White men £2: all cultivated lands 6/s per acre and a penny an acre for all uncultivated lands. The planters and large landowners can’t pay it and I don’t envy the tax gatherers. All the supposed revenues is to be swallowed up in salaries and they are all trying to get government billits in Levuka. The natives won’t stand it, I believe, when they see all the money going to the white men. We might have a war of races here before long. I don’t like the men that are at the head of the government at all. Our Prime Minister robbed one of his female relations in Sydney and ran away to Oijri (?). They are sure to play up some of their old games down here and the natives won’t stand it. The abuses of the labour trade are creating a disturbance now. Bishop Patterson was eaten in the New Hebrides a short time back. They are bringing a great number of men from the Sollomond Islands to Fijii – the Sollomond group is 800 miles to leeward of Fijii. When they bring them here, they are sold in mobs to suit the planter – 50 of these men were taken in a cutter boat from Levuka to Laviani, 60 miles. There were 5 white men and 2 Fijiimen with them, the Sollomon’s men rose on them one evening when they were having their tea and murdered them all but one Fijiiman who jumped overboard and swum 20 miles to an island – as he was swimming away he turned round and saw them cutting up the bodies of the white men and eating them raw. As soon as the news came to Levuka, three vessels started out, in search of them and they were found at last, 110 miles from where the murder happened – they had been forced by hunger to eat five of their number – they are now waiting their trial in Levuka. Two young men were murdered in Levuka harbour some time ago – and its nothing out of the way for a labour vessel to lose a man or two by the poisoned arrows. We had a shower of them sent at our boat when I was down after labour, but no one was hit. One arrow struck the boat about a foot from where I was standing. I am generally pretty careful and always have a revolver handy. We had a very heavy hurricane last March and we have not got over the effects of it yet. If I could sell out all my land and plantation, I would come home at once, as I don’t like the looks of things. This Government will land the country with debt, and the poor planter will have to pay for it – and I can see something very like the New Zealand war coming over Fijii. The Fijiimen are well armed, and as a body perhaps better armed that the whites – any amount of Suider rifles among them. This government is bringing all the large chiefs together and making them friends, and its hoped they won’t unite against the whites. Before they always had plenty to do fighting against themselves. But I am afraid you will think I am beginning to croak. We have had a deal of rain for the last two months. I have lost half my second crop and what I have picked is so much stained by the wet, that it will all want sorting, and then only fetch an inferior price. Direct shipment to England is what we want and the Levuka and Sydney merchants take very good care we shan’t have it. I send you an account of a dress ball that took place in Levuka the other night. I was not there although invited I have very good health and like the life pretty well. I weigh 12 st 8 lbs and am 6 feet high. Thank Charley for his nice notes. I am sorry to hear poor Emily Peyton was so ill, but my Mother in her October letter gives a better account of her, so I hope she is quite well and strong by this time. I was unfortunate in my last trip for labour, we could only obtain 20 men to come of their own free will and I would not use force and kidnap them, so when I landed them in Fijii they cost me more money than I could have bought them for in Levuka to say nothing of my loss of time and my overseer letting the plantation go to the devil while I was away.
If you ever hear of Capt Bailey in England I shall be glad if you can get come money out of him, for he came to Fijii with us and followed poor Stewart to Sydney and altogether he got £350 out of Stewart of my money. My brother when he returned to Fijii lent him $80 to pay the balance on a boat when it was finished and send her down to Fijii - well he kept the money and the boat never came and I had to go to Sydney about it, when Bailey bolted and I never could find him, soon afterwards he returned to England and came into some money. I think he might pay me now he has money. I am glad to hear William and Charles’ family are getting on so nicely. We missed Flora’s nice long letters when she was married. I think she might remember now and then that she has a cousin in the South Sea Islands, who would always be glad to hear from her. Please tell Charles I am not well up in the Tichborn case not seeing many Colonial newspapers.
Now the Fijiimen are being taxed the food is dearer and money wanted instead of trade, making it all harder for the planter. I am afraid the labour trade will be done up shortly. There is a man of war down in the New Hebrides now, looking after the vessels, seeing there is no kidnapping going on.
There now my dear Uncle I must bring this letter to a close. With my best love to Aunt and all my kind friends and relations in Birmingham. Believe me
Your most affect Nephew
William Henry Lee
W S Harding Esq
Letter to Ellen Harding (nee Willock), Wife of Charles Harding one of William Quartus’ children
The letter is not dated but was 11 years following her marriage so probably 1851 or 1852. Sometime later, Emily’s children Stewart and William Henry were known to have lived in Australia, Fiji and other islands and it could be that this letter was sent from eg Australia.
At the top she puts her children ie Stewart Lee 31 Oct 1839, Ellen Lee 21st January 1841, George Arthur Lee 21 August 1843, William Henry Lee 4th June 1847
"My dear Mama
I am much obliged to you for your kind note and am delighted to find that you are so well. I should have answered ? Frances [her sister] nice account of the Ball earlier but I have really been feeling ill with a cold and have had such a head ache that writing was out of the question. I was delighted to find it went off so well and that they enjoyed themselves so well. I hope now the great people ? ? found it a nice Ball they will come again. I have sent you a list of my Children and am very proud that they should be considered worthy of a place in the Tree. We have been very quiet. This horrible weather. I following in your steps as well as I am able making nightgowns for St ?.??? for Ellen. ?? There is nothing like good hard sewing for this weather. ?? I begin to look forward to the spring. We are going to have a dinner party on 1st February. Not to celebrate our Wedding day but it happens that ?? other engagements. We shall have been married eleven years on that day – how quickly the time has flown. The children have gone again to school today. I took Ellen to her music lesson to Mrs Forrest, as I did not wish to continue her ? in the Town? In consequence of the length of the walk which took up a long time and ?? part of the town. I did not like her to take alone and also I find Mrs Forest gives two lessons during the week and is a more careful mistress. I was there by 9 o’clock in the morning and waited for her during the lesson and then took her to school so I think I have not been lazy today. I fear you will think this to be very egotistical but I have ? someone lately who you are interested in. I was sorry Mr Cripps [probably the husband of her sister Frances and a surgeon – they lived in Chichester] did not go to the Ball but ? is the worst of his profession. ???? I liked his note and still hope he will come over as soon as he can. I shall lose the post if I write more ?
Love to all. Emily
In a letter from Wm Sextus to Charles Harding, Copely Lodge, [unfortunately only dated Saturday Evening but presumably this Charles was the son of Quartus] Sextus wrote
Copeley Lodge
Saturday Evening
My dear Uncle
At your request I have following the form you sent me, put the Notice of the Actient Family of Hardings into a shape for publication, if you really think it will not entail upon us more ridicule than ...will enable us to obliterate in the course of a few years. The fact is both Anne and myself feel that our positions and that of our worthy progenitors scarcely entitled them or us to appear in the Stud Book – Be it however as you wish, and we will try to brazen it out. There is no Harden or Arden in Doomsday book – but there are Hardings both of Wiltshire, Warwickshire and Devonshire. ...find and attach the interesting narrative to one of the Wm Hardings, of the refusing to give up the Charter to James or Charles ..
With love to all .. W S Harding
I return the Book – I shall write to Francis on Tuesday or Wednesday with an account of my stewardship
[These rather feint lines are typed here as they are found in the Harding archives although I am not aware that Sir John Ratcliff had any connection]
Invocation
Sweet Muse whose heart delighted thrills to crown with death
Each head shown worthy of thy gifts, worthy a nation’s lays
No laurel crown we ask today a patriot’s brow to grace
No song of victory to greet a winner in honor’s race.
So harp and laurel lay aside, we need nor song nor wreath
We hymn no queenly woman’s praise, we weep no hero’s death
This day our Mayor is knighted, Muse, and thy task is, one by one
To count the deeds of chivalry by which his spurs were won.
History
When England met her serried foes in fierce and deadly fight
And the cry of her sons as they charged home was ever “for God and right”
As through and over opposing hosts they rushed in their mad career
Did his blade gleam mid that flashing steel? His voice swell that ringing cheer?
Or class with class in civil feud, when their sorrowing country saw,
And the people’s shout was Justice and these rulers fought for law
And bitterer and bitterer as the contest weltered on
Was he the people’s leader? He the law’s champion?
Or in the call of the patient brave, the devotees of thought,
Who to the arduous quest of truth their richest powers have brought
Who give youth’s joys and manhood’s strength to find the sacred flame
Of truth and knowledge in this roll shall we find John Ratcliff’s name?
Was he taught by his bearing in daily life to descend to a humbler grade
How a man may walk unsullied through the devious paths of trade
By truthful word and manly act has he shown as the seasons roll
How the names may yet be wedded of Tradesman and Gentleman?
Not so! Against a foreign foe he never drew a sword;
When civil discord rent the land he never spoke a word
And the lamp of truth – bah! the only lamp that burns to light his fame
Is the luckless? one on which he stamped a rival maker’s name.
What means this vast assemblage then? What mean these loud hurras?
What means the Monarch’s presence and the people’s joyous gaze?
What service has he rendered – since never yet in fight,
by word, by thought he has helped his kind to win the name of Knight?
Two services he has rendered in his two official years;
All men have greedy stomachs and most men have greedy ears!
The stomachs he has served with food, the ears he has served with praise
Meat, drink and fulsome flattery with these he has won his bays
With meat and drink alone he plied those of his own estate;
With more of flattery less of meat he cringed towards the great
These are his services to man with these he has won – not fame
But crawling belly in the dust he has licked himself – a name.
Moral
But Nature never worked in vain not e’en when she made this Knight
He reads to us all a homily would we translate it right
Would we but see in his weak heart – only larger and fully blown
The thousand petty meannesses that haunt and corrupt our own.
When we laugh at his low servility, when we scorn his want of truth
To our own mean hopes and falsehoods let us show as little ruth,
And when we point to the paltry means he moved to a paltry aim
Let us see that our ? and measures? are free from all blush of shame.
And Birmingham my thrice loved town in thy revels pause & think
Thy cry was “Reform and ?twood!” it is now “Sir John and drink!”
Forward is thy brave motto, but is this a forward stride?
If it be, then turn to the old paths, this has been too well tried
And now farewell thou poor Sir John, in peace go, too, thy way:
Though otherwise than thou deemest, thou art useful in thy days
A sign of warning art thou, for conspicuous in thee
We see revealed in flesh and blood all that man should not be.