Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1889 — NEPOTISM IN FIJI. [ARTICLE]

NEPOTISM IN FIJI.

How the South-Sea Nephew Lays Way Over His Uncle. From Profbiarke's book: Most prominent among tho public notorieties jof Fiji is the Vasu. The word means a nephew or a niece, but becomes a title of office in the case of. the male, who in some localities has the extraordinary privilege of appropriating whatever he chooses belonging to his uncle's power. Vasus are of three kinds —the vasu taukei, the vasu lev-u, and the vasu; the lasi is a common name, belonging so any nephew whatever. Vasu taukei is a term applied to anywtsu whoso mother is a lady of the liufc? in which he is born. The fact of Mbau being at the head of Fijian rank gives the queen of Mbau pre-eminence over all Fijian ladie*. , and her sou a place nominally above all vasus. No material differenoo exists between tho power of a vasu taukei and that of a vasu levu, which latter -title is given to overy vasu born ts a woman of rank and having a firstclass chief for his father. Vasu taukei can *laim anything belonging to a native of his mother's land excepting the home, and laud of a chief. * ‘ * However high a chief may rank, * however powerful a king may be. if he —has a nephew he has a muster, one j who will uc-t be content with the n me. but who will exercise his prerogative to the full, seising whatever may take his fancy, regardless of its value or the owner’s inconvenience in its loss, lie. ftWtmbe is not thought of, and objection only offered in extreme cases. lUolconsuto, a Hew a chief, during a quarrel with an uncleuse l the right of vasu. and actually supplied himself with ammunition from fits •Demy’s