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| Second Leg of Voyage: First Destination | Fiji Island |
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Well, Monday June 5, 1922 marked the end of a long voyage. The Party had arrived at Suva, Fiji. They hurried through breakfast and ran to the deck see the beautiful harbor. The irregular crests of the mountains were dark purple and Nutting said, "The tips were gilded by the rising sun." The ship passed through the channels in the coral reefs as it came into the harbor. Their luggage was taken ashore by a Fijian and sent ahead to a hotel. The members of the Party decided to walk to the hotel which was a mile away. They found the heat a bit difficult in the beginning. Once they arrived at the hotel, they were relieved to sit in the cool and shady verandas of the hotel grounds on the shore of the inner reaches of the harbor. They were informed by Colonial Secretary Fell, who was instrumental in assuring the success of the expedition, that the island (Vitilevu) which they were currently on was free of harmful insects or any of pest that would make them uncomfortable.
Nutting claimed the best experience he had while at Vitilevu was the opportunity to meet an important Fijian chief. With a letter of introduction from Secretary Fell, he went to the island of Bau to meet Ratu Popè. Upon meeting Ratu Popè, Nutting was struck by how handsome and fluent in English he was. Ratu Popè was the grandson of Cakobau, the last king of the Fiji. He also said he was “probably the last of his line.”
Ratu Popè
Ratu Popè currently was a member of the Executive Council of the Fiji. They had dinner together and Nutting said they had a “delightful talk that included world affairs.” Later, other visitors arrived and they participated in a Kava drinking ceremony. This drink is made from the yangona root and not intoxicating. Nutting didn’t think it was pleasant. However, he noted that it was a popular drink throughout Polynesia. He spent the night in Ratu Popè’s home. The next day, Ratu Popè took him on a tour of the island. He took lots of pictures. When Nutting left the island he remarked that his host was very courteous and where ever he went he observed that the people their homes and clothing was neat and “scrupulously” clean.
