“I ONLY wish my dear parents, and brothers and sisters and all my relations enjoyed what many of these Fijians enjoyed” (Reverend John Hunt).
According to a book written by Rowe George Stringer titled A Missionary among Cannibals, Reverend John Hunt was eminently successful in converting the people of Fiji from cannibalism to Christianity (Rowe, 1859).
Early days
When Mr Hunt was a lad in London in the early 1800s, he believed that God heard prayers, he prayed for protection against the things that he feared such as dogs, gypsies and thunder (Dan Graves, 2007).
He was troublesome as any youth but God had a calling for him and he prayed earnestly to know what God expected him to do until his doubt vanished, though he was untrained, his earnestness was apparent to all.
He began to think of mission work and had initially intended to go to South Africa where a measure of civilisation had prevailed (Dan Graves, 2007).
One could assume that Fiji was not on his mind and upon hearing the news, Mr Hunt was much troubled as he was worried because the girl he hoped to marry, Hannah Summers, might refuse to go to Fiji because of its barbaric culture but to his surprise, Hannah said she’d go (Dan Graves, 2007).
The couple sailed from England in 1838 for Fiji, on their way they refused a lucrative offer to remain in Australia.
According to the article, when they arrived in Fiji, one cruel king had threatened to kill them if they closed their windows to keep out the smell of bodies roasting a short distance from their home.
However, revival broke out in one of the small islands and many Fijian lives were transformed and a glimmer of hope shone on the people’s faces.
Early Fiji
When in Fiji, the Hunts visited various missionary stations located in the chiefly islands and provinces of Lakeba, Rewa and Somosomo.
Missionary work in Fiji proved to be difficult because of the fear that people had of disobeying their chiefs as described by Mr Hunt in his journal.
“The people are much afraid of disobeying their chiefs; and no wonder for, they have not many degrees of punishment; most crimes are capital.
“The Fijians are naturally covetous and for them to willingly part with anything is quite contrary to their nature and I believe nothing would have enabled them to do so but the grace of God,” he said (Rowe, 1859, p. 92).
Rewa (1839)
Before long, provoked by the truth, opposition began to emerge in Rewa.
In one incident, a chief of high importance had a misunderstanding with one of the Tongan missionaries. As a result, he gathered about 500 men and looted every lotu house in the province.
In his journal, Mr Hunt wrote: “I am thankful for this as well as for other reasons that the thing has happened as it has given me the opportunity to see Fiji Christians in the fire and all the glory to the God of grace, they bear the test well.”
The missionaries then took their grievances to the king (Roko Tui Dreketi) and complained of what had happened to them. He was angry about it and the chief who perpetrated the offence was taken to task.
This irritated the chief even more and he threatened the missionaries in front of the king, who subsequently was enraged and threatened the chief significantly.
“If you injure the missionaries, I will begin to eat chiefs.”
In his journal, Mr Hunt continued: “We have had many an anxious hour during the trials of our faith. We know so much of the native character as to know that we need always to be ready to part with our property and lives too. God has in some measure sanctified our sorrow and anxiety by turning our mourning into joy.”
Somosomo (July 29, 1839)
During his stay at Somosomo, Mr Hunt witnessed first-hand the slaughter of 16 young women through widow strangling, as described in his journal.
“On the morning of August 8, we heard the cries of the poor females and their friends and soon they were unmercifully strangled. We were obliged to be in the midst of it; and truly their cries and wailings were awful and soon after they were murdered, they were brought to be buried about 20 yards from our house (Rowe, 1859, p. 100).
In his private journal, he states: “I thank God especially that I can love my enemies most cordially and heartily so that they will only allow me to live. I will spend my strength for their welfare”.
After remaining in Somosomo for some time, Mr Hunt then relocated his missionary station to Viwa, where they saw their most rewarding ministry.
Viwa 1842
Mr Hunt became associated with Viwa on August 30, 1842, after he was transferred from Somosomo and he remained there until he died on October 4, 1848.
Information stored at the National Archives of Fiji stated that Viwa became the headquarters of the mission in Fiji and grew into a model Christian community, with schools, its printing press and the training classes for pastor-teachers.
According to Mr Hunt, Viwa was of great political importance and the most valuable dependencies of Bau who was considered the highest power in the group.
Ratu Namosimalua, who was the Roko Tui Viwa at the time, was renowned for being prominent in every conspiracy by which Bau was troubled and every war that increased its greatness (Rowe, 1859, p. 137).
In his journal, Mr Hunt writes: “His fame as a warrior was deemed bloody and savage even in Fiji, yet it’s true that he never was really a Christian yet he kept to his profession in the face of the displeasure of the king of Bau.” (Rowe, 1859, p. 137).
After two years of construction, Mr Hunt had completed the new mission house which was also the first stone house ever to be erected in Fiji, it was in the year 1845 at Viwa (Rowe, 1859, p. 183).
After remaining in Viwa for some time, Mr Hunt noted it was very different from Somosomo because many of the people were Christians and also their chief protected the lotu.
This enabled the missionaries to experience many comforts to which they were saved from Somosomo.
When we visited Viwa, Ratu Esikeli Doviverata Tabakaucoro Komaisavai, a descendent of Ratu Ilaitia Ravisa Varani Komaisavai, said the people of Viwa nowadays were reaping the harvests of what their ancestors had planted.
“God’s blessings on the people is something that I cannot begin to explain or even fathom. All I can say is that we are blessed with the bountiful resources of our waters and our land,” Ratu Komaisavai said in an interview on the island.
Revival at Viwa
The first revival was on May 26, 1844.
Mr Hunt wrote: “Yesterday (Sunday) was a good day, a day of much of the presence of God. The prayer meeting in the morning was unusually good, after prayer in the forenoon service, 10 adults were baptized.
“There was a good feeling during the time I was proposing the questions to the candidates, and impressing on their minds the solemn engagements they were then entering into. When they had answered the whole of the questions, I observed that to them, angels had witnessed their vows and if so their former pastor Mr Cross had with pleasure witnessed them.
“I urged them to act consistently with their present professions, and with many words exhorted them to save themselves from an untoward generation. Some already began to sob and cry, and showed that it was the greatest difficulty they could contain themselves.
“Almost as soon as I commenced baptising the candidates, the Queen of Viwa Adi Litia Vatea Komaisavai was completely overwhelmed.
“Her heart seemed literally broken; and though a very strong woman, she fainted twice under the weight of a wounded spirit.
“She revived only to renew her strong cries and tears.
“It was very affecting to see upward of a hundred Fijians, many of whom were, a few years ago, some of the worst cannibals in the group, and even in the world, chanting, We praise thee o God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
“While their voices were almost drowned by the cries of broken-hearted penitents, I weep while I think of it. What a gracious God is our God and blessed be his glorious name forever” (Rowe, 1859, pp. 173-174).
Translation of the New Testament Bible
The translation of the New Testament was in the four dialects where the missionary stations were situated — Lakeba, Rewa, Bau and Somosomo. With the consent of his brethren, Mr Hunt went forward with his translations in the Bauan dialect as the “purest” and also the most useful because of the importance of Bau itself.
The National Archives of Fiji has one of the original copies printed and published at Viwa in 1847 by the Methodist Mission Press.
A Fiji Times article dated March 6, 1972, stated that Sir Maurice Scott of Suva had presented to the dominion on permanent loan a copy of the original edition of the New Testament.
The Government Archivist of that time, Setareki Tuinaceva, stated in that edition of this newspaper that the Fijian New Testament was of great historical value to Fiji.
The copy of the Fijian translated Bible was said to have been owned by Sir Everard Imthurn, who was the Governor of Fiji from 1904 to 1910 (National Archives of Fiji).
It was bought from a second-hand bookshop in London in 1932 by Sir Scott and Mr Tuinaceva says in that article that despite some expert repairs to the original binding by the Mitchell Library in Sydney, the translated New Testament was in good condition.
Also check The Fiji Times March 6, 1972, it has an article on the Viwa Bible being handed to the archives for retention.
An archive official said this Bible was the only known surviving copy of the first 300 copies printed in 1847. It was loaned permanently by Sir H. M. Scott.
This version had been treated to withstand the changing environment condition to survive these 169 years (literally, it is 169 years old).
Sources:
* Dan Graves, M. (2007, May). John Hunt Arrived in Fiji’s Cannibal Land. Retrieved April 22, 2016, from Christianity.com: http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/john-hunt-arrived-in-fijis-cannibal-land-11630453.html
n Rowe, G. S. (1859). A Missionary among Cannibals. New York, San Francisco; Cincinnati: New York:Carlton & Lanahan;San Francisco: E. Thomas; Cinicinnati: Hitchcock & Walden.
* National Archives of Fiji documents.
