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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 75, 1 June 1866, Page 3

The Fiji islands alone during the past year have exported native produce to the amount of £24,175., which is thus accounted for : — cocoanut oil, 500 tons, £11,000; cotton, 500 tons, in seed, £9,200 ; Beche de mer, 500 piculs, £1,200 ; wool,' 25 bales, £400 ; tortoise-shell, 7501b5., £375 ; fibre, 50 tons, £1,500; pigs, timber, fruit, &c. £500.

The Navigators, Tonga, and neighboring islands export produce to the amount of about £30,000 yearly.

These islands have much to recommend them to the enterprising colonist, the soil, climate, and situation offering advantages rarely to be found elsewhere, and it is not difficult to foresee that at no distant period they will prove an additional example of Anglo-Saxon encroachment and restless spirit of adventure.

The South Sea Islands should occupy towards New Zealand the same position which the West Tndies formerly bore towards Great Britain ; and, with ordinary prudence and foresight, Auckland could be made to hold the relative place of Bristol. Its comparatively central situation, and its vicinity to the best known Polynesian Islands, give it advantages possessed by no other trading port in the southern hemisphere.

As the extensive grazing lands in Fiji are gradually occupied by the white settlers, the surplus stock of the New Zealand farmers will find a ready sale there, since the shortness of the voyage will suffer them to be lauded with less risk aud in better condition than if exported from Sydney or any other port in Australia ; for the same reason, the more perishable articles of island produce, such as oranges, bananas, and other fruits, could be more profitably shipped to New Zealand than to the other colonies. — Weekly Neios.