FIJI VISITED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 195, 17 August 1900, Page 4

FIJI VISITED.

Mr. Hobbs made a very quick and pleasant passage to Suva, the capital of the Fiji Group. So far as he has seen he is greatly charmed with the place. Being of missionary origin himself, he naturally made first- en« quiries for the Wesleyan missionaries, whom he had known either per* sonally or by the missionary records, but they were all absent,, being away; inland, or making-their annual missionary visitations around the adjacent islands. These annual missionary gatherings among the Fijians arei a sight long to be remembered to airy visitor who may have the good fortune'to be present, and are of inmost interesting character. 'To the natives themselves it is their'great natives themselves it is their great an-' nual national festival occasion, and huge preparationsaremade.Thenatives arrive in thousands, and present their annur.l gifts in either money or island products. Mr. HobbSviiitends to move about in small steamers or. launcheswhich will enable him-to visit the numerous villr.g'es, chat.with the natives, and form independent views of thit} most interesting- people. It was a nevf, experience yfor Mr. Hobbs to sleep in * a hotel with the windows ' thrown'1 widely open, with only.' a.light covering' over him. Yet ;he-s"ay_ if !w_- ■■ ____*' ply delicious, pleasant and cqol. '" Thes air is very hot, but the people dres£ accordingly, and all look' remaLrkKbljf happy and contented. The people si* outside tinder the shade of trees by •the seaside, and the feeling is simply'^ grand. The profusion of fruit aston-' ished Mr.. Hobbs, "who. is an expert grower in New Zealand. The popula« tion' of Suva is composed of such s variety,' Fijians, Samoans, Coolies, (& low lot, he calls them), and Polynesians from Melanesia—a strange crowd an<S mixture, He will" shortly have inteiv esting matters to record, and in'.iki.meantime he is in splendid health.