FIJI NEWS.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1079, 17 January 1879, Page 3

FIJI NEWS.

Auckland, January 14. Tbe 'Fji Times,' in a leadiog article, says — ''If any conclusion may be arrived at from iudicationa presented by the first meeting of the Legislative Council, a busy time is in store for its members. Ordinances are to be proposed, others amended, and questions are to be asked, some of which will sufficiently tax the ingenuity of thone called upon to reply to them. The financial statement has not been brought forward, being held in abeyance. evidently awaiting communication from the Governor. If members do their duty, the sittings will extend over a period comparatively lengthy. The work to be done will demand the close and most serious attention. The country is to be congratulated upon the fact that another Libour Ordinance is promised with the Fijian Supply. From the fact that it is not a Repealing Bill which the Colonial Secretary has been instructed to submit, great confidence may be felt that the provisions of the proposed enactment may point in the direction of restriction. No doubt some of tbe provisions have been found whereby Sir Arthur Gordon's favourite idea, that labourers shall not leave the the district in which they are born, will be carried out." The schooner Lady Palmerston, bound to Samoa, was wrecked on a reef off Baliki. Tbe vessel was partly insured. The cargo is a total loss. It was owned by Mr Fisher, of Levuka. The three.masted schooner Winifred reports that the natives at Oban fired on the boat's crew, wounding a Beaman with poisoned arrows. When he got on board the wound was lanced and well washed out with nearly pure carbolic acid A native in the boat pu'led out the arrow. The man recovered. The schooner Daphine has returned from a cruise to New Hebrid°s and Solomons. During the passage from Havannah Harbour, the Daphine had a very narrow escape from collision with a veHael on a dark and stormy night. The Daphine's report says: — "We descried the vessel laying to ; from her position it was imagned she was on Cook Raef, and we bore down to assist her, when her yards were immediately hauled round, and she crossed the Daphine's bows, bringing up ahead of her. There was but little r«)om *-o spare, and it was luck for the brig thatjtberewas any, or thecld Daphine's itnbera wou'd have told a tale on the Jinet Stewart Reef. We remained off Aurora two doys, during which fifteen immigrants were landed at Letto, their own t >wn having been destroyed during the wars which have occurred in their abs»eoce. On the 6th July, off Vanna Laou we noticed signal fires, and stood in and sent a boat ashore, but could get no men. The natives offered pigs aad cocoanu p, and on the mate offering to buy the former some of the natives lefc to fetch them, and he put off a little from the shore to await their return. One of the natives, who had just reached the Bcrub. tnrned and fired his mueket at the boat, The crew threw themselves down in the boat.|and returned the fire over the gunwale. Several volleys were then exchanged. These men were returned labourers from Queensland, and spoke good English. On our arrival at the Sjlomons we heard particulars of Townsend's death. The boy who was with Townsend received eight spear wouudi, but notwithstanding which he recovered. Fever and ague have been very prevalent. The Marion Kenny which left for Fiji gives that place a very bad name. We proceeded to Maru Sound on tre lOtb, and white traders came on board and reported that there wa« a pearl hunting expedition on a visit to Thousand Ship Bay. We heard a story of a chief demanding pay from a pearl shell diver to permit him to dive for shells. Tbe diver refused, and appealed to the captain of H.M.'S. Beagle, who adopted his view of the case, and Bent a message to ihe cLiof to prerent the diving »t his peril"