FIJI.

Press, Volume XXII, Issue 2681, 11 March 1874, Page 2

FIJI.

The following extracts from a private letter, written by a gentleman well known in Cbristchurcn, will be read with interest :—

Kandavu, 22nd Feb., 187-1. - —We arrived here, after a rather rough passage, at daylight on Saturday morning. The ship is not a very comfortable one lot passengers, her breadth being too narrow for her length ; she rolls a good deal, and the -sleeping accommodation ie very oonfiucd; still she is a noble ship, and well commanded, and her officers are very jolly. The approach to Kanduvu is very pretty, Mount Washington, a large table-rock, being very prominent at the extreme southern point. A large reef runs out about seven milee in length, and three from the shore. Bound this reef is the entrance to the harbor, which is very pretty indeed, and landlocked on both sides.

We found the Star of the South here with a deputation of the raercbaats from Leruka to interview Mr Hall, who is expected in the Macgregor, to indaco him to substitute Levuka for Eandavu as a place of call. They had chartered the Star of the South from Levuka, at a coat of £50 a day steaming, and £25 a day in harbor. Among these gentlemen I met several old Australian friends, which made ua very jolly. We got up a little entertainment in the evening for them in the saloon, "The Happy Pair," and scenes from " The Hunchback." It passed off very pleasantly, and among our visitors we had the Premier of Levuka, the President of the Assembly, and other notables.

The sable Governor of the Island came on board, and I had the honor of presenting him with a meerschaum pipe, aud Mrs H. gave, him a necklace, both of which be received with the dignity of a European potentate. We went on shore in the afternoon, and now for the Island. The natives are a very fine race, tall, well-made men, and also

*he women ; but both are extremely primitive in the* l costume, neither sex wearing anything but a cincture round the waist to the knees. The women show no appearance S ebame and yet I am told they are a remarkably yirtuons race, and I can believe it, for yo Q see n0 mixture o£ tne white race among them. Providence has wonderfully West this place with its bounties. The inhabitants of the island have no need to trork for food, for it is here to their hands in unlimited abundance. The island itself is about forty miles long, aiid at its greatest breadth, nearly ten. The vegetation down to the water's edge is of the most mixed prolific character. Cocoa-nuts, breadfruit, bananas, pineapples, (I bought a dozen of the last named for sixpence). The green orange (a delicious fruit), lemons, citrons, limesl nntmegs, ivi-nut —something like a flhesnEfc-the wee apple, the candle tree, all meet you at every step. The timber of the iiltad is also remwiroWei The fi *8v fa wcto t!j e "Vess, of -fclie most durable qnality ; MfitS* a trait resembling ttie peach. in 111 w.. * :• i * flavour ; the Noko, a hard -wood jjged:for war-clabe, takes a polish equal to and resembles the she-oak of Australia in appearance. I greeted, it as an rC\(\ friend. There Is also the bau or the rone-tree, from which all their cordage is made, even to the fibres of the finest silk. Ae&iu vegetables are in rich luxuriance ; the yam (cultivated), the wild yam growing everywhere; thedalo, a kind of turnip, -omnw ei fcher oa land or under mt ?T, t]ie leaves of which are very pungent—indeed, almost caustic —but wnen boiled are superior to epinacb ; also the sweet potato. Good water is also very plentiful, and about which Ibenatives are very particular, that used for drinking being fetched by the women from the mountain rills daily in cocoannt gourds. As to industries, the natives don't like work, and I don't wonder at it, for they have only tn lie down and food will drop into their mouth?. When they do labor, the pay is &i a rear with rations, which cost nothing:, for ell they eat is there. They have poultry and wee in plenty, and in addition they have an ell of cloth and a mat twice a year. The Chinese get a large profit annually from gathering beche-le-mer. Sugar cane is here in abundance, and is jjow being cultivated more than cotton. There is also a little coffee. The" mission here is Wesleyan, with native teachers, and there is a pretty little church, and I may say the huts of the natives are well matted, larger, and much cleaner than I have seen in the whares of the Maoris. I don't know what our fashionable ladies in England and the colonies would think if they were told when they dye their hair yellow that they are only imitating the natives of the Fijian group. Men, women, and children here all dye their hair with a preparation of lime, and it is an exception to see anything but yellow hair. Bowever, the natives do not dye it for the civilised reason. I believe cleanliness is the object. ' • * * * .* * * The Tartar has not yet arrived, so here we are in statu quo. Mrs H. was very sea lick, but Jam happy to say she is now very jolly, and looking forward with pleasure to - her American trip. New Zealand kindness is fresh in our memories, and we sincerely hope our friends there will not forget us. Our first professional life on our returnshould we be spared—will be amongst those who for the past three years have so cordially, and may I say affectionately, responded to our efforts to amuse them. * * P.S.—3 pm. Sunday—The Tartar from Sydney has junt arrived. We sail this evening.