THE FIJI ISLANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 17 July 1866, Page 5

THE FIJI ISLANDS.

! The Ecndigo Advertiser, publishes the following letter from the pen of a correspondent in the, Fiji Islands. Aβ this group is month by month being brought moro prominently into notice, a description of its resources, population, &c, will be interesting to our renders. "Rewa Biror, April 15, 1866. "Matters have, with Eome few exceptions, progressed ns favourably in Fiji as we coulc , hope for. Wo nro ae jet hut a small community of whites, and of cour<e cannot show any very extensive results ; yet the group has produced upwards of 700 tona of cotton during the pust eo«on, being moro than double that of tho former ; in fact, just in proportion as wo havo an increase of planters so will our exports increase. " We havo innny varieties of cotton —tho Sea Islands, Brazilian, and five or six others. All kinds seem to thrive equally well. Wild cotton is commr.n upon the Ha and Ba coasts. The Sea leland g and Brazilian, are, however, chiefly cultivated. !Che schooner Macallan Cloud, from Sydney, brings some fourteen or liftcni passengers, many of whom will remain in Fiji. Our islands and their capabilities are little known to Europeans ; but I confidently look forward to the timo when every foot of cultivable land will he covered with the cotton or coffee tree. The certainty of a crop, its sprcdy growth and immense returns, only require to be shown, when the Anglo-Saxon raco will number their hundreds in Fiji. Only those who are the early Ecttlcr--, however can expect to procure their lands at nominal prices in oui , present neighbourhood, for if ever the chief of ' 13au' should succeed in conquering the mountaineers (of which there is little probability), the land will bo witheld from ealo, as ho is very jealous of tho increasing iniltieuco of the whito man ; yet there are othor and extensive tracts in Fiji equally suitable for cotton or coft'eo growing, over which he will never havo control, and which cau be purchased at from Is Gd to 2s per acre. " Our past summer has been very wet, and -we havo experienced quite a drawback from a severe equinoctial storm, accompauied with a heavy flood. Many whoso plantations were upon the ilat lands, have entirely lost their crops. But such a flood, I am happy to eay.does not often occur, it being more than twer.ty-five years eiuco the like was known. Wβ are thorefoie, not in the least discouraged, but all intend planting again in the coming months of September and October. In the meantime wo can plant our Indian corn, and garner the crop in time to plant cotton on tho same ground. Three crops of Indian corn, can be raised per anumn ; somo we planted in July last gave us green ears in sixty days, and, in eevonty-fivo was gathered ripe. It wos planted three feet apart, and produced at the rate of" 170 bushels por aero; the stalks measured from ten to thirteen feet. We find it good for our plantation hands, and need not depend heroaftur upon the Fijians to sell us food for our men. Tho diseases of these islands aro very few, dysentery being the only fatal one, which is chiefly confined to tho island of Ovalau, and moet provalent during the rainy or summer season ; with a proper attenlion, however, to livinu upon landing, no person need fear it, and if attended to in timo it can iu most cases be cured. There is another disease common to children, called by the natives ' coko' (thoko). It breaks out in sores upon the body, is painful but not dangerous, and excepting elophantiasis (too rarely seen to bo worth naming) these are the only diseaees as yet known in Fiji. Our winter is just commencing, and wo hail her approach with gladsome hearts. Fruits of many kinds will soou await us (oranges we are surfeited with now), rain will cease, mosquitos disappear, when nothing can mar the pleasures of a planter's life."