LATEST FIJL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5398, 6 March 1879, Page 3

LATEST FIJL NEWS.

From files of the Fiji Times and Fiji Argus, to the 21st February, which arrived by the Agnes Donald yesterday, we take the following items of news :— Mr. Hunt, who was sentenced to imprisonment for creating a disturbance in Samoa, has been liberated by Quean's pardon from home, and is now going about at large in Levuka. A lot of about 700 bushels of maize'was disposed of by Mr. McCullough at auction, recently, at 3i lOd per bushel. This is an unusually high figure for com to realise at Levuka. By last mail news was received from Sir Arthur Gordon, then in London, that he would start for Fiji about the end of April next, or early in May ; so that he may be expected to arrive in June. The road which is beiDg made along the coast has now reached the native town of Toko, about five rnile3 from Levuka. So far as completed, it is a substantial piece of work, and Mr. Howell, who superintends the work, aud is in charge of the native prisoners at work thereon, deserves credit for the manner in which he has looked after them. It is intended to carry this road round Ovalau, but a good many events are likely to take place before this project is carried out. The Winifred arrived at Solia Levu on the morning of the 11th, landed a lot of sugar machinery, imported from Glasgow to complete and perfect the sugar works of Mr. Walter Hunter. The wet aud inclement weather which has for some time past been experienced in Levuka seems to have been pretty universal throughout this and the surrounding islands. From the Rewa we learn of almost incessant rain with the accompanying floods, putting a stop to all kinds of work, and occasioning considerable sickness amongst the juvenile population. At N^adi, one town, Merika, was entirely washed away, and three persons drowned, while the whole of the country was under water. Bau, th« ancient and historical residence of the Fiji dynasty, now boasts an iron store, wherein i 3 displayed all those various articles of utilisation and civilisation which are now becoming necessary to the existence of the once benighted native. Only a few years ago cannibal ovens were erected on the spot where a bakery now stands, but the march of progress has gone steadily on ; and where but a little while since the missionary found it difficult to obtain a footing, British traders are now disposing of their wares in pesce and security. A speculator in Levuka is about to supply a want long felt by commencing to run a cab or waggonette between Levuka and Nasova. which will go to and fro at certain fixed hours. Business men will therefore, no doul»t, welcome this innovation. A special rate in aid of education is shortly to be levied, and bachelors will be required to give double as much a3 married men, says the Argus. The latter will perhaps be pleased at this, a3 they seldom have to pay any other rates, and feel themselves rather plighted thereby. It is said that the bachelors of Levuka were about to give a ball, but hearing the report about extra rates they have resolved instead to keop their spare cash to meet them, and allow the ball project to be indefinitely postponed. The reclaiming of the foreshore between the Government and Messrs. Hedemann's wharves proceeds rather slowly. The prison labour employed thereon do not seem to work regularly, or else, ere this, this useful work would have been completed. This will be a very valuable bit of land when reclaimed, and is about half-an-aore in extent. If the Customs, post-office, and the other Government offices at present located at Qeriqeri are to be removed there, it will make a considerable difference to that portion of the town, and will, no doubt, result in its becoming in time the principal business part of Levuka. As an instance .of how the value of property has increased in that neighbourhood a half rood of land, which a short time back was almost valueless, has recently been leased from the proprietor by one of oar merchant firms, at a rental of about £40 per annum, or equal to £320 per acre. We should take this to be rather a favourable sign of the improved value of property generally in Levuka, one of the annoyances resulting from annexation. We hear from Suva that the lighthouses recently erected do not promise to be of much use. The lights are not visible very far out to sea, the lamps not being powerful enough, and even if they were, the tower light, being down on the beach, is not seen till a vessel approaching is close to the reef—not at all pleasant for a stranger. It will also require two lighthouse-keepers to attend to the lights, as the upper light being situated over two miles back from the other, with a heavily-timbered, almost impassable, country intervening, one lighthouse-keeper could not be relied on to look after both. Recently several members of the licensed victuallers and wine and spirit trade met at the stores of Messrs. A. M. Brodziak and Co., to test the merits of an article entirely new to this market, namely condensed beer. This article has been introduced here by Captain Croaker, an old colonial. This condensed beer is originally brewed at home, and, after condensation, exported in hermetically closed tin cases, in the form of a paste, the contents of one gallon occupying but a very small Bpace, Oa arrival at the place of | consumption It has to go through another

• simple process, and ia then ready for use. i Thus, much saving is made in the amount of freight, while a palatable beverage is secured. The introducer claims that he can in point of price successfully compete with colo--1 nial brewed or imported English ales, f By the arrival of the Levuka we learn that everything is reported to be very quiet at T Rotumah, the war being finished between tho Wesleyans and Catholics that had continued so long, much to the detriment of trade. About thirty persons were killed [ altogether in the fightinp, and a few died of their wounds. The Catholics, being greatly outnumbered, were obliged to succumb. The fighting is said not to have been of a very fierce character, as most of those engaged on both sides were relations, and had compunctions about killing their friends, though differing on religiouß matters. This isolated island being only about eight miles long by three broad, it is no wonder that the inhabitants have become considerably mixed up by intermarrying. The men being fond of travelling, we believe that so many have left the island that the females are almost double the former. The whole population of the island is about five thousand, and it produces some five hundred ton 3 of copra per annum, for the purchase of which there is considerable competition amongst the various traders stationed there. A great drawback to comfort is said to be a want of water, there not being a running creek of any size on the island.