OUR FIJI LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8405, 5 November 1890, Page 6

OUR FIJI LETTER.

[FROM OUR OffK CORRESPONDENT.J

Suva, October 28. The month of September, which had 25 rainy days out of the 30, has been succeeded by another spell of really beautiful weather, with wry hot days; but that is to bo looked ?c-\ as we are now entering upon tho hot set. a, and cannot expect to have tho nice cool weather of winter. The reading for September was 84 degrees for the highest r.nd 68 degrees for the lowest, with a mean barometer of 30.064.

Shipping matters being still affected by the continuance of tho strike, we never know what to expect, and much surprise was felt when the Union Steamship Company's red-funnelled steamer was seen coming in the passage, and it turned out that she was the Pukaki, from Sydney. She left again for Sydney on Saturday, the 25th October, with a full cargo. The usually very dry climate of the Ba Coast got its share, however, of the September heavy rains, and this beiug favourable for cane planting, it has been taken advantage of for that purpose. Mr. Lanyon, in whose hands the infant tobacco industry is placed, has, I understand, reported very favourably of the nature of the soil in some of the places he visited, and things are now fairly under way. An advertisment warning people against removing or purchasing any of the sacau logs lying on the shore, being the property of the Town Board, and intended for the formation of the public swimming bath, is a certain indication that this great improvement has got past the talking stage, and may be shortly expected to be an accomplished fact, and a very great boon it will be.

Our Fijian epidemics appear to be of a very mild character, and little troubles that were formerly called by the oldfashioned names of coughs, colds, and colics, are now reported as epidemics of la grippe, influenza, and goodness knows what. Well, a good many people in Suva appear to have had a bit of a cough- lately, and it is reported from Druba that both white and coloured races were suffering severely from influenza and bronchitis, and the sanitary mountain has again been in severe labour and lyis been safely delivered of a very undersized mouse. The dreadful malFitly of whooping cough has necessitated the concoction of eleven clauses in the rigmarole of regulations, and eleven more clauses in the directions to householders, every person wilfully violating or neglecting such regulations and directions being liable to a penalty of £50, or six months' imprisonment. Of such a trifling and harmless disease as leprosy there is not the slightest notice taken whatever. Truly "AH Baba" is not the only extravaganza on the boards in Suva.

The Fijian sugar planters have always laid the sweet unction to their souls that either the playings out of the sugar bounties, or a big continental war would make cane prospects bright in Fiji, but beet sugar does not seem very likely to be driven out of the field, and there appears to be a prospect of Uncle Sam (whose consumption of sugar amounts to about 50,000,000 dollars worth per annum) entering as a producer of beet sugar. The Australian and South American, a trade journal, reported in its issue of 2nd June the recent, arrival of costly plant from Hamburg for the manufacturing of sugar from beets, and that by the same steamer a large supply of the seed was imported and distributed ; also, that Florida was drawing the attention of capitalists as a sugar-cane country. With this cloud on the horizon the development of the new industries we are taking up in Fiji wilt be anxiously watched by residents in these islands. Prices are good at the present moment, for bananas, and will continue bo until the end of the year. (Jonra is now bringing just double the prices that ruled for a long time back, and the colonial market promises to remain firm.