LATEST FIJI INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1156, 24 January 1874, Page 19

LATEST FIJI INTELLIGENCE.

Auckland, January 20th. The Star of the South has arrived from Fiji with 12 passengers. She encountered a hurricane on the passage up, and had all her sails split. During the hurricane the vessel behaved splendidly.

Levuka, January 10th. A severe hurricane has visited the islands, and at Taviuni the cotton crop was injured, and the trees destroyed. At'Vuna .Point three cutters were wrecked, and another severely damaged. At Suva Suva bay tht cotton crop suffered fearfully, the trees being torn up by the roots ; houses were blown down, and several losses of life are reported among the Natives. Goro and Bua also suffered severely. H M.S. Pearl was caught in the hurricane off Kandavu and had not time to clew up her sails. A heavy sea broke through the ports into the Commodore's cabin and destroyed many papers. At Levuka several houses were unroofed, and several cutters driven on the beach. The Fijian Banking Company refuses to cash the Government Treasury bills. The Government is in a very impecunious state. Mr Consul Layard, the British Commissioner, has arrived and commenced his labours. The Government vessel Vivid has been wrecked on a reef. The murderers of the Burns family are nearly all captured through the rewards offered.