FIJI.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 12, 22 December 1877, Page 2

FIJI.

(from our own correspondent.) SINCE my last, I am not aware of anything of great importance transpiring except the two suits in the Supreme Court—Martin v. Liardet, and Harding v. Liardet. Those cases have occupied the Court some considerable time, and have created much excitement, and various speculations were rife as to the result. Many thought that the judgment would 1)0 for the defendant—a sort of " sarve 'cm right " one —whilst others of course, were of opinion that the two plaintiff's would make something handsome out of it. At nnyrate the eases are finished, and Martin has got a judgment for JCSO and costs, and Harding getting one for £2">, also with costs, so that they will not make their "pile" over the affair; although it will no doubt, be rather heavy on your British Consul, his having to pay costs in both actions. Public sympathy is undoubtedly with Mr. Liardet, although many say that he certainly has gone too far in these cases. However, be that as it may, he has to sutler for it—right or wrong. Bv the last mail from England we heard of the death of Mr. G. J. Smith, of the firm at Samoa, he having died at sea on the way home; and only the week before last another death occurred in Levuka in connection with that firm, the person 1 now refer to being no other than Mr. J. B. M. Stewart, As that firm are evidently breaking up in a manner which seems to be without remedy, the quickest way out of the difficulty now is undoubtedly to sell everything for what it will fetch and close up the affairs of the firm as soon as possible.

The new steamer " Suva," (M'Ewan, and Co., of Melbourne) is expected to arrive at Suva on November 22, from Melbourne, and will be despatched from that port on or about December 1. It is the intention of the owner to run her on to Levuka should sufficient inducement offer, which will be a great convenience to those who desire to communicate direct with Melbourne as it will save transhipment at Sydney. The " Ly-ce-moon " did not come down with the last mail, as there was something wrong with her machinery, which was found out at the last moment after she had stored all the cargo and was almost ready to start. The " Leichardt" was therefore immediately pressed into the service, and the eargV taken from the " Lv-oe-moon," and stored on the " Leichardt," at least part of it, as she had to leave some behind, but 1 understand that the " Ly-ce-moon " will resume her vocation next trip, before which time the necessary repairs will be effected, and she will be again ready to resume her peregrinations across midocean.

The Rnynl Engineers, it appears, arc not to retch the old comity as r.-«u a; they fondly hoped. Arrangcuiouti wen. living made, in fact almost completed for their removal by the Inst itcamer, when tlmt vessel brought thorn word that thoy wwto reitmin " vot a little longer" iii Fiji. Some had teen making preiwtrationi for departure, and the officers thom*elves had sold oil" tholr household t . ila lu t ' oforo tha arrival • tl i "Lei ha! It," a:.i the ■:'.,.: r.

mini, therefore, linvt- taken them all by ■urprUe, mul given a ccrtuiu aroonnt of discomtiture.

I notice by the latest telegrams that the Indian Famine lias pass, d its worst stage This is a matter of coiigratulatiou, for the miseries suffered there must haw been, and will ha for tome time really terrible. One thing worthy of note in a fellow eolouist here, is the tact that the Rev. F. Langham arrived in Levuka from Baa on the evening before the " Leiehardt " left for Sydney, and bo collected in Lrvuka in the one day upwards of Jtl(H) on behalf of the Famine Relief Fund, which was sent away by the vessel mentioned. Since then about £2.'> ha-* been collected, and amounts are still being placed to the credit of the fund.

Prince of Wales Birthday, the nth of November, passed off here without any notice whatever being taken of it. No holiday, and therefore no shops closed; not even the post offices.

We had another launch since that of the " Mona," (Messrs, Hedcinaun, and Go's, schooner.) This time it was from the building yards of Mr. J. Palmer, the vessel being a cutter for Mr. C. T. Hawkins to replace the cutter

" Sumptcr " wrecked some time ago. This one, called the " Lilly," is a very pretty boat, and I believe will prove a good sea boat, and very fair sailer.

The line of steamers to which I referred in my last from New Zealand, has [ fancy, fallen through, for I have heard no more about them, and none have ever shown up, so the company must have changed their minds, and so I suppose we shall not have a third line. Some think it premature to have so many all starting at once, and that we should make a fixture of one More we get another. This is right enough, but the question is whether the other Islands at which it was intended the New Zealand line should cull would not have supplied sufficient to establish it. Be this as it may, there is no doubt a .steamer might be very advantageously employed among the Islands of the South Seas, acting as a tender to the main line between Levuka and Sydney, thus connecting the whole of Polynesia and as it were giving us t'i our big sister New South" Wales. The advantages to be derived are mutual, and with a little exertion it might in a very little while be accomplished.

Your respected Consul, Mr. Liardct, who has been waiting in Fiji for some time for a vessel to take him to Samoa, leaves in the Nvmph. Perhaps you will think he has 1 n somewhat rousrhly handled in Fiji by our Courts, in the matter of .Martin and Harding, but it must be presumed that he has onlv been treated to a dose of legal law. judges are not supposed to hive any sympathy, and do not take iut > a mideration matters of expediency, which may perhaps have moved your Consul in these instance-. There is a correspondent in Fiji who writes to two or three Australian papers, wh.. has evidently a grudgo against your Consul ; some of his writings may have conn; under your notice. He is supposed to be a Government Official in Fiji. From an ofiieial source, however, I gather that .Mr. Liardct's netions, as Consul of Samoa, have been approved of by the Foreign Oifice, up to latest advices from Home. Of course, the levying of certain fines, itc,, in Samoa, some: little time since, have yet to meet with approval from Lord Derby. December 4, b.77.

The Ly-cc-Moon, as you will notice by the paper, has been burned, and.su the Wcntw.irth came down this month with a full cargo. Sin- ban returned with a crammed hold ami crowded cabins. Th« Royal Engineers have gone and thus Fiji is rid of a very heavy incubus which will, to som" extent, lighten the burden she has to bear. Some fifteen have remained in charge of Lieutenant Lake. These have been left, I suppose, to remind us that we have had at one time a corps of It. E. stationed here.' I say to remind us of that fact, fur otherwise we should in time forgot that we had been subjected to the penalty of paying, feeding, and clothing a company of such "bard working" men! (save the mark). They have left nothing in the shape of finished work that we may remember them by. Levnka, Dceemlicr 12, 1877.

[Our correspondent refers to a previous letter, but from Rome cause or another tnat letter hat) not yet reached us F. T.]