The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1883-05-28
A RAmBLE THROUGH A SUGAR PLANrA.
TON IN FIJI.

Diuulng SOOu-Dye NJ 'cnStn 10 my |
worthy host aud his family Todd to
say, the little ones spoke nothing
but Fijian, although as fair as any
European), crossed the river, and,
passing through one of the Hon. j.
Smiths plantations, made for the
adjacent one under the same owner,
at which Mr.. Storck's brother was
overseer. A four mile walk brought
me to we'll laid out estate, sub
divided into blocks, and intersected
by deep drains. A 2Oft. road runs
through the estate, at the end of
which, fronting the river, stood the
managers house, and several others
for the labourers. Mr.. Storck "did
the honours," and then showed me
around. What l was chiefly struck
with was the air of neatness and
cleanliness perceptible, each of the
half-dozen houses being well-built,
well-drained Fijian structures, the
largest being the hospital-a cool,
airy building. The men all appear
ed well fed, and laughed and talked
necessarily as soon as work was over.
They were South Sea immigrants
the most valued of all field labour.
Rations for every man are weighed
out each morning-l0lb. of kumulas
or sweet potatoes, or lib. of yams-
and entered in a journal kept for
the purpose. If the men get i'll, the
doctor attends them, and i'll his alb
sence the manager has large stock
of medicines to fall back upon. 1
was informed that it was no unusual
thing for the patient to be ordered
beef-tea and arrowroot. The days
work is limited to nine hours, or, if
at task work, the "boys" can finish
in six or seven hours, as they very
often do. Their pay is from f3 to
f5 per annum, clothes being pro-
v,ded. The coolies whom saw
afterwards, are under different regu-
lations. The plantation, in extent
about 200 acres, showed the cane in
all its stages of growth-nearly all
being the yellow Honolulu, the most
prolific and best.paying variety; the
price is los. per ton all round. A
little Bourbon was also ready for
CUTTING dark red cane, less in
bulk, but yielding greater density.
The holes in which the cane is
planted are SIX feet apart length
ways, the rows being four feet apart.
Draining, of course, is very neces-
sary on alluvial flats, as floods are
sometimes terribly destructive. The
planting time lasts from September
to November, and in Ia months time
) the crop is ready for cutting. All
J this, and much more, learned from
my entertainer, who spared no trou-
bile in giving me every possible in
Z formation.
Sunday passed during my stay,
and it was made much of by the
4 "boys." A grand fantasia on the
l lati, or native drum, preceded their
religious performances, the hymns
| being given out in a style that would
e gladden. the heart Of Revivalst
e All this time two unfortunate pa.
8 tients lay in the hospital, unattended
n save by the managcr-in fact, the
n latter informed me that the "boys'
n are seemingly devoid OF either graft.
n tude or affection, save towards their
4 immediate relations. The service
concluded about 2 pm. having last
r ed four hours, after which an adjourn
n ment was made to their habitations
o where they "stufed'i themselves
with yams and taro till nightfall, the
Monday mornings performance ge
v nerally being "groggy" one.
1t was only mile and half te
A the adjoining plantation, Messrs
" Shall and Garrick's: these two names
n are conspicuous, by the way-tht
d former as being the largest lane
owner, and the latter as the ablcs
barrister ia Fiji. The manager, Mr.
y Hilton, l found at home; and, on ex
IS planning my GRAND, he put me ii
8 charge of his overseer, Mr.. Fair
q weather, an old planter, whose re
:. marks OH the past glories Of skiing
10 Cotton" were not little entertain
"a ing and instructive. There was tn
IS same scrupulous care that l hat
;; before noticed in the native quar-
y ters-a clean, whitewashed hospital
"a good enough for white man to Ii
d. in, besides store to supply the re
l. quirements of the coolies-of whom
le shall have more to say anon. Tn
g. cane on this plantation, a 800 acr
block, was of most unmistakabl
tronical Growth. Some of IL hoip