The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-09-27
TEE NEXT STOPPING PLACE FOR
AUSTRALIAN STEAMERS.
Rich Yield From the son-Ihe %atire
Well Treated and ConteBted.

Half way between Honolulu and
Sydney are the Fiji islands, and IN the
very near future, probably, the War
rimoo and Miowera viii make Suva,
the island capital, regular port of
call. The three weeks trip TO Austria
La will thus be so diyided-in three
almost equal parts-as to break the
monotony OF the voyage, and from the
point of view of freight Suva ought to
prove in time as good customer as
Honolulu now is. That will mean
great deal for the line.
One of the passengers on the Aus
tralian steamer which has just reach
ed Victoria, is J. Johnson, now on his
way from Australia TO the West In
dies, but who has spent seven years
on the Fiji islands. Mr.. Johnson Is
quite sanguine as to the advantage to
be derived from including the islands
on the Canadian Australian route.
'rThe group he says, consist OF
upwards of two hundred islands, lying
about 1850 miles or five and half
DAVIS steaming from Sydney. Their
only regular communication with the
outside world at present, Is furnished
by steamer running fortnightly TO
SYDNEY, in New South Wales, and
another running in alternate fort
nights to Auckland, in New Zealand.
Sailing vessels from England occa-
sionally arrive with supplies.
"HaVing been ceded by the chiefs TO
the British crown, the islands were
formally annexed in 1874. They are
governed as crown colony. The
governor, who is also colonial secre-
tary and commissioner of native
affairs, is Sir John Bates Thurston,
who has been in the Islands since he
was a young man, and was member
of the Fijian parliament under King
Cakabau. He presides over the legis-
lative council, whose members are all
nominated by the crown. After the
annexation the native chiefs were
! provided for by being appointed gov
ernOrs, or "rokOs," as they are called,
| of the several districts into which the
| islands are divided. A native parlia-
ment, called the "vei bosse," is held
once a year, the members all being
chiefs Overa certain rank, who discuss
| affairs affecting the natives only, and
make representations TO the governor,
who formally opens the native parlia-
ment and then leaves the chiefs to
deliberate in private.
1 Inc DODulaliOn Ol lllc iSidlluS 10
| close on $4,000, the native FiJians
| mum bering about 10000. There are
between 1000 and $500 whites, and the
remainder are Indian coolies, Polyne-
| slams and Chinese. The climate is
very pleasant and healthy, averaging
| about 10 degrees in one season and 50
| degrees in the other. The heat is al
ways tempered by the trade winds.
! In the season from December to March
there is q pretty considerable rainfall,
| but the rest of the year issvery fine.
"Nolcanic in its nature, the soil IS
exceedingly productive. The chief
| products are sugar, bananas, pine
apples, yams, tea and coffee, bread
| fruit, plantains, peanuts, tarO, cocoa
nuts, maize and arrowroot. The
export of bananas and pineapples to
| New Zealand and Australia is very
| large The yam, which in Fiji takes
the place of the potato, is highly pop
ular article of diet with the white pop
ulation. Many prefer it to the potato,
and there ought to be good market
for it if exported to America. Vans
are obtainable all the year round, and
sell at about 60 per ton. Coffee grow
ing has been almost abandoned for
the present, owing to the ravages of
n disease imported from CeylOn. Or
| anges grow all the year round, but
having been altogether neglected are
of poor quality. The pines and ba-
nanas are very good, and IN great fav-
or. The tea is of high quality, but is
| mostly used for local consumption,
the industry being as yet only in its
| infancy.
"Sugar is the great staple. The
plantations are chiefly owned by the
Colonial Sugar Co., of Sydney, who
| 3 - 4
tralian colonies. The labor employed
was mostly kanaka until seven OF
eight years ago, when the Fijian gov
eminent made an agreement with In
dia for the importation of coolies, OF
whom there are now 5000 or 5000 en-
ployed. The laborers are we'll looked
after by inspectors of immigration,
who make frequent visits to the plan
tations. The ka1akas are not paid IN
money, but in trade, mainly cloth,
knives, hatchets, and similar articles,
which are sold under government
supervision at prices determined by
not eXtravagant, being IS, or SO &
year, so that NJ the end of the three
years for which they contract they
have So coming to them. OF course
they are maintained by the planters,
who also pay their passage money tC
Fiji and make a deposit to cover the
cost of their passage back. The cool
les get an average of a shilling day.
The native Fijians live by fishing, OF
by the cultivation of small tracts OF
land allotted to them by the crown.
They are well adapted for working,
but the government discOurages their
employment on the plantations.
''Suva, the capital, is on the island
of Viii Lew, the largest in the group,
and it is on this island that the sugar
industry is principally carried on, the
plantations being on either side of the
river Rewa. The population of the
town is between 500 and 900 whites,
engaged in trading and in the govern
ment service. The merchants are OF
several nationalities, but principally
British. The harbor of Suva is large
and deep, and being land-lOcked af-
fOrds perfect shelter.
"There are three newSpaperS-the
Fiji Times, published three times a
week at Suva; the POlynesian Ga
Zette, published at Levuka, the old
capital of the group, on the island of
Ovalau; and paper called the Ma
mata, in the native tongue, devoted
to the Fijian interests and published
under government auspices, politics
being eschewed. There are state
I anH tho mis-