THE 



POPL^LAR SCIENCE 



MONTHLT 



JUNE, 1915 



i 



A HISTORY OF FIJI 



By ALFRED GOLDSBOROUGH MAYER 



THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON 



Part I 

 /^F all the island groups in the outer Pacific none surpass the Fijis 

 ^-^ in their rare combination of beautiful scenery and interesting 

 natives. The islands are upon the opposite side of the world from Eng- 

 land, for the meridian of 180° passes through the centre of the group 

 crossing the island of Taviuni. The islands lie from 15° 30' to 19° 30' 

 south of the equator, and are thus south of the region of perpetual trade 

 winds, but still well within the tropics, the center of the group being 

 about 1,000 miles due north from New Zealand. 



That dauntless old rover, Abel Jansen Tasman, discovered them in 

 1643 on his way from Tonga in the Heemskir'k and ZeeJiaan and named 

 them "Prince William's Islands" and " Heemskirk's Shoals." After 

 this, they were all but forgotten until July 2, 1774, when Captain James 

 Cook sighted the small island of Vatoa in the extreme southeastern end 

 of the group. The natives fled into the forest upon the approach of 

 his boat, and he contented himself by leaving a knife, some medals and 

 nails in a conspicuous place. Finding many sea-turtles in the region, 

 he named his land- fall "Turtle Island," and then departed from the 

 Fijis never to return. 



In May, 1789, Captain Bligh sailed through the group in the small 

 open boat in which he made the voyage of 3,600 miles from Tonga to 

 Timor, this feat being celebrated in Byrons's poem " The Island." He was 

 pursued by two canoes from Wa3'a Island, and dared not land nor hold any 

 communication with the natives. Later in 1792, Bligh again sailed among 

 the F'ijis, this time while in command of the msin-oi-waT Providence, and 

 in 1796 Captain Wilson cruised among the islands upon his missionary 

 voyage in the Duff. Thus gradually the group became known to Euro- 

 peans; but remained uncharted until 1840, when the United States Ex- 

 ploring Expedition, under Wilkes, made a survey of the region. Indeed, 



VOL. Lxxx\^.— 36. 



