July i, 1886.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



S3 



To the Editor of the *' Ceylon Observer." 



AN EX-CEYLON PLANTEB'S EXPEEIENCE 



OF A HURBICANE IN FIJI. 



Taviuni, 3rd April 188(;. 

 Dear Siii,— On the night of the 3rd March last 

 the most severe hurricane that has been experienced 

 in Fiji for many years past, swept over Taviuni and 

 other islands in the group, doing an enormous amount 

 of damage to property, and the following account 

 from one who went through it, and still survives, 

 may prove of some interest to your readers, es- 

 pecially to those whose inclinations may prompt 

 them to come and settle in Fiji. My only desire 

 is to quit it. In 1881 it was my fortune, or mis- 

 fortune, to pass through what I thought in my in- 

 nocence tc be a regular proper hurricane, but that 

 was only a gentle zephyr compared with the one 

 of last month. To resume. I was on a visit to 

 my brother at the time, who has charge of the 

 wellknown Alpha tea estate, and was getting quite 

 an fait with rolling, withering, firing, etc., 

 and in fact with everything appertaining to tea 

 cuUivation. 



I beg to state, en parenthesis, that the above is 

 not an advertisement, but if there is any tea estate 

 proprietor in your part of the world who wants a 

 manager who can show him an infallible method 

 whereby he can reduce the cost of production to 

 nothing per lb., he can apply to the undersigned. 



I can fancy Mr. Editor, your exclaiming " How 

 this fellow does blow, why does not he tells us about 

 the hurricane ? " Well ! on the 2nd March, it com- 

 menced to blow hard from S.-E. and continued in 

 this direction all day, the wind gradually increas- 

 ing in violence, until on the morning of the 3rd, 

 it was blowing half a gale. It increased all that 

 day, and at about 2 p. m. my brother informed 

 me that we were in for a regular hurricane. I 

 felt quite cheered at the prospect at G p.m. The 

 labour houses, hospital, etc., were all level with 

 the ground, and most of the unfortunate coolies 

 took refuge in the upper floor of the tea house 

 (which was formerly the pulping house when the 

 estate was in coffee), they could not get into the 

 store which was a high double-storied building, 

 as my brother had all the doors and windows 

 battened up early in the afternoon, a vain pre- 

 caution as events turned out. Our dwelling-house, 

 the walls of which were wattle and daub, lined over, 

 stood it out well until 11-30 p. m. when the first 

 sheet of iron was torn from the roof. The wind 

 all this time was blowing with freat fury from 

 S.-S.-E. and S.-E. accompanied by rain. We 

 managed to keep the doors on this side of the house 

 secured, by means of tables, chairs etc., and it took 

 us all our strength to keep same in position. 

 We heard a crash about this time which proceeded 

 frem the pantry in the verandah. The walls had 

 given way and the plates, lamps, etc. were having a 

 lively time of it. At about 1-30 a. m. on the 

 morning of the 4th, there was a lull for about one 

 hour. It got quite calm, and I really thought the 

 worst was over. About this time a good many of 

 the labourers who had taken refuge in the Tea 

 house, came and informed us that that house had 

 been blown over, but fortunately for them it fell 

 against the Store whidh supported it, and they 

 were enabled to make their escape, with the ex- 

 ception of one man who was killed by a beam 

 falling on him and several others were seriously 

 injured. After this short spell, the wind veered 

 round suddenly to N.-W. and reooinmeuced to 



blow with terrific violence. We saw that the 

 house would not protect us much longer for the 

 sheets of iron were being ripped off one after 

 the other, and the walls looked as if they were- 

 going to fall in every moment. It was really hardi 

 lines having to leave the house, and I sincerely 

 wished at that moment that we were both in a com- 

 fortable bungalow not 100 miles from Gampola 

 town, but there was no help for it, so taking up a 

 blanket we vacated the premises. I had no sooner 

 got outside than oil went my hat, and I thought my 

 scalp had gone too, liul on passing my hand over 

 my cranium, I' found that the few locks of hair 

 which nature has left me, were still there. We 

 managed to stick togetlier although with great 

 diificulty, and after groping our way a short distance 

 from the house, wc plumped down on the ground, 

 and drawing the blanket over our heads, we waited 

 as patiently as we could for daylight. How bitterly 

 cold it was to be sure, the covering we had was but 

 a poor protection to^ the furious blasts of wind 

 which assailed us. * I felt sorry for the poor 

 labourers ; there were over 100 on the estate and they 

 must have felt the exposure terribly. The principal 

 source of uneasiness to me was the reckless 

 way in which the sheets of iron were flying 

 about. I must confess I did n't half like it, not 

 that I was afraid, but I would gladly have ex- 

 changed places with anyone for a short while. 

 We were too near the house to please me. I 

 should have liked to be about .5,000 miles away. 

 Had one of those sheets of iron which were 8 ft. 

 long X 2i feet wide caught edgeways, it would in 

 all probability have put an end to our career, and 

 this valuable article would have never been 

 written. Many of them were found over 200 yards 

 from the house. At one time, while we were 

 crouching together, I heard a curious clattering 

 sort of a noise which I made sure was caused by a 

 piece of iron coming our way, but which really 

 proceeded from my brother's teeth which were 

 chattering at a fearful rate, only caused by the 

 cold I have to state. I thought daybreak would 

 never come, but it made its appearance at last, and 

 then what a scene of ruin and desolation met 

 tne eye ! The walls of the house were still standing 

 wonderful to relate, but they collapsed at about 

 8 o'clock smashing up all the furniture, and in fact 

 everything we possessed ; the work of destruction was 

 complete, I can tell you. 



We started down the hill that leads from the 

 house to the store when a gust of wind got hold of 

 me, and away I went at a fine pace. I am sure 

 I must have covered 100 yards in not more than 

 8 or 9 seconds. We found the store and tea-house 

 one mass of ruins, and we had to dig one poor 

 cooly out who had sustained a severe injury to hifl 

 spine. What a fearful night the poor wretch muat 

 have passed '. The man that had been killed was 

 only found the next day, he was badly crushed. 

 It is to be hoped he did not suffer much. Most 

 fortunately the machinery was not damaged to any 

 serious extent. The chimney belonging to the 

 Davidson's Sirocco my brother was using was 

 smashed up and the upper part of the Sirocco 

 containing the withering trays was dragged off the 

 lower, or furnace portion, and one of tlie trays 

 broken, but that damage is easily repaired. The 

 Kinmond's roller escaped. Alpha estate belongs, 

 as 1 think you know, to Mr. James E. Mason, who 

 is at present in London reiwesenting Fiji at the 

 Exhibition there. That gentleman has been most 

 unlucky with his property. When I visited Alpha 

 in 1881, it was one sheet of most magnificent- 

 looking coffee. Leaf-disease soon after made its 

 appearance, and the coffee had to be all pulled up, 

 as the trees would not give any crop. Tea was 



