AMONG THE FIJI ISLANDS. 645 



erably extended. Organized facilities for travel do not exist ; 

 but the traveler's path will be smoothed if he brings introductions 

 to some leading official, or to one of the principal traders or plant- 

 ers. If he wisely cultivates the society alike of the official and of 

 the non-official class, he will realize more profoundly than he ever 

 did -before the great truth that there are two sides to every ques- 

 tion. To this unfortunate antagonism I shall return later. Mean- 

 while I recall, with mingled sensations, a voyage of a fortnight in 

 an open boat along the northern shores of Viti Levu, the principal 

 island of the group, and about eighty by fifty-five miles in extent. 

 The preparations for such a voyage are at all events simple. Of 

 personal luggage the less the better — say a change of raiment and 

 a mosquito-net, or " screen " as they call it in the colonies ; for 

 provisions, besides a tin or two of biscuits, some tea, whisky, and 

 tobacco, you require only an assortment of the useful but most 

 innutritions " ironclad " — i. e,, tinned meats, here in universal use, 

 and curiously in great demand among the natives, probably 

 owing to the little trouble they involve. Hardly a coral strand 

 in Fiji so romantic or remote but it may be found strewed with 

 the empty tins. Judging from their effect on myself, I should 

 cite them as a most potent cause of the decline of the native pop- 

 ulation ! 



We started punctually, Va'ka Viti* — tha.t is to say, having 

 been trysted on board for Saturday at daybreak, we got under 

 way on Monday afternoon. Indeed, only a man of exceptional 

 energy like my conductor could, I was assured, have performed 

 such a feat. Meanwhile the delay had nearly led to our spending 

 a night al fresco on the Rewa River, whose famous mosquitoes 

 would have left little of us to tell the tale. These Fijian rivers 

 are of great size relatively to the extent of the land, and the delta 

 of the Rewa forms the eastern extremity of the island. We had 

 intended, accordingly, entering by its southern mouth, some miles 

 distant from Suva, to ascend the stream some way, and thence 

 down another embouchure to the northern coast. As it was, 

 night overtook us soon after entering the river ; and, although we 

 at last sighted a light which indicated a house, there was much 

 grounding on mud-banks, and retracing of our course, and weary 

 hours of pulling, before we reached the desired point. My host 

 being on an ofiicial tour, and thoroughly acquainted with the 

 people and their language, there was but little difficulty about 

 our reception anywhere — not that any respectable traveler could 

 have much difficulty among these amiable people. Hospitality 

 here, after all, is a simple matter, for native food is plentiful, and 

 there is usually room for everybody, besides that the chief of the 

 village has often more houses than one. 



* Fiji fasbion, according to Fiji notions. ■■' 



