Figure-heads in the British navy. 1. Marlborough, old three-decker wooden sailing ship now in Portsmouth harbour. 

 2. Minotaur, ironclad cruiser built in 1863. 3. Duke of Wellington, built in 1852. 4. Warrior, the first ironclad, launched 

 in 1860. 5. Iris, steam and sail ironclad built in 1877. 6. Figure-head intended for Royal Frederick, 1841 



Photos I, 2 and 5. S. Symonds & Co., Portsmouth; 3, 4 and 6, C'ribb, Southtea 



the knotted figwort, is used by 

 farmers to make a decoction for 

 the cure of scab in swine. 



Fiji OR Vm ISLANDS. Crown 

 colony of the British Empire. It 

 consists of a group of nearly 250 

 islands and islets 

 in the S. Pacific 

 Ocean, lying be- 

 tween lat. 15 and 

 20 S., and long. 

 175 E. and 178 

 W. The total land 

 area, including 



,-, Rotumah, is 



Fiji Islands arms 7>Q83 sq m 



About 80 of the islands are inha- 

 bited, but only three are of large 

 size, viz. Viti Levu (area 4,053 sq. 

 m.), Vanua Levu (2,130 sq. m.), 

 and Taviuni (217 sq. m.) ; the 

 chief of the smaller islands are 

 Ovalau, Kandavu, Ngau, Koro, 

 and Rotumah. The remainder are 

 islets and atolls, bounded by reefs. 



The islands are of volcanic 

 origin, but beyond a few thermal 

 springs there are no signs of recent 

 activity. The larger islands are 

 mountainous, rising to 4,000 ft. 

 and 5,000 ft., densely forested in 

 parts, and abounding in valuable 

 woods, but the sandalwood for 

 which the Fijis were formerly noted 

 is almost exhausted. There are 

 many good harbours 'and a few 

 navigable rivers. The climate is 

 healthy and agreeable, the rainfall 

 plentiful ; the mean temperature 

 is about 70 Fahr., and malaria ia 

 rare. The islands are subject to 



hurricanes between Dec. and April. 

 The soil is extremely fertile, the 

 chief products being coconuts, 

 sugar, cacao, yams, bananas, maize, 

 rice, tobacco, rubber, and turmeric. 

 Horses, cattle, sheep, and goats are 

 reared in large numbers. The 



Canada, Tonga, arid Samoa. The 

 exports amounted to 2,896,448 

 and the imports to 1,673,121 in 

 1920, more than three-quarters of 

 the trade being done with British 

 possessions. The capital is Suva 

 on the S. coast of Viti Levu, and 

 there are wireless telegraphy sta- 

 tions at Suva, Taviuni, Labasa, 

 and Savusavu. There are two 

 grammar schools at Suva and one 

 at Levukaon Ovalau, under govern- 

 ment control. The religions are 

 mainly divided between the Protes- 

 tant and Roman Catholic faiths. 

 Money, weights, and measures are 

 the same as in Great Britain. 



natives are ^f Malayan-Polynesian 

 stock. 



The chief exports include sugar, 

 copra, molasses, cotton, rubber, 

 green fruit, and sici shell. Steamer 

 communication is maintained with 

 Australia, New Zealand, Honolulu, 



Fiji. Native man of Malayan-Poly- 

 nesian origin. Left, Fijian girl ' 



