30 



underlying rock, which is but a short distance below 

 the surface, resembles marl. 



From Suva I made several excursions into the sur- 

 rounding country. Most of the land in the vicinity 

 belongs to settlers. In some parts cotton had been 

 grown, in others sugar cane, hut both these have been 

 abandoned for grazing herds of cattle. At Suva I 

 discovered the insect, a small moth, which in its 

 caterpillar stage of development eats the leaves 

 of the cocoa-nut trees. One of my journeys was 

 to the upper Rewa, via the native village of Kaluba, 

 returning by the sources of the Tamavua river. 

 S veral others were made, both by land and sea 

 to ua Vesi saw-mills, where I obtained much in- 

 formation r< -peeling Fijian timber from the intelligent 

 proprietor. On the way to Rewa the country is 

 densely covered with reeds and scrub, which are 

 periodically devastated by fires. The land appeared 

 to have been cultivated by the natives. In many 

 places it is very fertile. A young but promising 

 coffee plantation was shown me, in which the plants 

 Looked healthy and thriving. On the banks of 

 the Wai Mann, an affluent of the Eewa, there is an 

 extensive area of excellent cane land. The greater 

 part of it belongs to settlers, some of whom have 

 fields of fine healthy looking sugar cane, and others 

 have herds of well-fed cattle. The land which lies 

 between the two livers i.s also very good. This had 

 been previously cultivated by the Fijians; but it is 

 now covered with a thickyoung forest. Forests of this 

 kind, which Bpring up where land has been once culti- 

 vated, are uumeroua in Fiji. These, together with the 

 many abandoned dalo or taro patches, lead to the 



