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From causes that will be stated, the districts in 

 which these uuwooded lauds are situated are the driest 

 in Fiji. As seen in the meteorological statement, 

 rams are abundant in these districts at the periods of 

 the year when northerly and westerly wiuds prevail in 

 the group. At other times of the year dense mists 

 and heavy showers are not uncommou on the tops of 

 wooded mountains, and other places at a lower eleva- 

 tiou, where patches of forest still remain. But these 

 showers and fogs seldom descend to the uuwooded and 

 low-lying plains and valleys. As soon as a current of 

 vapour bearing air passes beyond these wooded places, 

 it either becomes rarefied by the heat rising from the 

 uuwooded land, rises to a higher altitude and passes 

 away, or it becomes condensed and warm from part- 

 ing with a large portion of vapour, and passes over 

 the country in arid draughts until checked by a 

 wooded hillside or patch of forest. In passing through 

 the wooded parts of these provinces, I have frequently 

 got a wetting, while the path through the open grassy 

 land lyiug between was dry and dusty. It can 

 scarcely be disputed that the re-wooding of tracts of 

 land in these dry districts will be highly beneficial to 

 agriculture. At present the rains which fall period- 

 ically flow off the land in floods in a few days. This 

 the establishment of forests will check, and the water 

 being entangled among the dense undergrowth, tree 

 roots, &c, of a forest, will be absorbed by the soil, 

 like a sponge, and parted with gradually. Further, 

 in re- wooding the tops of the hills the soil will be 

 k.pt from opening into rents by the drought, and 

 landslips, at present a frequent occurrence in these 

 districts, will be prevented. They take place generally 

 at the commencement of a sudden and heavy rainfall, 



