174 



years old, that will pay the keeping of the plantation 

 in good order. 



Excepting Viti Levu, the cocoa-nnt thrives remark- 

 ably well in all parts of Fiji, and the trees are gene- 

 rally as healthy and fruitful as in the best plantations 

 that I have seen either in Seychelles or Ceylon. In 

 Viti Levu the leaves of the trees are attacked by a 

 caterpillar to such an extent as to injure the health of 

 the tree, and prevent its bearing fruit abundantly. 

 The ravages of these catapillars Avere noticed in some 

 of the other islands, but there they seem to be kept 

 down by birds or insects and prevented from increasing 

 to any injurious extent. The subject ought to be 

 investigated, in order that a remedy may be found and 

 applied ; and if this be done the cocoa-nut tree could 

 be increased a thousand fold in the colony. The Go- 

 vernment and the Fiji Agricultural Association might 

 take up tli is matter together. 



From what has been said it will bo understood that 

 the sugar cane thrives well in Fiji. There are about 

 21 distinct varieties of the cultivated sugar cane 

 indigenous in the group. These are cultivated by 

 the natives for their own use. They eat the cane in 

 its natural state, and also boil the juice until it attains 

 the consistency of molasses, for sweetening puddings, 

 &c. The wild sugar canes found in the group have 

 already been alluded to. 



The manufacture of sugar in the colony has quite 

 recently been commenced, and is yearly growing in 

 importance. Tin' value of the sugar and molasses 

 made and exported during the last three years is as 

 follows : iii 1 876, £10,433 ; in 1877, £1Q,170 ; in 1878, 

 £18,611 . The value of rum made in Fiji and exported 

 during '>7- \\;is ti)25. Since I left the colony seve- 

 ral large mill^ have been put up and it may be anti- 



