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fire and cool them suddenly by throwing water on 

 them ; beat them with sticks, or knock them between 

 stones. The Laucl yields an excellent blacking or 

 dye, for the manufacture of which an enterprising 

 gentleman has taken out a patent in Fiji. A ma- 

 chine for shelling the nuts would be of great utility, 

 and saving by labour, would cause the nuts to become 

 of greater value, and a larger export of them would 

 ensue. The offer of a premium by Government for 

 a really useful one would stimulate inventors. 



In most cases the inhabitants of several towns, 

 and even a tribe, will unite in working a plan- 

 tation. This answers well when the site of the 

 plantation is in the vicinity of the co-operating town- 

 ships ; but it is different when the villagers have to 

 travel a number of miles to do their share of the work 

 on the plantation. This causes a waste of time, and 

 frequently takes the inhabitants of distant villages 

 from their homes for weeks at a time. Besides, when 

 the plantation is far away from those who cultivate it, 

 it is not so well cared for as it would be if situated in 

 the vicinity of their dwellings. However, the site of 

 a plantation is generally settled by the people them- 

 selves, or their representatives in the council of the 

 tribe, the Bose vaka Yasana. It would, perhaps, 

 be better for each village to have its own plantations 

 near the village, and under the Turanga ni Koro, or 

 chief of the village. The Fijian generally works in 

 fits and starts, and either overdoes or does not do 

 enough. Constant daily labour is what he does not 

 like. On the other hand, he is not an habitual idler, 

 and he who does not attend to the affairs of his family 

 and those of his tribe, has not much respect shown to 

 him by his fellow townsmen. 



