24 THE CORAL LANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



of his able coadjutor, Mr. Thurston (the present Colonial Sec- 

 retary), the Government was unpopular with the whites, who 

 did their best to destroy it. The lives and property of British, 

 German, and American subjects were at stake, armed mobs of 

 whites paraded Levuka beach, there was no security existing, 

 and Fiji was getting to be a by-word and a scandal. After a 

 great deal of time had been spent in negotiation, the uncon- 

 ditional surrender of the sovereignty of the islands was ac- 

 cepted by Her Majesty, and, on the 30th of September, 1874, 

 they were formally ceded to England. In my opinion, a very 

 few years will show that one of the most valuable cessions ever 

 made to this country was effected on that day. 



Sir Hercules G. E. Robinson, G.C.M.G., the Governor of 

 New South Wales, proclaimed Her Majesty as sovereign, and, 

 returning to his duty at Sydney, left Mr. E. L. Layard, C.M.G., 

 to be Administrator of the group, pending the arrival of the 

 late Governor, Sir Arthur H. Gordon, G.C.M.G. 



On the 12th of January, 1875, H.M.S. Dido arrived at 

 Levuka from Sydney, having on board ex-King Cacobau, and 

 his two sons Eokos (or Princes) Timothy and Joseph, who 

 were suffering from measles. It seems from the official de- 

 spatches that the medical officer of the Dido thought they had 

 been for some days quite well, and no caution was given to 

 Mr. Layard or the Colonial Secretary that there was any fear 

 of infection. The consequence was that before the young men 

 landed numerous shore-boats and canoes had come out with 

 both Europeans and natives, who were allowed free access to 

 the ship. The two young Fijians of blood-royal went shortly 

 afterwards ashore in their own boat, and the luckless Dido 

 embarked 100 Polynesians to return to their own homes. 

 Mr. Layard was only too true a prophet when he said : ' If the 

 seeds of the disease are carried by them to the Polynesian 



