A VERY SUGGESTIVE CHAPTER. 153 



of 50 tons capacity) and fifty more building ; also a floating 

 dock for overhauling the river craft, capable of docking a 

 vessel 140 feet long. One distillery is worked in connection 

 with the mills ; this is capable of producing about 5000 

 gallons of spirit a week, but has not of late been worked to its 

 full capacity. Very little of the rum made is sold in the colony, 

 as it is needed for supplying export orders. All the mills are 

 worked on the central factory system ; that is, the canes are 

 grown by farmers in the neighbourhood and purchased by the 

 Company at a fixed rate per ton for a term of years. 



In Fiji there is a large extent of land which, from a variety 

 of causes, is better adapted for growing coffee than any other 

 tropical product. The greater portion of this land lies in the 

 interior of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taviuni, some portions of 

 Rabi, Ovalau, etc. These islands contain large areas of incom- 

 parably fine coffee land, and enjoy a climate Avhich is at once 

 healthy and well adapted for the growth of the coffee-tree 

 plant, or bush. Next to cane-growing, that of coffee will in 

 future years claim the largest share of attention. Coffee will 

 be second to nothing except sugar, in value ; its export value 

 should ultimately reach to about a million and a half or to two 

 millions sterling. The plants of coffee seen in the interior of 

 Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Taviuni were remarkably healthy- 

 looking. On several estates the last coffee crops were estimated 

 at 8 cwt. per acre. 



The Government has sent large supplies of coffee seed into 

 the interior of Viti Levu to form coffee gardens for the natives. 

 Coffee has been tried during the last ten or eleven years in 

 several islands of the group ; hoAvever, it is only within the 

 last tAvo or three years that much attention has been given to 

 its culture. Several plantations have been formed, and land 

 for others is noAv being cleared. It Avould be a AA'ise precaution 



