MORE HINTS FOR CAPITALISTS, 167 



camphor-wood boxes to prevent the very hungry incursions of 

 the latter. Patent medicines are somewhat dear in Fiji, and 

 planters are often separated from medical men by considerable 

 distances. A few simple remedies, easily understood and 

 . easily prepared, are very useful to have ; but I never heard of 

 any serious cases of illness among the planters. There were 

 a few attacks of mild dysentery, brought on mainly by ill- 

 considered devotion to 'Three Star' brandy ; or 'biliousness,' 

 produced from much the same cause. For the latter we used 

 Eno's Fruit Salt, which is a valuable medicine for the tropics. 

 The favourite remedy of Dr. Macgregor, of Levuka, was, 

 when you could get them, to suck half a dozen oranges before 

 breakfast ; and with most people this acts as a charm. Water- 

 cress is to be had in various parts of the group ; as everyone 

 knows, it has a reputation for purifying the blood, and this is 

 a useful hint to new arrivals, who will more or less be subject 

 to attacks of those troublesome pests, the mosquitoes. As 

 I have said, if the marks which these gentry leave are 

 scratched or irritated, very nasty sores supervene ; but these 

 are easily curable by attention constant application of cold 

 water, with a simple ointment easily made up by either of the 

 Levuka chemists. It is needless to remark that the very 

 necessary tub in England is a sine qud non in tropical Fiji, 

 and many of the settlers bathe twice or even thrice a da}'. 

 Nearly all the estates are bountifully blessed with that glorious- 

 luxury in a hot climate cool, clear-running, fresh water. No- 

 body bathes in the sea. 



A few more practical hints may not be out of place, and 

 these are intended mainly for those who may be induced to 

 try Dame Fortune's favour where, in my opinion, she smiles 

 most encouragingly on those possessing, as I have said, 'brains 

 and monev.' 



