SITE FOR THE NEW CAPITAL. 69 



gateways, where the Eoman Catholic missionaries and 

 several French reside. True, this place might be in- 

 corporated with Levuka, but it is surrounded by swamps, 

 the drainage of which would be a matter of difficulty to 

 a young community. 



Ga Loa, or Black Dusk Bay, on the southern side 

 of Kadavu, is the next place that recommends itself to 

 consideration. Should a steam communication be esta- 

 blished from Brisbane, Australia, to Central America, 

 and via Fiji, Ga Loa would recommend itself as a fit 

 place for steamers to call at ; and I have advocated its 

 claims both in the ' Athenaeum ' and before the Royal 

 Geographical Society of London, and shall speak of it 

 again when describing our movements at Kadavu. But 

 I do not think it well suited for the capital of Fiji. 

 Kadavu, on which it is situated, is one of the southern- 

 most islands, and separated by a sea of more than 

 sixty miles from Viti Levu, the principal island, and by 

 more than one hundred and fifty miles from the centre 

 of Vanua Levu and Taviuni. Small canoes or open boats 

 could not venture thither except in fair weather, 

 and its isolation would always be against its becoming 

 the true metropolis. 



Port Kinnaird offers great advantages, indepen- 

 dent of its central position. It is a very fine port, per- 

 fectly landlocked ; and if a portion of Moturiki could be 

 devoted to a site for a town, it would speedily rise in 

 importance, for Moturiki is probably the finest little 

 island in the group. The entrance to Port Kinnaird 

 is popularly regarded as difficult and impracticable, 

 but a consultation of Captain Denham's survey proves 



