132 A MISSION TO VITI. 



convey to Her Majesty 200,000 acres of land as con- 

 sideration for the payment of these claims for him, as 

 he does not possess them, nor does he acknowledge to 

 have offered more than his consent that lands to this 

 extent might be acquired by Her Majesty's Government 

 for public purposes in Fiji." Nothing to this effect was 

 broached during the official interview ; on the contrary, 

 the King distinctly said, that " the arrangement respect- 

 ing the cession entered into with Mr. Consul Pritchard 

 is still in full force." Nor was the Consul aware that 

 Colonel Smythe had on any other occasion elicited in- 

 formation from the King that could be thus construed. It 

 was perfectly well understood by all the leading chiefs that 

 each and all would have to make over a certain portion 

 of land, in payment of the debt fastened upon them by 

 the American Government ; and Bau, and King Cako- 

 bau as its representative, would have borne his share to 

 make up the 200,000 acres. The very fact that all the 

 chiefs, without any exception, and even those living in 

 the remotest districts, ratified the deed of cession, proves 

 that King Cakobau was backed by all the influence of 

 his country, and had a perfect right to cede the sove- 

 reignty of the islands.* 



* In order to place this fact beyond dispute, I have printed the names 

 of all those chiefs who ratified the deed of cession, this ratification being 

 a document omitted in the Blue-book on Fiji. Some information as to 

 the real position of Bau in Fiji will be found at pp. 74-80 of the present 

 work. 



