250 A MISSION TO VITI. 



Bua was directed to get up a quarrel at Rakiraki, the 

 north-eastern district of Viti Levu, subject to Bau 

 through Viwa. Everything was thus progressing favour- 

 ably, and a few months more would have brought about 

 the overthrow of Bau, making Maafu virtually master 

 of all Fiji. At this critical moment Mr. Pritchard re- 

 turned from England with intimation that her Britannic 

 Majesty's Government had taken the cession into favour- 

 able consideration. Soon after his arrival, a meeting of 

 Fijian chiefs took place at the British Consulate, in 

 Levuka, with the view of ratifying the cession made by 

 Cakobau, and they availed themselves of the opportunity 

 to appeal to Mr. Pritchard to check Maafu's grasping 

 career. They founded this appeal upon the fact that 

 Fiji was already ceded to the Queen of Great Britain, 

 and that Maafu, as a foreigner, was taking the country 

 from her. After a tedious discussion of five hours, Maafu 

 consented to renounce all political claims on and in Fiji, 

 and the lands conquered, by signing an instrument to 

 that effect, in the presence of all the chiefs assembled, 

 her Britannic Majesty's Consul, and Commander Cam- 

 pion, of her Majesty's ship Elk.* 



"Know all men by these presents, 1. That I, Maafu, a 

 Chief of and in Tonga, do hereby expressly and definitely state, 

 that I am in Fiji by the orders of George, King of Tonga, as 

 his representative, and that I am here solely to manage and 

 control the Tonguese in Fiji. 2. That I have, hold, exercise, 

 and enjoy no position nor claim as a chief of or in Fiji. 3. That 

 all Tonguese claims in or to Fiji are hereby renounced. 4. That 

 no Tonguese in Fiji shall exact or demand anything whatever 



* The English version of this document is here subjoined ; one of the 

 copies of it I brought home is now in the library of the British Museum. 



