404 



CHAPTER XX. 



HISTORICAL BEMAEKS ON FIJI. DISCOVEEY OF THE ISLANDS. SANDAL- 

 WOOD TEADEES. EAELY WHITE SETTLEES. MISSIONAEIES. FOBEIGN- 



EES AT PEESENT RESIDING IN THE GBOUP. MY DEPAETUEE FEOM FIJI 

 IN THE 'STAGHOUND.' TEEEIFIC STOEM OFF LOED HOWE'S ISLAND. 

 AEEIVAL IN SYDNEY. EETUEN TO ENGLAND. CONCLUSION. 



BEFORE bidding farewell to the islands, I must say a few 

 words about their history as connected with the white 

 race. In the year 1643, Abel Jansen Tasman, when ex- 

 ploring the South Seas, discovered, between longitudes 

 19 50' E. and 180 8' W., a group of islands which he 

 named " Prince William's Island," and which the inhabi- 

 tants collectively term "Viti," and the Tonguese, who can- 

 not pronounce the v, as well as other nations who have 

 not this excuse, erroneously designate as " Fiji," spelt in 

 a variety of ways. Although nearly two centuries have 

 elapsed since the event, this archipelago of more than 

 two hundred islands was only nominally known until 

 visited by D'Urville and Wilkes; Captain Cook, who 

 merely sighted Vatoa or Turtle Island, Captain Bligh, 

 who twice passed through parts of this group, and 

 Captain Wilson, of the ' Duff,' whose vessel was nearly 

 lost on the reef off Taviuni, having scarcely added 

 any save secondhand information to our stock of know- 

 ledge. 



