426 A MISSION TO VITI. 



passes to the south of the great field of the Pacific Islands. The 

 distance by this line from Sydney to Panama is 7626 nautical 

 miles. The distance from Sydney to Fiji is 1735 miles, and from 

 Fiji to Panama 6250, making the distance from Sydney to Pa- 

 nama, by way of Fiji, 7985 miles, or 359 miles longer than by the 

 direct line. The latter line would be augmented by about 100 

 miles by the necessity of having to round the northern extremity 

 of New Zealand. There would still remain a difference of 260 

 miles in favour of the Auckland route. The route by Fiji, besides 

 being the longer, traverses the Pacific Archipelagoes, the navi- 

 gation among which is undoubtedly difficult and dangerous, from 

 the reefs and shoals in which they abound, and the occurrence 

 of hurricanes at certain seasons. [Compare Admiral Washing- 

 ton's more favourable view, as expressed in his official report 

 above. B. S.~] 



2ndly. Regarding the supply of cotton. The cotton plant is 

 not indigenous in Fiji.* From the concurring evidence of the 

 natives in all parts of the group, its first introduction may be 

 fixed at twenty-five years ago. As six different varieties are now 

 found, it is probable that since its first introduction fresh seeds 

 have from time to time been brought by vessels visiting these 

 islands. The natives do not cultivate it, and make scarcely any 

 use of it. Dr. Seemann brought out with him last year some 

 cotton seed, presented by the " Manchester Cotton Supply Asso- 

 ciation," for distribution in Fiji. It was of two kinds, " Sea 

 Island," and " New Orleans." None of the former kind ger- 

 minated, but the New Orleans proved very good. In an experi- 

 ment made under Dr. Seemann's own direction, the seed was 

 sown on the 9th of June, and when he visited the plot again on. 

 the 18th of October, the plants were from four to seven feet high, 

 and had some very fine ripe pods upon them. Since Mr. Pritch- 

 ard's return from England at the end of 1859, some of the 



* Most of the newspapers took this fact to be a serious drawback to the 

 successful cultivation of cotton, quite forgetting that cotton is not indi- 

 genous to the United States and many other countries in which it flou- 

 rishes. I made exactly the same statement (" cotton is not indigenous in 

 Fiji"), but added that notwithstanding it had become almost wild in some 

 parts, so well is the country adapted for its growth. B. S. 



