466 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



except perhaps those of Aiieitium. Many missionaries, 

 both Catholic and Protestant, have worked in the islands. 

 There is in all a great dearth of water, and the juice of 

 the coco-nuts forms the usual drink of the inhabitants. 

 Uvea or Ilea, the northern island, is the smallest but 

 most fertile of the group. Lifu, occupying the central 

 position, is the largest, and is about 35 miles long by 15 

 wide. Its town, Chepenehe, is the capital of the Loyalty 

 group and the residence of the French Administrateur. 

 It has a population of about 8000 natives, who are in- 

 dustrious and harmless. The majority of the men wear 

 no dress of any kind. On Mai'e most of the people are 

 Christians ; they build good houses, work, trade, and save 

 money. 



In the northern part of Uea there is a regular colony 

 of Polynesians, who are said to have come only two or 

 three generations back from an island of the same name 

 west of Samoa. A similar migration of the dark race 

 seems to have occurred from Mare to Maer or Murray 

 Island in Torres Straits, the name also having been 

 transferred. The resemblance of the people of this latter 

 island to the natives of the Loyalty group was noticed 

 by Jukes. 



