CHAPTER XIII 



THE FIJI ISLANDS 



1. General. 



Fiji, or more correctly Viti, is a British colony con- 

 sisting of a rather compact mass of reefs and islands 

 lying about 1900 miles north-east of Sydney, and 1200 

 miles due north of New Zealand. It is situated between 

 the New Hebrides and Tonga groups, and its centre 

 is crossed by the antipodean meridian and the ISth 

 parallel of south latitude. It is composed of two large 

 islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, several of smaller size, 

 and a large number of insignificant islets whose number 

 has been placed at 250. About 80 are inhabited. The 

 total area of the group amounts to 7421 square miles, so 

 that it is about equal with Wales in size. Viti Levu 

 claims about half of this area, and is thus larger than 

 Corsica. The islands are of volcanic origin, well wooded, 

 and very fertile ; the south-eastern or weather side being 

 the most luxuriant, owing to the heavier rainfall. Here 

 the country is covered with a dense jungle, unbroken 

 except by the clearings necessary for plantations, but on 

 the lee side their aspect is very different, and we find 

 open grassy country, here and there dotted with casuarinas 

 and screw pines. Most of the islands are high and 



