THE FIJI ISLANDS 483 



what is officially and incorrectly termed " Polynesian 

 labour " — by which is meant the natives of the New 

 Hebrides and Solomon Islands, and of these there were 

 2500 in the colony in 1892. In the coco-nut and 

 banana plantations they are preferred to coolies, but for 

 work in the sugar-fields the latter are almost exclusively 

 used. There are no Chinese in the islands. 



Fiji has three main exports — sugar, green fruit, and 

 copra. Of these, the first named is by far the most 

 important, over 20,000 tons, valued at £325,525, having 

 been exported in 1891. Eleven sugar mills were at 

 work, and the greatest output is from the Eewa river 

 district. Bananas and pine-apples are sent in great and 

 increasing quantities to Australia, where they find a 

 ready market ; and this industry is the second in import- 

 ance, the value of the export in 1891 reaching £61,000, 

 but a disease affecting the former plant threatens to 

 destroy the plantations. The export of copra was to 

 nearly the same value. Shortly after the British annexa- 

 tion, coffee, cotton, and maize were the chief exports, but 

 the leaf disease ruined the former, and it is no longer 

 grown, while copra and sugar proved more lucrative than 

 the latter. Pea-nuts to the value of £6000 annually 

 leave the islands, and turtle-shell, tobacco, and Mche-de- 

 mer in tolerable quantity. Tea, which promised well, is 

 now little grown. It is to be regretted that the cultiva- 

 tion of rice is not more encouraged among the natives, 

 for its success has been proved, and at present more than 

 £10,000 worth has to be annually imported to supply 

 the needs of the population. In the various islands 

 about 40,000 acres of land are under cultivation by 

 Europeans. Of late years the prospects of the colony 

 have not been very good, but in 1891 a great increase 

 in trade manifested itself. In that vear the value 



