484 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



of the total imports was over £253,000, and of the 

 exports over £727,000, an increase on the preceding year 

 of 22 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. The trade 

 is almost entirely confined to the colonies of New South 

 Wales, Victoria, and New Zealand. 



8. Grovernment, Revenue, etc. 



The Fiji Islands form a Crown colony administered 

 by a Governor and an Executive Council of three official 

 members. The laws are regulated by a Legislative 

 Council of twelve members, six of whom are heads of 

 departments and six unofficial, nominated by the Gover- 

 nor and appointed for life. The native village and 

 district councils are recognised, and the archipelago is 

 for purposes of native administration divided into twelve 

 provinces, ruled by the same number of salaried native 

 chiefs under the Governor's supervision — an imitation of 

 the Dutch system which has been found to work fairly 

 well. The head of a Matanitu or province is termed a 

 Boko, and has under him the various Bulis or chiefs of 

 the galis. While the smaller officials have more frequent 

 meetings, the Bulls hold a quarterly court, and the 

 Bokos, who are alone responsible to the Governor, meet 

 the latter in annual conclave for the discussion of native 

 affairs. The code in force, although the Acts of the 

 New South Wales Parliament were primarily adopted as 

 the laws of the colony, is arranged to meet the special 

 exigencies of the country, and has been in many ways 

 simplified. It is asserted, indeed, by those qualified to 

 judge, that the legislation of Fiji might afford a model to 

 many older and richer countries. 



The colony was started in 1874 by an Imperial grant- 

 in-aid of £115,000, and the Public Debt further com- 



