190 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.' 



especially abound. Before the civil war broke out in the 

 United States, Fiji was a favourite station for American 

 whalers, as many as nine calling here in one season. 



As yet no other minerals than some specimens of mala- 

 chite and graphite, both of fine quality, have been found. 



The articles most in demand in the Fiji trade are the 

 following : cotton prints (those known as navy blues being 

 preferred to all others), blue dungaree, turkey reds, un- 

 bleached calicoes, blue and red blankets, red serge shirts, 

 red worsted, cotton thread, wedge axes, bench axes, 

 hatchets, twelve and fifteen inches butchers' knives, razors, 

 scissors, muskets, flints, powder, lead, fishhooks, needles, 

 vermilion, beads, small white Venetian. 



At the time just alhided to, when there was a chance of 

 these islands being recognised as a British possession, the 

 horde of immigrants attracted by it having no requisites 

 for success returned penniless. Their misfortune procured 

 for Fiji an evil reputation, from which it is now freeing 

 itself Nevertheless there are few countries where one 

 can live with less personal exertion than in Fiji, which 

 recommendation caused it to be selected by the number 

 of nmaway seamen who composed the European population 

 about eiglit years before. The natives growing impatient 

 of their incessant demands forced them at length to 

 labour for their own support, and at present few of this 

 class are to be found in the group. Tlie present settlers do 

 not lack eitlier industry or enterprise. The rapid progress 

 that cotton cultivation has made in these islands during the 



