THE FIJI ISLANDS. 67 



the arrival of % the mail from San Francisco at Sydney, 

 a fine steamer of 1,000 to 1,500 tons leaves for Levuka, 

 the voyage occupying seven or eight days. The 

 steamer remains at Levuka nearly a week, and leaves 

 with the mails for England in time for them to be 

 transhipped to one of the Peninsular and Oriental 

 steamers at Sydney. From Melbourne there is direct 

 steam communication with Suva and Levuka once 

 every five weeks. There is also regular steam com- 

 munication between Levuka and Auckland (New 

 Zealand) and between Levuka and the Friendly Islands. 

 A visit to the Fiji Islands during the cool season 

 would be pleasant for any one who enjoys change of 

 scene ; but it is clear from Mr. Home's book that the 

 naturalist (especially the botanist) would find such a 

 visit at once interesting and profitable. 



The natives are hospitable, as also (which is of more 

 importance, perhaps) are the white settlers. The 

 Fijians are daring sailors, and good customers to the 

 boat-builders, who have taken the place of the native 

 canoe-builders. The natives play a number of athletic 

 games, among which may be mentioned throwing the 

 tinilta, or reed, wrestling, and a game which is some- 

 thing like tennis, a little like cricket, and a great deal 

 like skittles. They throw the tinika (an oval-shaped 

 piece of wood about four inches long and two in 

 diameter at the thickest part) a distance of about 

 300 yards, or thrice as far as our best cricketers can 

 throw a cricket -ball. The natives are subject to 

 elephantiasis, and consider their children neither strong 



F 2 



