EXCELLENCE OF FIJIAN COTTON. ST 
It is well known, both from public journals and the 
‘Correspondence relating to the Fiji Islands,’ presented by 
command of her Majesty to both Houses of Parliament, 
May, 1862, that from samples submitted by Mr. Pritch- 
ard, the Executive Committee of the Manchester Cotton 
Supply Association resolved, “That these samples are of 
qualities most desirable for British manufacture; that 
such a range of excellent cotton is scarcely now received 
from any cotton-growing country; and that the supply 
obtained from the United States does not realize nearly 
so high an average value as this Fijian cotton.” It 
must be borne in mind, that these and similar opinions 
were arrived at in 1859, long before my visit to the is- 
lands and the publication of the favourable report I 
made.* Doubtless the same Committee would now be 
prepared to pronounce a still higher opinion, if that were 
possible. The Fijian samples sent to the Great Exhibi- 
tion of 1862 would furnish capital material for renewed 
examination, and amongst them would be found some 
of Sea Island cotton, the sort which, having the largest 
staple and fetching the highest price, was hitherto ex- 
clusively grown in perfection on the coast of South 
Carolina, Georgia, and a small part of Florida. Fiji 
has now supplied every sort of cotton, from the cheapest 
to the very best, and capitalists would do well in direct- 
ing their attention to it. 
* My report was sent by the Colonial Office to Manchester, and first 
published in No. 71 of the ‘Cotton Supply Reporter,’ of August 1st, 1861. 
