426 A MISSION TO VITI. 
passes to the south of the great field of the Pacific Islands. The 
distance by this line from Sydney to Panama is 7626 nautical 
miles. The distance from Sydney to Fiji is 1735 miles, and from 
Fiji to Panama 6250, making the distance from Sydney to Pa- 
nama, by way of Fiji, 7985 miles, or 359 miles longer than by the 
direct line. The latter line would be augmented by about 100 
miles by the necessity of having to round the northern extremity 
of New Zealand. There would still remain a difference of 260 
miles in favour of the Auckland route. The route by Fiji, besides 
being the longer, traverses the Pacific Archipelagoes, the navi- 
gation among which is undoubtedly difficult and dangerous, from 
the reefs and shoals in which they abound, and the occurrence 
of hurricanes at certain seasons. [Compare Admiral Washing- 
ton’s more favourable view, as expressed in his official report 
above.—B. S.] 
2ndly. Regarding the supply of cotton. The cotton plant is 
not indigenous in Fiji.* From the concurring evidence of the 
natives in all parts of the group, its first introduction may be 
fixed at twenty-five years ago. As six different varieties are now 
found, it is probable that since its first introduction fresh seeds 
have from time to time been brought by vessels visiting these 
islands. The natives do not cultivate it, and make scarcely any 
use of it. Dr. Seemann brought out with him last year some 
cotton seed, presented by the “‘ Manchester Cotton Supply Asso- 
ciation,” for distribution in Fiji. It was of two kinds, “Sea 
Island,” and “New Orleans.” None of the former kind ger- 
minated, but the New Orleans proved very good. In an experi- 
ment made under Dr. Seemann’s own direction, the seed was 
sown on the 9th of June, and when he visited the plot again on 
the 18th of October, the plants were from four to seven feet high, 
and had some very fine ripe pods upon them. Since Mr. Pritch- 
ard’s return from England at the end of 1859, some of the 
* Most of the newspapers took this fact to bea serious drawback to the 
successful cultivation of cotton, quite forgetting that cotton is not indi- 
genous to the United States and many other countries in which it flou- 
rishes. I made exactly the same statement (‘cotton is not indigenous in 
Fiji”), but added that notwithstanding it had become almost wild in some 
parts, so well is the country adapted for its growth.—B. S. 
