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. Government, 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 Bulis 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 k started in 18 7 4 by an Imperial grant- 
in-aid of £115,000, and the Public Debt further com- 
