486 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
as 121,180. Of these 105,800 were natives, 7468 
Indian coolies, 2267 “ Polynesians,” 2036 Europeans, 
and 2219 natives of Rotuma. 
Various lines of steamers connect Fiji with the other 
British Australasian colonies, running to the ports of 
Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and other places. Inter- 
insular communication is carried on by small steamers 
and numerous sailing craft. Carriage-roads are few, but 
bridle-roads intersect the islands in every direction. In 
addition to the Government gazettes, two newspapers are 
published, one at Suva and one at Levuka. There are 
numerous hotels and banks, a Literary Institute, a 
Planters 5 Association, jails, hospitals, and a lunatic 
asylum. The police consists of an armed native con¬ 
stabulary. A Botanic Experimental Garden has been 
established for the introduction of species likely to prove 
of value, and the general furtherance of economic botany. 
The number of live stock in the colony at the beginning 
of 1892 was about 10,000 horned cattle, 6000 sheep, 
and 1000 horses. 
Botuma, a small island of volcanic origin lying about 
300 miles north of the Fiji group, was annexed by the 
British at the expressed desire of its chiefs in 1880. It 
is about 8 miles long by 2 wide, and is rather thickly 
populated by friendly natives of mixed sub - Papuan 
stock, who are said to number about 2500. About the 
same number have settled in Piji. All are Christians, 
having many years ago been converted either by the 
Tongan Wesleyans or the Roman Catholics. The island 
is described as being suitable for the cultivation of sugar 
and cotton, but there are at present no planters, and the 
natives are a race of sailors rather than agriculturists. 
