I have discharged the ketch Pegasus which brought me from New Zealand, and which I have hitherto employed, as there is no part of the group that I may have occasion yet to visit which I cannot readily reach in one of the small island schooners. I am desirous to complete my report as far as possible before leaving the group, but as its preparation will probably occupy several weeks, I will now state that the conclusion I have arrived at, as the result of my inquiries so far, is, that it would not be expedient for Her Majesty's Government to accept the offer made to cede to Her Majesty the sovereignty of the Fiji islands. The state of the islands is, however, such that it would not be right, in my opinion, to leave matters as they now are, and some alterations should be introduced in the powers and the establishment of the British Consul, as I shall explain at length in my Report. Sir F. Rogers, Bart. I have, &c. J. W. SMYTHE. No. 14.-Colonel Smythe to the Duke of Newcastle.-(Rec. Aug. 17.) HAVING, in obedience to your Grace's commands, left England by the Australian mail packet of January of last year, I reached Sydney on the 14th of March following. I immediately applied for a passage to the Fiji islands to the Naval Commanding Officer. Ile stated in reply that the threatening posture of affairs in New Zealand rendered it desirable to await further information from that colony before detaching a vessel of the squadron. Shortly after news reached Sydney of a collision having taken place between the Maories and Her Majesty's troops; and the whole of the naval force was in consequence ordered to assemble at New Zealand. As it was uncertain how long or to what extent the presence of the squadron might be required there, at the sugges tion of the Commodore, I proceeded from Sydney to Auckland, so as to be in readiness to embark for my final destination at the earliest moment. It was soon evident that the operations against the natives would be of a protracted nature, so, on being informed by the Com modore that he saw no prospect of being able to place a vessel at my disposal, I advertised for tenders for the charter of a small vessel to take me to the Fiji islands, and to be employed there for a limited time if required. I finally engaged for this service the ketch Pegasus, in which I left Auckland on the 13th of June, and reached Levuka, the principal port of the Fiji group, on the 5th of July. After a short stay at Levuka to refit and to await the arrival of Mr. Pritchard, the British Consul, and Dr. Seemann, the botanist, who had gone on an excursion to a distant part of the group, I started, accompanied by them, to visit in succession the principal Chiefs and to examine the country. At the residence of each principal Chief I held a public meeting, in general in the open air. Previous notice having been given of these meetings, they were usually largely attended. At them I explained the nature of my commission, and made inquiries regarding the cession, the existence of cotton, the sale of land to whites, the extent of the territories of the tribe, &c., inviting questions in return, and pressing on the Chiefs and people the advantages of peace and industry, and especially the cultivation of cotton. The satisfactory reception which I everywhere met with, I attribute, in a great measure, to the favourable impression of England and its government made upon the minds of the natives by the conduct of the missionaries. From them I received most ready and efficient assistance in the prosecution of my inquiry; they acted as my interpreters at those places where they resided, and their chairman, the Rev. Joseph Waterhouse, accompanied me round the coasts of the two large islands, Viti-levu and Vanua-levu. The accompanying chart of the Fiji group, upon which I have marked my track, will show the route which I pursued. Dr. Seemann, fearful of missing an opportunity of returning to Sydney by a vessel expected to call at Levuka on her way through the group, left me at Namusi, and Mr. Pritchard turned back at the next station, Nandronga. Having completed the examination of middle and western Fiji, I returned to Levuka on the 22nd of September, and a few days after sailed for the windward islands of the group, from which I got back to Levuka on the 26th of October. Perceiving that I should be detained some time in the preparation of my report, and having ascertained I could reach any part of the group yet unvisited by me in one of the small island schooners, I here discharged the Pegasus, trusting to some opportunity of getting away from the islands on the completion of my inquiry. In several important points I have found the information furnished by Mr. Pritchard to Her Majesty's Government and embodied in my instructions incorrect. Thakombau (the Vunivalu of Bau) has no claim to the title of King of Fiji. There is, in fact, no such title. He is only one, although probably the most influential, of the numerous independent Chiefs of Fiji, and has consequently no power to cede the sovereignty of the entire group to Her Majesty. He is of an ambitious disposition, and his object seems to be, through the assistance of England, to become the ruler of Fiji, and to be protected at the same time from France and the United States of America, of both which Powers he has great apprehensions. He is most desirous to get quit of the claims of the Government of the latter country, for which The United States' officers, for their own convenience, have made him responsible, although the amount of the claims has been apportioned by them among several tribes. He could not convey to Her Majesty 200,000 acres of land as consideration for the payment of these claims for him, as he does not possess them, nor does he acknowledge to have offered more than his consent that lands to this extent might be acquired by Her Majesty's Government for public purposes in Fiji. Although, in offering to cede the sovereignty of the islands, Thakombau offered what was not his to bestow, the cession may be considered valid as being acquiesced in by the other Chiefs. The claim of the sum of 45,000 dollars made on the Chiefs of a part of Fiji by the Government of the United States of America rests upon an award of Commander Boutwell of The United States' navy, in 1755. This officer, then in command of The United States' ship John Adams, was directed by his Government to inquire into certain complaints of loss and damage said to have been inflicted by the natives on citizens of The United States. His original award was 30,000 dollars, which he afterwards increased to 45,000 dollars, on account, he said, of the interference of the English missionaries. In his decisions, he appears to have been entirely influenced by the representations of The United States' Consul, J. B. Williams (since deceased), who was himself the largest claimant; and whose claim, originally 5,000 dollars, was finally set down at 18,331 dollars. The native Chiefs have always protested against the justice of Commander Boutwell's award. They have as yet only paid a very few dollars of it. The so-called interference of the English missionaries was simply an attempt by them to obtain a fair investigation, and in no way to screen the guilty parties. For further details on the subject of these claims I beg leave to refer to the printed extracts from the "Sydney Morning Herald," and to the pamphlet by the American Captain, T. C. Dunn, enclosed. Captain Dunn is a person of much intelligence and integrity, and intimately acquainted with Fiji. From all I can learn, one-third of the sum demanded by The United States' Government would be amply sufficient both as com pensation for the loss of property and as a fine. With these preliminary statements I lay before your Grace my report on the subjects embraced by the inquiry which your Grace did me the honour to intrust to me. I have, &c. The Duke of Newcastle. J. W. SMYTHE. SIR, No. 15.-Sir Frederic Rogers to Mr. Hammond. Downing Street, September 7, 1861. I AM directed by the Duke of Newcastle to transmit to you, to be laid before Earl Russell, the copy of a letter from Colonel Smythe, together with his report on the expediency of accepting, on the part of Her Majesty's Government, an offer which has been made to cede to Her Majesty the sovereignty over the Fiji Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The statements made by Colonel Smythe, in his clear and interesting report, together with other considerations suggested by the native war in which this country is now menaced in New Zealand appears to his Grace to establish conclusively the impolicy of appropriating these islands. His Grace is of opinion that any civilized Power who may make itself responsible for the government of the Fiji Islands must also be willing to incur a large and immediate expenditure, with the possibility before long of finding itself involved in native wars, and possibly, disputes with other civilized countries. It would also appear very uncertain whether the welfare of the natives would not be better consulted by leaving their civilization to be effected by causes which are already in operation. I have, &c. E. Hammond, Esq. FREDERIC ROGERS. SIR, No. 16.-Mr. Hammond to Sir F. Rogers. Foreign Office, September 19, 1861. I HAVE laid before Earl Russell your letter of the 7th instant, inclosing Colonel Smythe's report on the Fiji Islands, and I am directed by his Lordship to request that you will inform the Duke of Newcastle that Lord Russell concurs with his Grace in opinion that it will not be expedient to accept the sovereignty of those islands. I am, &c. Sir F. Rogers, Bart. E. HAMMOND. CORRESPONDENCE relating to the Political and Commercial Relations between Great Britain and Madagascar.*—1861, 1862. No. 1.-Governor Stevenson to the Duke of Newcastle.-(Rec. Nov. 11.) I HAVE the honour to transmit a letter to the Queen, which has been addressed to Her Majesty, and sent to my care by King Radama, of Madagascar, long known to the English, and to this island, as the liberal and Christian Prince "Rakota Radama,” announcing the death of the late Queen Ranavalo, and his accession to the throne under the title of Radama II. A similar communication has been made to myself, and I proceed to report to your Grace the course which I have thought it right to adopt for acknowledging in a somewhat unusual, but in the most politic and complimentary manner I could adopt, the courtesy of the King in making this communication, and the satisfaction that has been felt in this island, at the liberal commercial policy which accompanied his first acts of power-a policy which your Grace is well aware is of great importance to this island as well as to the neighbouring colony of Bourbon, and a probable forerunner of a new and hopeful destiny for Madagascar. When the intelligence of the death of Queen Ranavalo first reached this island, which it did indirectly through the island of Bourbon, there were circulated various rumours with regard to the future affairs and Government of Madagascar. It was said that Prince Radama had written to invite a protectorate of France or of England, or of both; that there would be a protectorate, whether he had invited one or not; that private persons had gone to Madagascar, accompanied by priests and Jesuits, upon various enterprises; that large grants of land had been made or offered to private persons; and that companies were to be formed for agricultural, mining, and other purposes; and various rumours of a political character were also received here through the same channel, and freely circulated as well founded reports, or as conjectures founded upon reliable bases. It was also said that the rival of Prince Radama to the throne was a nephew of the late Queen's, Prince Rambousalam, who aspired to the accession of the whole, or at all events of a portion, of the Kingdom. All these reports, although very vague, may probably have had some foundation for their support, and, as there were for some time no direct communications from Madagascar, there was some apprehension here that the events at Madagascar, whatever they might be, would be * Laid before Parliament 1863. |