from us; procuring for us and for our people a full and absolute acquittance from any further liablities to the said President or Government of the United States of America aforesaid. For and in consideration of which outlay, not less than 200,000 acres of land, if required, shall be made over, transferred, and conveyed, in fee simple, unto Victoria aforesaid, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland aforesaid, the selection of which said land shall be made by the commission hereinbefore named and referred to, to reimburse the immediate outlay required to liquidate the aforesaid claim of the President and Government of the United States of America. And we, the aforesaid Ebenezer Thakombau, by the grace of God, Sovereign Chief of Bau and its dependencies, Vunivalu of the Armies of Fiji, and Tui Viti, &c., do hereby make this cession, transfer, and conveyance of our sovereignty, and of our islands and territories aforesaid, unto the aforesaid Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c., aforesaid, her heirs and successors, for ever; on behalf of ourselves, our heirs, and successors, for ever; on behalf of our Chiefs, their heirs, and successors, for ever; on behalf of our people and subjects, their heirs and successors for ever; hereby renouncing all right, title, and claim unto our sovereignty, islands, and territories aforesaid, in so far as is herein stated. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hand and affixed our seal, this 12th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, 1858. his TUI VITIN ; Signed, sealed, and ratified by the aforesaid Tui Viti, and by him formally delivered, in our presence, unto William Thomas Pritchard, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Consul in and for the aforesaid Fiji the said Tui Viti at the same time affirming and admitting to us personally that he, the said Tui Viti, fully, wholly, perfectly, and explicity understands and comprehends the meaning, the extent, and the purpose of the foregoing document or deed of cession; and I, the undersigned John Smith Fordham, formerly of Sheffield, England, but now temporarily resident at Bau, Fiji aforesaid, do hereby solemnly affirm that I myself fully, wholly, and explicitly translated the said foregoing deed of cession unto the said Tui Viti, in the presence of the aforesaid William Thomas Pritchard, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Consul in and for the said Fiji; Robert Sherson Swanston, Esq., His Hawaiian Majesty's Consul in and for Fiji aforesaid; and John Binner, formerly of Leeds, England, but now resident at Levuka, Island of Ovalau, Fiji, aforesaid. In witness whereof we have, each and all, set our respective names and seals, this 12th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, 1858 aforesaid. SIR, (L.S.) JOHN SMITH FORDHAM, Wesleyan Missionary. No. 2.-Mr. Merivale to the Secretary to the Admiralty. I AM directed by Sir Edward Lytton, to request that you will lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty the enclosed papers relating to the proposed cession by the King of the Fiji Islands of his territories to Great Britain. The proposal has been brought before Sir Edward as one likely to be of material advantage to this country, but previous to coming to any decision on the subject, he is desirous of obtaining the opinion of the Lords Commissioners on some parts of the question which appear to have a naval bearing, and on which the experience of no other Department of State could equally furnish an answer. In the first place, it is essential to know that if we obtain the Fiji Islands, we thereby obtain all the available harbours in that part of the Pacific. Sir Edward Lytton is inclined to believe from the papers which have been submitted to him, and which are herewith inclosed, that there are many other islands not included in the Fiji group which would afford equal facilities as regards harbour and anchorage. In the next place, Sir Edward Lytton requests to be informed whether the natural harbours now existing require much, if any, artificial development for naval purposes; whether such harbours are few or many; whether there are peculiar tides and currents which render entrance into or egress from them dangerous; and whether our possession of them would involve any considerable expense in erecting lights or improving the navigation. Lastly, it is important to know whether the Fiji Islands lie in the most convenient line of passage between Australia and New Zealand and Panama; whether an intermediate station between those points is a naval requirement, and if so, whether, taking winds and tides into account, the Fiji Islands form the most advantageous station. I am, &c. your letter of the 9th instant, and its enclosures, relating to the proposed cession by the King of the Fiji Islands of his territories to Great Britain, and stating that Secretary Sir E. Bulwer Lytton would be glad, before coming to any decision on the subject, to have the opinion of my Lords on certain parts of the question which appear to have a naval bearing; I am commanded by their Lordships to enclose you a copy of a report from their hydrographer on the subject of the Fiji Islands, from which report it will be perceived that there are several reasons which, in their Lordships' opinion, would make it desirable to obtain possession of the islands. The chart referred to by the hydrographer and the original papers forwarded in your letter are here with transmitted. H. Merivale, Esq. I am, &c. (Inclosure.)-On the Fiji Islands. H. CORRY. Admiralty, March 12, 1859. In accordance with the Board Minute, to report upon the Colonial Office letter of the 9th instant, I have to state that: The Fiji, or more properly the Viti group, in the south-western Pacific, consists of some 200 islands, islets, and rocks, lying between latitude 15° and 194° south, at about 1,900 miles N.E. of Sydney, and 1,200 miles north of Auckland, at the north end of New Zealand. The two largest islands may be some 300 miles in circumference, or each is about the size of Corsica; 65 of the islets are said to be inhabited, and the whole population of the group may be 200,000. I propose to reply categorically to the queries contained in the Colonial Office letter: Q. 1. If the Fiji Isles be obtained, are all the available harbours obtained in that part of the Pacific? A. 1. Certainly not all, but a great part of them. The Friendly or Tonga Islands, only 400 miles to the south-east, possess good harbours, as Tonga-tabú and Vavau. The Samoa or Navigation Isles, the same distance to the north-east, have good harbours, as Sangopango and Apia. Some of the Society Islands also may be available, but lying 1,800 miles to the eastward they may not be considered as within the limits named; none of the harbours, however, are superior to those of the Fiji Islands. Q. 2. Do the natural harbours now existing require much, if any, artificial development for naval purposes? Whether such hbarbours are few or many? A. 2. There are several roadsteads and harbours in the Fiji group, the principal of which is the extensive harbour of Levuka, on the eastern side of Ovalau; this harbour has good holding ground, [1862-63. LIII.] G is easy of access, and has every facility for the supply of fruit, vegetables, wood, and water. Angau, on its western side, has a sheltered roadstead of large extent. Totoga is surrounded by a coral reef, within which is a spacious, sheltered anchorage, with good holding ground and an entrance for ships. All the above harbours have been thoroughly surveyed by order of the Admiralty, and plans of them on a large scale are available when required. These natural harbours will not require any artificial development for naval purposes. 3. There is nothing unusual in the tides and currents around the Fiji group: they depend chiefly on the prevailing winds; nor are they of sufficient strength to render the entrance into or egress from the harbours dangerous. There is no present necessity for buoys, beacons, or lights, but should trade greatly increase, or should mail steamers call by night, a light would become necessary. 4. The Fiji Islands lie nearly in the direct track from Panama to Sydney, as will be seen by the annexed chart of the Pacific Ocean, on which I have shown that track, as also one by calling at the Fijis, whence it appears that the steamer, if she touched at one of the Fiji isles for coal, would lengthen her voyage only about 320 miles, or one day's run out of 32 days, on a distance of 8,000 miles. In like manner it appears that on the voyage from Vancouver Island to Sydney, the touching at Fiji would lengthen the distance 420 miles in a voyage of 7,000 miles. An intermediate station between Panama and Sydney will be most desirable, indeed if the proposed mail route is to be carried out it is indispensable; one of the Society Islands, as lying half way, would be a more convenient coaling station, but as they are under French protection it seems doubtful if one could be obtained. The Consul at Fiji, in the enclosed papers, hints at the possibility of coal being found in one of the islands; if this should prove to be the case it would at once double their value as a station. In the above statements I have confined myself to answering the questions in the Colonial Office letter, but on looking into the subject I have been much struck by the entire want by Great Britain of any advanced position in the Pacific Ocean. We have valuable possessions on either side, as at Vancouver and Sydney, but not an islet or a rock in the 7,000 miles of ocean that separate them. The Panama and Sydney mail communication is likely to be established, yet we have no island on which to place a coaling station, and where we could insure fresh supplies. And it may hereafter be found very inconvenient that England should be shut out from any station in the Pacific, and that an enemy should have possession of Tonga-tabú, where there is a good harbour, within a few hundred miles of the track of our homeward-bound gold ships from Sydney and Melbourne. Neither forts nor batteries would be necessary to hold the ground, a single cruizing ship should suffice for all the wants of the islands; coral reefs and the hearty good-will of the natives would do the rest. I have, &c. SIR, JOHN WASHINGTON, Hydrographer. No. 4.-Mr. Merivale to Mr. Hammond. Downing Street, April 13, 1859. SIR E. LYTTON has under his consideration the proposal made for the cession of the Fiji Islands to this country, and discussed in your letters of the 18th February, and 5th of March. The question is one not hastily to be decided, as involving various considerations of importance and expense; but before proceeding further in the matter, Sir E. Lytton would be glad to be informed whether, in Lord Malmesbury's opinion, supposing that on other grounds it is found to be desirable to accept the sovereignty of these islands, their occupation by us may not lead to embarrassment or complication with foreign Powers who have rights or claims in that part of the Pacific. I have, &c. E. Hammond, Esq. SIR, H. MERIVALE. No. 5.-Mr. Hammond to Mr. Merivale. Foreign Office, April 13, 1859. I AM directed by the Earl of Malmesbury to transmit to you herewith, to be laid before Secretary Sir Edward Lytton, a copy of a despatch from Mr. Pritchard, Her Majesty's Consul in the Fiji Islands, stating his views as to the mode in which those islands might be governed, if their cession should be accepted by Her Majesty's Government. I am, &c. H. Merivale, Esq. E. HAMMOND. (Inclosure.)-Mr. Pritchard to the Earl of Malmesbury. MY LORD, London, March 28, 1859. WITH reference to the plan of Government which my intercourse with the various tribes of Polynesia has induced me to deem most suitable for Fiji, and upon which subject your Lordship inquired on the occasion of the interview with which I was honoured on the 16th instant, I would respectfully submit the following remarks: I should, however, premise that my observations are based on the supposition that the aboriginal population of Fiji is the class to whom legislation is, in the first instance, especially directed. As this population becomes mixed, and the foreign element more numerous, a more complex and comprehensive system than that |