govern the natives, and the possibility of immediately raising a revenue equal to the cost of such Government, I am prepared to tender my estimates whenever your Lordship may deem it proper.

To explain more explicitly the position of Thakombau, and the claims of The United States' Government as set forth in the deed of cession, I should feel honoured by your Lordship granting me an interview.

Again expressing the hope that my conduct will be honoured with your Lordship's approval, and awaiting instructions.

The Earl of Malmesbury.

I have, &c. WILL. T. PRITCHARD.

(Inclosure 2.)-Act of Cession of Fiji Islands to Great Britain. October 12, 1858.

EBENEZER THAKOMBAU, by the grace of God, Sovereign Chief of Bau and its Dependencies, Vunivalu of the Armies of Fiji and Tui Viti, &c., to all and singular to whom these presents shall come, greeting.

Whereas We, being duly, fully, and formally recognized in our aforesaid state, rank, and sovereignty by Great Britain, France, and the United States of America respectively, and having full and exclusive sovereignty and domain in and over the islands and territories constituting, forming, and being included in the group known as Fiji, or Viti; and being desirous to procure for our people and subjects a good and permanent form of government, whereby our aforesaid people and subjects shall enjoy and partake of the benefits, the prosperity, and the happiness which it is the duty and the right of all sovereigns to seek and to procure for their people and subjects; and being in ourselves unable to procure and provide such good and permanent government for our aforesaid people and subjects; and being, moreover, in ourselves unable to afford to our aforesaid people and subjects the due protection and shelter from the violence, the oppression, and the tyranny of Foreign Powers, which it is the duty and the right of all Sovereigns to afford to their people and subjects.

And being heavily indebted to the President and Government of the United States of America, the liquidation of which indebtedness is pressingly urged, with menaces of severe measures against our person, and our sovereignty, and our islands and territories aforesaid, unless the aforesaid indebtedness be satisfied within a period so limited as to render a compliance with the terms of the contract forced upon us utterly impossible within the said period, this said inability not arising from lack of resources within our dominions, but from the inefficacy of any endeavours on our part under the existing state of affairs in our islands and territories

aforesaid to carry out such measures as are necessary for, and would result in, the ultimate payment of the aforesaid claims; and having maturely deliberated, well weighed, and fully considered the probable results of the course and the measures we now propose, and being fully satisfied of the impracticability, by any other course and measures to avert from our islands and territories aforesaid, and our people and subjects aforesaid, the evils certain to follow the nonpayment of the sum of money demanded from us by the Government of the United States of America; and being confident of the immediate and progressive benefits that will result from the cession herein now made of our sovereignty and our islands and territories aforesaid.

Now know ye, that we do hereby, for and in consideration of certain conditions, terms, and engagements hereinafter set forth, make over, transfer, and convey unto Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, &c., her heirs and successors for ever, the full sovereignty and domain in and over our aforesaid islands and territories; together with the actual proprietorship and personal ownership in certain pieces or parcels of land as may hereafter be mutually agreed upon by a Commission to consist of two Chiefs from Great Britain and two Chiefs from Fiji, the said Commission to be appointed by the representative of Great Britain in Fiji, who, in cases of dispute, shall himself be umpire; the said pieces or parcels of land to be especially devoted to Government purposes, and to be applied and appropriated in manner and form appertaining to Crown lands in British Colonies, or as the local Government of Fiji, appointed by commission from the aforesaid Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland aforesaid, may deem fit, proper, and necessary for the uses and requirements of the said local Government.

Provided always, and this cession of our sovereignty and our islands and territories is on these conditions, terms, and considerations; that is to say,

That the aforesaid Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland aforesaid, shall permit us to retain the title and rank of Tui Viti, in so far as the aboriginal population is concerned, and shall permit us to be at the head of the department for governing the aforesaid aboriginal population, acting always under the guidance and by the counsels of the representative of Great Britain, and head of the local government appointed by commission from the aforesaid Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland aforesaid; that the aforesaid Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland aforesaid, shall pay the sum of 45,000 dollars unto the President of the United States of America, being the amount of the claim demanded

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 VITI X
mark.

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.
(L.S.) JOHN BINNER, Wesleyan Mission, Trainer.
(L.S.) ROBT. S. SWANSTON, Hawaiian Consul, Fiji.
(L.S.) WILL. T. PRITCHARD, H.B.M.'s Consul.

No. 2.-Mr. Merivale to the Secretary to the Admiralty.
Downing Street, March 9, 1859.

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; aud 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.

The Right Hon. H. Corry.

SIR,

I am,

&c.
HERMAN MERIVALE.

No. 3.-Mr. Corry to Mr. Merivale.

Admiralty, March 14, 1859.

HAVING laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty

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 herewith 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 har bours 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