LATER FIJIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 237, 13 March 1875, Page 4

LATER FIJIAN NEWS.

By the arrival of the schooner Dauntless, we, Southern Cross, have five days’ later news than what came to hand by the s.s. Star of the South. From files to hand which extend to the 10th February, we make the following extracts: The Dido left on Sunday morning with returned laborers for landing at their several homes. The officers seem much pleased at the early prospect of a return to England, she having been on this service for some time. We have at present the most varied assortment of coins in Levuka, but we shall soon have a fresh importation from Tahiti, as the Paris mint has just coined 10,000 francs worth of centimes, which were immediately put in circulation, the lack of this small change causing a great prejudice to purchasers. Fancy counting out 60 coppers for a nobbier ; for 5 centimes make a sou, and 20 sous go to a franc. The Dido returned on Thursday afternoon from Macusta coast, bringing Ritova and some others. The two chiefs charged with murder were conveyed here, and handed over to the police on arrival. Our quasi-military magnates appear doing a bit of privileged kidnapping, if the following items supplied to us are reliable:— “ About a week before Christmas, Aroni, a native belonging to Matai Eeri, a town in Tai Levu, was taken to Levuka by a brother of Ko mai Namino, to be made a soldier, greatly against his wish. He refused to go with the messenger, saying he did not wish to leave his wife and child, but was, in the middle of the night, compelled by force and handcuffed, and in that manner removed. After being taken to Levuka he was dismissed back again, being rejected on account of some infirmity. A man named Vuni Valu was also taken away from Dou Samu, another town in Tai Levu, also against his will.” Some few months since we were favored (says the Times'), by Mr W. H, Fitzgerald with a sight of the diagram of a new description of a boat to be propelled without steam, sails, or oars. Since then Mr Fitzgerald has been busy at work, at Laucala, Rewa, constructing a vessel on the plan of the diagram, to give his invention a practical test. He now writes us under date January 22nd, as follows :—On the 2nd instant I made my first trial trip, which was satisfactory in the extreme, the boat starting off at the rate of not less than ten knots, and had not attained anything like full speed when a portion of the machinery, composed of |in iron broke, thus preventing me from bringing the boat to Levuka, lam now fully convinced of the vital importance of this system of propelling boats, and as soon as good material can be procured, the public will be able to judge for themselves. The punt is 18ft x 6ft, and is 18in deep, and with its simple machinery, a few bags of sand, and three gentlemen, it only drew three inches of water. We are at all times pleased to recognise local enterprise, and we cannot fail to notice the determined efforts made by Manuelle and Co, to establish a lona fide colonial trade on a large scale. Only a few days since the splendid schooner Dauntless arrived from Auckland, bringing a heavy cargo, and to-day she leaves laden to the hatches with a valuable cargo of maize, copra, and cocoanut oil. As she quits our harbor another boat is laid on by the same firm for Auckland—the Daphne—and she will meet with speedy despatch, with a full complement of maize, &c. Mr C. Manuelle is a very popular buyer in the group, he is generous in his prices, cordial in his manner and bearing towards planters, and accommodating to. every extent that lies in his power. He ia generally popular on the bench, and he ia deserving of it, inasmuch as, whilst mindful of his own affairs, he scorns to adopt the mean and despicable habit of pretending to. know everyone else’s business.