A VOICE FROM LEVUKA.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2114, 2 December 1880, Page 3

A VOICE FROM LEVUKA.

[“ Melbourne Age ” correspondent.] A great affliction has come upon Fiji by the recent arrival of the Yankee Vagabond, who is, perhaps, not altogether unknown in Australia and to some of your Australian readers as the author of those insipid and vulgar books, entitled the “Vagabond Papers.” Phis literary quack has had the presumption to lecture here publicly on Fijian affairs after a residence of about a month. It is almost needless to say that from such very superficial knowledge most of his conclusions were false. His statements were biassed and one-sided, and his general remarks were of so coarse and personal a nature that the majority of the audience left the lectureroom with the impression that they had learned but one thing, and that was, that his chosen title of “The Vagabond” was exceedingly appropriate. He is evidently not the kind of man to form a true and juat estimate of things, but confines his remarks to simply verbose utterances, framed for what he considers will tickle the popular taste. He profosses to have come to show up the abuses and defects of the Government policy and administration. Although we may have passed that stage in the history of our colony when every man “ did that which was right in his own eyes,” no one will presume to say that our Government is yet a perfect one ; but it should be borne in mind that Sir Arthur Gordon has had many grave responsibilities and difficulties to contend with, which he has surmounted fairly well, but to have his policy misrepresented and paraded to the world in false colors by a vulgar " penny-a-liner,” can only have the effect of awakening and enlisting sympathy on his behalf. It is well-known that the storekeepers and others interested in Levuka have introduced him in the vain hope that his writings will have the effect of making their oramped-up little village the future capital of this growing and prosperous country. The childlike simplicity and ignorance displayed in this weak and selfish effort is so apparent that there is little doubt the ” Vagabond,” although writing at their dictation, is having a quiet sneering laugh at them in bis sleeve. Levuka and its harbor are to be made the most of, but it will require great ingenuity, and a great deviation from the truth, to make either of them appear at all adaptable and worthy of the great destiny their advocates so confidently hope for, in retaining the seat of Government, and really and truly establishing it thereby as the capital of Fiji, despite the superior advantages of its rival. Now, with regard to the nnsuitableneso of Levuka and its harbor for the so much desired purpose. Levuka township consists of a few traders’ stores, shops and hotels forming one street, and private dwelling-houses scattered about on the preopitous hills and mountain spurs which rise almost directly from the sea. Nearly all the town land is in the hands of but few proprietors. The Wesleyan Missionary Society are the largest owners, together with a few old settlers, and the Bank of Now Zealand. There are a few other holders of freehold land, and the excitement about the removal of the Government has been awakened almost entirely by the few landholders above mentioned. The inhabitants who lease building sites have to pay exorbitant rentals, and have no end of restrictions added thereto. For instance, a clause in the leases from the Wesleyan Society, the largest landed proprietors of Levuka —prohibits the keeping of wines, beers or spirits on any land leased from them. For years it has been almost impossible to buy any land, and the few landlords have been, and are now, receiving rents so fabulous that it would be vain to quote the rates, for no one out of this colony would believe that such high rents were being realised. If those few self-interested and short - sighted people could prevail with the Government to still remain in Levuka, it would not bo long before all rents would be doubled. The leaseholders, without apparently knowing it, have been merely tools in the hands of the few landlords for the convenience of the moment, and to save the immediate expense of opening branches at Suva have lent themselve to the agitation against the removal of the Government from Levuka. To carry out their personal motives, and from fear of a rival, they appear to be content to confine themselves to the very limited and cramped up town of Levuka, and would, if it were in their power, doom the whole colony with it as a capital, not having the perception necessary even to foresee the total unfitness of the locality for the great purposes of a capital and head centre of a large and constantly increasing population. Levuka harbor scarcely deserves the name, for it is almost open to the sea, and during anything like rough weather the heavy billows from the ocean outside break over the coral reef, and, careering on, dash wildly on to the beach road in front of the line of shops, wetting the foot passengers as they pass. For quite half the year it is almost impossible to land from a boat anywhere along the beach except at the two wharves, which are nearly a mile apart, and even at them it is quite difficult enough to land without getting wet._ Sanitary considerations are of the utmost importance in a tropical country. Now, how is Levuka situated in that respect ? The refuse matter and sewage from the town is taken in watertight punts to the reef opposite the town, and the prevailing winds invariably blow a considerable percentage of the filth on the beach. The island of Ovalau on which Levuka is situated, is one of the smallest in the Fiji Group, It is wonderfully picturesque, but quite useless as an agricultural district It is situated about thirty miles from the largest and most important island in the group, viz., Yiti jLevu. The passage from one to the other is difficult and troublesome, owing to the number of reefs and shoals that abound in the track. Small steamboats often take two days to reach Levuka from the Bewa district, which is the moat important and extensive in Fiji. Very large sugar companies are now being established on the Bewa river, and in a few years the value of exports from chat and other sugar districts in Viti Levu will exceed that of all the rest of Fiji put together. Therefore, considering that Suva is near the mouth of the Bewa, and contiguous to other lorge sugar districts, would it not be a gross injustice to those who will form the wealthiest and most important community in Fiji to have to go up to Levuka whenever they had any Government business to transact ? Suva harbor is land-locked, and also bounded to seaward by a coral reef, through which access to the harbor is afforded by a spacious entrance. This haven of shelter is also the most conveniently reached by those vessels most commonly frequenting the group from Australia or New Zealand, and is capable of affording good anchorage to a whole navy of ships. The site for a town is most extensive, is capable of perfect drainage, and so superior to Levuka in every way that there is no comparison. The Levuka traders, in spite of their prejudices, must be aware of that, for they openly state that if the Governor and Government officials go to ( Suva they will be ruined. This must be accepted as a very trite and candid admis- , sion, plainly showing that Levuka has nothing | else to depend upon.