A FLOATING ISLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 49, 26 February 1878, Page 4

A FLOATING ISLAND.

A correspondent of the Fiji Argus gives the following description of a floating island in Vanua Levu, called Waqaqoeie :— • " It is fifty paces in length and about twenty in breadth, and ib compoaed entirely of firm turf, in some places quite dry, being thickly j covered with tall rushes (kuta) besides Beveral Nalata bushes, 15ft to 20ft high There are four islands in all. Three are of the size and appearance of that on which we stood. One has three Baiawa trees on it, and appears to have been more recently detached from the moor. The fourth island is smaller, being about 15ft in length, on and it was the scene of uproarious mirth. At one time we counted ten men upon it, one of whom was a very reverend Vakavuvnli Buli of our parly, who being now convinced that there was nothing in the "kaci kaoi," was giving his mind up entirely to tbe scientific side of the question. The aggregate weight of the j ten people must have been about 1500 j lbs, and the island sank several inches, and canted ominously unlii relieved of part of ile burden. The men, oue by one, plunged into the water, and swam about, regardless of the grim warning of the old man up the Uee that tiny would be seized by unseen bands from below. We were not slow to follow the example of the natives, and jumped in aiso. The banks are covered with rushes, and are level with the water. They do not shelve at all, but go down sheer. Where we bathed thero was uo bottom for at least two or three fathoms-, at the very margin of tho moss. In many cases the water bad sapped the loose soil under the turf to a considerable distance. At the time of onr visit the size of the mere wss about 250 yards by 150; but, probably, after much rain, it is three times that size. We , had no meanß of judging the depth other tban by swimming, and we caa only sßy tbat we found it to be more than two fathoms in the middle, but how much more we cannot Bay, and where the ißlaad bad drifted it was two fathoms. Tbe water js stagnant but not impure ; it is not pleasant to the taste, but there is hardly a suspicion of boggy flavor."