FIJI NEWS. [Per Arawata.]

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 87, 31 January 1885, Page 6

FIJI NEWS. [Per Arawata.]

Betheli. and Co., of London, have definitely decided to run direct steam service from London to Fiji, via Tasmania. These steamers viil leave London in February, May, August, and November. A Fire and Marine Insurance Company has just boen formed in Suva. £4,270 has already been subscribed. An accident occurred on Tuesday last to Captain Cooper, of the schooner Winifred, by his falling through the hatchway of the lazaretto on board his vessel. Two ribs were broken, and his loins severely wrenched, but the assistaiaco of Dr. Blyth having been obtained, the sufforer is progressing favourably. Carrier pigeons are now used between Suva and Levuka. A bottle with a message, thrown ovori board by Mr Consul |Belford from the Californian mail steamer, off Pango Fango, I Samoa, in August last, drifted ashore at | Kotumah, and has been brought thence by I Mr Gordon,

IMr W, J. Hunt's Search for Sunken Treasure. Tho following paragraphs appear in the Fiji papers on the above subject : — Mr N J. Hunt, of New Zealand (says tho " Polynesian Gazette," a paper published at Levuka), has visited this| port in* the cutter Fawn, after an unsuccessful attempt to recover a large quantity of oil Host by wreck at \Vallis Island, s6me 50 years since. The finding of tho wreck at all has somewhat us; nevertheless, such is tho case, but the failure to recover any portion of the cargo appears to havo arisen from their boing without the necessary olectric battery for discharging: the dynamite charges, having solely relied upon Bickfor&'s Water Fuze, which is not reliable beyond a depth of 8 cr 10 fathoms. Should Mr Hunt be successful in his second attempt, we would strongly urgo upon him, in a friendly way, the advisability of investing it m further searches of the same character, rather than wasting it in law attscks upon those beyond his feeble reach.