THE HURRICANE AT FIJI.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1858, 26 February 1889, Page 3

THE HURRICANE AT FIJI.

Auckland, Feb. 21. Fiji papers by the Arawsta state that the hurricane of last month did not do so much damage as was at first supposed, but still the losses sustained by the planters and natives of the islands of Pambi and Tavisuna, and in the Eewa district (Yiti Levu) are very considerable. The Colonial Sugar Company in particular have suffered very heavily, owing to their sugar cane plantations in portions having been almost completely destroyed by the force of the hurricane and the sharp rain, and great damage also was sustained by their mills through the phenomenal rise of the Rewa River to alight of thirty-four feet above its natural level. The loss is estimated at not less than £4OOO. On January 22nd and 23rd severe floods occurred on the Lower Rewa, and the flats were inundated for a week, many of the residents being flooded out of their dwellings and surrounding cultivations, When the river at length subsided, it left behind mud silt to the depth of two and three feet. It is feared that the yam crops will be utterly destroyed owing to the plantations having been under water for such a length of time. The wind was not so severe as in past blows, but was quite strong enough to strip the breadfruit and iri trees of their fruit; so that, were it not for the banyan, which has. suffered lees than other products, there would be great difficulty in obtaining food. As it is, the natives are in a state of gloomy anticipation of immediate privation, though the deposit left by the flood will produce extraordinary good crops next season. The coastal village of Yoco has suffered greatly from a tidal wave, which swept over the low lying country, for, in some places, over two miles, carrying away villages (whose inhabitants escaped in time), and outlying dwellings, destroying plantations, fruit trees, and doing an amount of damage which was not accurately known when the Arawata left Fiji for Auckland,