92

struck by the entire want, by Great Britain, of any advanced position in the Pacific Ocean. We have valuable possessions on either side, as at Vancouver's and Sydney, but not an islet or a rock in the 7,000 miles of ocean that separate them. The Panama and Sydney mail communication is likely to be established, yet we have no island on which to place a coaling station, and where we could insure fresh supplies. . and it may hereafter bo found very inconvenient that England should bo shut out from any station in the Pacific, and that an enemy should have possession of Tongatabu, where there is a good harbour within a few hundred miles of the track of our homeward-bound gold ships from Sydney and Melbourne. Neither forts nor batteries would be necessary to hold the ground. A single cruising ship should suffice for all the wants of the islands. Coral reefs and the hearty goodwill of the natives would do the rest." 23rd September, 1873. • W. SEED.

Table showing the Position of the principal Groups of Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Islands in the North Pacific.

Islands in the South Pacific.

Table showing the Area, Population, and Value of Imports and Exports of the undermentioned Countries.

Tonga oe Ebiendly Islands. The Tonga Archipelago is composed of at least 100 islands and islets, comprised between 18° and 20° S. lat., and 174° and 179° W. long. The three islands of Tonga-tabu, Vavao, and Eoa are alone of any extent, which is from 15 to 20 miles in length. Seven others, namely, Late, Tofua, Kao, Namuka, Lefuga, Eoa, and Ilaano, are from sto 7 miles in their greatest extent. The rest are much smaller. Many of them

Between. Names of Groups. Latitude. Longitude. Latitude. Longitude. landwich Islands jadrone or Mariana Island 3elew Island Marshall Archipelago Silbert Island Mapago Island /aroline Islands ., 18° 54' 12° 21' 6° 53' 4° 45' 3° 0' 1° 42' 1° 0' 154° 50' W. 144° 24' E. 134° 21' E. 165° 22' E. 172° 65' E. 89° 30' W. 137° 33' E. 23° 34' 20° 30' 8° 9' 11° 40' 1° 33' S. 1° 23' S. 11° 21' 164° 32' W. 146° 3' E. 134° 55' E. 172° 30' E. 177° 45' E. 91° 34' W. 162° 52' E.

iVdmiralty Islands Phoenix Islands Sfew Ireland Sew Britain ■Solomon Islands Elliee Islands Marquesas Islands , Charlotte or Santa Cruz Islands Louisade Archipelago Vayigators Islands Sew Hebrides Islands Low Archipelago ?i ji Islands Society Islands $ew Caledonia Conga, Islands book's Islands royalty Islands 1°57' 2° 41' 2° 46' 4° 4' 4° 36' b° 29' 7° 53' 9° 57' 10° 58' 12° 53' 13° 36' 11° 9' 15° 42' 16° 11' 17° 59' 18° 2' 18° 5' 20° 25' 146° 49' E. 171° 8' W. 150° 33' B. 148° 17' E. 151° 55' E, 179 C 15' W. 138° 43' W. 165° 41' B. 151° 3' E. 168° 6' W. 166° 40' E. 124° 48' W. 1 176° 51' B. 148° 5' W. 162° 55' E. 173° 40' W. 157° 11' W. 166° 25' E. 2° 55' 4° 37' 4° 51' 6° 30' 12° 20' 10° 41' 10° 30' 12° 15' 11° 30' 15° 57' 20° 15' 25° 3' 19° 48' 17° 53' 22° 46' 22° 52' 24° 26' 22° 32' 147° 48' E. 174° 40' W. 153° 2' E. 152° 15' E. 162° 30' E. 176° 6' W. 140° 44' W. 167° 11' E. 154° 26' E. 178° 21' W. 170° 11' E. 148° 44' W. 178° 12' W. 152° 12' W. 167° 35' E. 179° 24' W. 171° 48' W. 168° 5' E.

Area— Square Miles. Population. Value of Imports. Value of Exports. Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands Ladrone Islands Caroline and Pelew Islands Navigators Islands Low Archipelago or Paumotu Group < 6,000 1,254 005 1,660 square kilometres, 6,600 square miles, 3,30D 7,400 square kilometres, 1,175 square miles, 587 £ 62,950 5,500 28,000 34,000 £ (1871) 325,176 £ (1871) 378,413 (1871) 25,000 (1871) ' 45,000 3,500 Fiji Society Islands -j 170,000 (1870) 71,950 (1870) 98,735 21,000 (1571) 120,000 (1871) 90,000 West Indies (including British Guiana*) Ceylon Philippine Islands Java square miles, 89,103 24,454 1,190,400 2,405,287 (1871) 6,310,173 (1871) 4,707,952 of British produce, (1871) 463,359 (1870) 3,902,342 (1871) 7,374,729 (1871) 3,634,853 To Great Britain. (1871) 1,391,254 (1870) 5,464,183 65,100 4,319,269 | 51,336 16,452,168 /Census, 1871,) ) 316,042 j 193,401 Mauritius C76 (1871) 1,807,382 (1871) 3,053,051 * British Guiana 76,000 1,572,275 2,383,422