“Any Fijian chief who refuses to cede cannot have much wisdom. If matters remain as they are, Fiji will become like a piece of drift-wood on the sea, and be picked up by the first passer-by. “The whites who have come to Fiji are a bad lot. They are mere stalkers on the beach. The wars here have been far more the result of interference of intruders than the fault of the inhabitants. “Of one thing I am assured, that if we do not cede Fiji, the white stalkers on the beach, the cormorants, will open their maws and swallow us. “The white residents are going about influencing the minds of Tui Thakau and others, so as to prevent annexation, fearing that in case order is established a period may be put to their lawless proceedings. “By annexation the two races, white and black, will be bound together, and it will be impossible to sever them. The ‘interlacing’ has come. Fijians, as a nation, are of an unstable character; and a white man who wishes to get anything out of a Fijian, if he does not succeed in his object to-day will try again to-morrow, until the Fijian is either wearied out or over-persuaded, and gives in. But law will bind us together, and the stronger nation will lend stability to the weaker.” Sir Hercules Robinson next proceeded in H.M.S. Pearl to visit the great chief Maafu at his capital, Loma-Loma. Tui Thakau, another powerful chief, was present; and both declared their full assent to the cession and to the document already signed by Thakombau, which runs as follows:— “We, King of Fiji, together with other high chiefs of Fiji, hereby give our country, Fiji, unreservedly to her Britannic Majesty, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. And we trust and repose fully in her that she will rule Fiji justly and affectionately, that we may continue to live in peace and prosperity.” Finally, on the 10th of October 1874, all the great chiefs assembled at Nasova (which was, and still continues to be, the seat of government, and is situated one mile from the town of Levuka), and there signed the deed of cession. The signatures affixed are as follows:— CAKOBAU, R. _Tui Viti and Vunivalu._ MAAFAU. TUI CAKAU. RATU EPELI. VAKAWALETABUA. _Tui Bua._ SAVENAKA. ISIKELI. ROKO TUI DREKETI. NACAGILEVU. RATU KINI. RITOVA. KATUNIVERE. MATANITOBUA. HERCULES ROBINSON. Thus did Fiji pass from the dominion of misrule to the orderly position of a British colony,—a change touchingly alluded to by the old king (or, as he is called by his own people, the Vuni Valu, or Root of War), who on this occasion desired his Prime Minister, Mr Thurston, to present his war-club to Queen Victoria. Mr Thurston interpreted the king’s words as follows:— “Your Excellency,—Before finally ceding his country to her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, the king desires, through your Excellency, to give her Majesty the only thing he possesses that may interest her.