For India.

Five Hundred Hindus Leave Fiji.

FIJI’S Indian population turned out in full force on August 30, to say fare well to nearly 800 members of their community, who left the colony for India by the “Ganges”. A large proportion of the passengers were Hindus, who came to Fiji under the old indenture systemr and were being repatriated. The re mainder were merchants and traders, who had been in private business, and a few civil servants proceeding on fur lough. Including children, 475 passengers departed.

The scene on King’s wharf, Suva, prior to the embarkation, was lively and col ourful. Most of the womenfolk were adorned with showy gold and silver jewellery and wore their native cos tumes, the variegated colours of which presented a vivid contrast to the sober, conventional European attire worn by the men. Babbling Indians of all castes, creeds and types mingled together in the throng, tightly clasping their lug gage—ranging from bulky suit-cases to a Fijian mat or, in some cases, a mere bundle of linen.

Although the passengers were forbid den by law to take away with them more than £2 worth of silver, an enormous sum of money was taken from the colony in the form of bank drafts, etc. It was estimated that approximately £24,000 was taken and of this amount, £2,250 was made up of postal notes and money orders.