Islands Are
p. 69 · Read in the full issue
Now Scarce
Two of the islands of Fiji, Rabi id Kioa, have been sold to foreign landers In the last 20 years, oth, for almost a century before lat, were European-owned so it in be said that the Fijians eren’t losing anything, anyway.
But it’s lucky for the foreigners -Ocean Islanders or Banabans on abi and Ellice Islanders on Kioa -that they bought when they did. i recent years the Fijians have jveloped a passion for buying ick land that had been alienated merations ago. There probably on’t be any more Fijian islands >r anyone to buy.
The Banabans live an exclusive dstence on Rabi, they take no art in Fiji life and outsiders are iccluded. The island is fertile and ley have something like 3,000 cres under coconuts. Rabi is bout five miles off the tip of atewa Peninsula, Vanua Levu.
The Ellice people from Kioa iriginally from Vaitupu, an over opulated atoll in the Ellice dands), are not nearly so exclu ive, probably because Kioa is mailer and not so productive, and ecause it is tucked right into uca Bay, Vanua Levu, and it’s asy to get back and forth to the lainland. The manager of Mr. A. . Ward’s store at Buca Bay is n Ellice man from Kioa; and tiere are plenty of Kioa custo lers including these two girls who ad just popped over for the bread nd the paper when the photo bove, was taken.