SATURDAY, October 10, 1874 started with heavy rain which persisted throughout the morning.
Consequently the ceremony, which was to have started at 10am, was postponed to 2pm. Shortly after 1pm, the weather cleared, and by 2pm about 200 sailors and marines had landed from the warship.
According to researched information at the National Archives, the Fijian armed constabulary were drawn up on the town side of Flagstaff near the landing-stage and Nasova, the mariners and sailors formed up on the landward side, leading citizens of Levuka who were grouped on the third side, therefore forming three sides of a hollow square open towards the sea.
At 2.15pm His Excellency Sir Hercules Robinson and Commodore Goodenough left the Pearl, while the sailors manned the yards and ships fired a salute of 17 guns.
The party was met at landing-stage by Captain Chapman (of the Pearl) and Mr Layal and as they crossed the grass to the King’s room the British and Fijian armed forces saluted.
On entering the room, His Excellency and the Commodore were then conducted to seats at the table, taking their places on the King’s right, the rest of the company, both British and Fijian remained standing throughout the proceedings.
The Deed of Cession was then read, in Fijian, for the benefi t of those chiefs who had not heard it previously. Before the signing, the King asked that Mr Thurston might read a paper which he (Ratu Cakobau) had given to him that morning. His Excellency assenting, Mr Thurston read:
“Your Excellency, before fi nally 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.
“The King gives Her Majesty his old and favourite war club, the former, and until lately, the only known law of Fiji.
In abandoning club law, and adopting the forms and principles of civilised societies, he laid by his old weapon, which became the mace of the late Parliament of Fiji, and as, Your Excellency sees, was for the purpose ornamented with the emblems of peace and friendship.”
Many of his people, whose tribes, died and passed away under the old law, but hundreds of thousands still survive to learn and enjoy the newer and better state of things.
On the table lay the Deed of Cession and an exact copy, one of which was to be retained in Fiji and the other sent to England.
His Excellency then signed both copies after the chiefs had signed.
