Tropicalities

Written for The Pacific Islands Monthly hy “ Sea-Serpent”

THIS “pidgin”! Since publication of my note in last issue, quite a num ber of good friends have sent in some startling examples of lingual ingenuity.

The best comes from the Editor of a Metropolitan daily—a man, otherwise, of unblemished reputation—but as this is a family journal of unchallenged res pectability, we must firmly refuse to print it. Here, however, are two, direct from New Guinea, which have been passed by the censor: A European Lady: “Big fella missus he got water belong stink along him.” in other words, the average white woman is best remembered by the natives owing to her use of perfume.

A Piano: “Big fella bokus (box) you fightem he cry.” This is highly ingeni ous—particularly the description of keyboard action.

THERE are some stalwarts among the Fijian Methodists on the iso lated island of Vanua Vatu, and they take their religion seriously. There is only one village and one church, but there are thirteen qualified preachers.

A couple of generations ago they would have settled their claims to the coveted pulpit by the “cursed arbitrament of arms.” But to-day they take the Sun day services in strict rotation. There must be a certain charm in having three months to think up a sermon. But none of the 13 is qualified to perform the marriage service—and sometimes young folk desiring nuptial union will wait a year for a qualified parson to come along. Those approaching the end of this earthly span display no such consideration —they die and are buried, irrespective of whether a clergyman is in the offing or not. It seems a pity that the prospective bene dicts should have to await a visiting clergyman when so much real enthusi asm is running to waste in those 13 local preachers.

IT is interesting to recall the fact that “pidgin” (or “Beche-de-mer English”) was the lingua franca of New Guinea while it was under Ger man administration. The practical Germans did not waste time trying to force their language upon the hundred and one tribes —each of which has a different dialect. Instead, they adopted the “pidgin English” of the adjoining group (the Solomon Islands) and made that the medium of communication be tween themselves and the natives throughout the Bismarck Archipelago.

The natives naturally picked up a little German—but, generally, the officials discouraged the use by the natives of the language of the dominant and rul ing race. There is food for thought in that.

SOMEONE had better warn New Zea land, while there is yet time, that it is in danger of being choked alive with bananas, or buried under an ava lanche of the succulent fruit.

The law of supply and demand is operating in the copra industry, and planters everywhere are turning away from the staple crop, leaving the coco nuts on the trees, and seeking other products with which to pay the storekeeper. With remarkable unanimity the producers of the Southern groups are producing extra bananas. In this issue of the P.I.M it will be noted that the Samoan banana industry is being encouraged and developed; that the Fijian plantations are recovering rap idly from the recent hurricane, so that banana production is coming back to normal; and that Tonga, seeking new sources of revenue, is devising wavs and means of getting bananas to the outside market.

Since the Australian market is closed by the tariff, all three territories —Samoa, Fiji and Tonga—must look to New Zealand for the disposal of their fruit. And new Zealand, in addition, gets supplies from the Cook Islands.

Why do these communities not get together and attack Australia’s foolish policy of shutting out the finest bananas in the world—and, incidentally, hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of trade —for the sake of protecting the poor, flavourless fruit grown in northern New South Wales? Here is a job. right at hand, for the suggested Pacific Islands Association.

NOT long ago, an incapacitated native arrived in Thursday Island, with the following letter addressed to an official there: “Danger—The Protector of Abori ginal Thursday Island Please This boys Name Cocawa he fell from H. tree great big tree he climb up for get fruit he get hold on dead branch then he fell with that branch very high tree

we couldnt tell how many foot high so far the boy fell thats why we send him to Doctor to cure him in Hospital thanks”

The remarkable thing is that, al though the composition was so quaint, the letter did not contain one single mistake in spelling.

TWO lively American ladies stirred Suva out of its accustomed phlegm recently. True to American practice, each decided to create a record. One.

Miss Merrill, displayed interest in the newly-established aeroplane service, and one day she flew right round the large island of Viti Levu. Thereby. she became the first woman to accom- olish the feat. Her friend, not to be outdone, borrowed a taxi-car, qualified for a driver’s license, and was the first woman driver of a taxi in Fiji. She actually picked un a passenger and col lected his fare. Both girls were greatly pleased with their own exploits.

AUTRES pays, autres moeurs! The annual report of the Administra tor of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea for the year ended 30th June, 1929, came to hand during the month.

The annual report of the Administra tor of Western Samoa for the year ended 31st March, 1930, reached us the following day. The Australian Gov ernment, responsible for New Guinea, took 14 months to print and circulate the report—New Zealand, responsible for Samoa, took only five months. The delay in the Australian-produced docu ment seems extraordinary particu larly as the report is full of statistics, which rapidly lose their value, with the expiry of time.

SOME of these administration officials paralyse me with their erudition, Trying to learn everything possible about cocoa and coffee production, I have been dredging through soporific reports about Islands horticulture. I got along very well in the sections headed: “Cocoa”; but I was much puzzled because, in certain reports, I found no reference whatever to the berry. It was only by accident that I discovered that this particular official referred consistently to cocoa as “cacao,” which I thought was some other kind of tropical product. The dictionary shows that “cacao” is quite correct —“cocoa” is a corruption of “cacao,” which is a Spanish derivation from the Mexican “kakauatl.”

“Cocoanut” is another bad word. It should be “Coco-nut,” but was acci dentally mis-spelled in Johnson’s dic tionary, and got loose as “cocoanut.”

Many people spell it correctly now, however. The name came from the Portuguese. They thought the end of the palm shell resembled the face of a small monkey, or “coco.” And —since we’re off on this fascinating track! — it is interesting to note that “copra” comes from the Malayan “koppara.”

TRAVELLERS in Polynesia note with interest the manner in which South Sea natives are engaging in skilled trades, and actually knocking at the door of the professions. In the latest official report from Samoa it is stated that three radio sub-sta tions are being run by native Samoan operators. A Tokelau native, who was running the radio station in the Toke lau group, north of Samoa, could not make repairs when breakdowns occur red —although he was a competent operator—and so he was brought down to Ania for further instruction in the maintenance of his transmitting and receiving sets. Some of the more iso lated of the Burns, Philp stores are conducted and managed by educated natives. Much skilled medical work is now being done by educated Fijians.

APOLOGIES to New Guinea! In our last issue we announced that new duties had been imposed on aero planes and mining machinery entering the Mandated Territory, rising from 3 to 10 per cent. The news was re ceived from Canberra by long-distance telephone, and the “3” was the result of that system. The man in Canberra said that, under the other tariff the goods “were free —now to 10 per cent."

We thought he said “were 3, now to 10 per cent.,” and we printed it accord ingly. So for “3” please read “free.”