News From Norfolk Island

Glut of Strange Eggs —H.M.A.S. Canberra Strikes Bad Weather —Big Fruit Shipment for Auckland

From Our Own Correspondent,

NORFOLK IS., October 22.

IF all the hens on Norfolk Island went on strike for the next month and cackled not over a single egg, we should still have custards and cakes and so on, although with a faint, quaint taste, as though the cook had forgotten what she was making and had dropped in a casual seasoning of anchovy sauce.

For this is the whaley bird season, when from some unknown northern shore, the continuous plaintive ar rival of a small, smoky seabird, known elsewhere, I believe, as the Sooty Petrel, heralds the appearance of schools of whales and shoals of roly poly porpoises and dolphins.

Uttering a hoarse and querulous cry, the birds make unerringly for Phillip Island, a bare, bright rock a mile or so off shore, and there nest for a crowded month; and, day after day, when the weather permits, happy bands of picnickers cross the wide waters and return with thous ands and thousands of new laid eggs.

They are about the size of a plover’s egg, with a greeny, creamy shell, blotched with chocolate, and they are excellent as omelette or scrambled eggs.

For this month, too, the whales frolic in huge innocence and safety, while island elders tell us of other days when their oil was a golden har vest of the sea and whaling was a staple industry. Rusty old try-pots still lurch in back yards, serving as emergency tanks or watering troughs for stock. But the whaling days are gone for ever, no matter how provo catively Leviathan sports around — broaching, sounding, sending up taunting columns of breath-blown spray.

Canberra's Visit

ai dawn on Saturday morning, October 3, our lonely waters were invaded by H.M.A.S. “Canberra,” flag ship of the Australian squadron, homeward bound to Sydney, after a Pacific cruise. She intended to stay until Monday morning, but, after dis appointing weather throughout the week-end, a real gale arose towards the evening on Sunday and the Com modore did not think it safe to risk our open roadstead through the night.

A great programme had been ar ranged and a very pleasant time was enjoyed by all who participated or entertained the various ranks, but on the whole the visit was not such a success as we had hoped, on account of the weather. The Commodore left behind a very courteous message of appreciation, but we felt we could have left a much happier impression of the island on this unit of the navy if the sun had shone and the sea sparkled, as they usually do.

Death Of Hikurangus Mate

Just as the little Hikurangi, from Auckland, dropped anchor off the Cas cades landing, late on the evening of October 6, the mate, a middle-aged man with a wife and family, fell dead on the deck. He had complained of feeling unwell on the passage over and his skipper, young Captain George, had taken over his duties, in order to relieve him as far as pos sible.

Early next morning, our Govern ment Medical Officer, Dr. Lawrence, went aboard and certified the death as a consequence of heart disease, and the Captain then steamed out beyond the three-mile limit and buried the body at sea. Some folks ashore thought it both heartless and extra ordinary conduct, when we have a cemetery ashore and kind and rever ent hands would have borne him to rest and strewn his bed with flowers.

But, in the first place, a sailor almost invariably prefers to sleep for ever in the element he chose in life; and in the second, a funeral ashore would

have held up the working of the ship for practically a whole day.

The “Hikurangi” carried away her very biggest shipment to date —some thing close upon 3,000 cases of mixed . produce —bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and our last few oranges, bought f.o.b. upon our little jetty, and is due here again within a few days. With the B.P. vessel, the “Morinda,” calling here to-morrow, seeking cargo for Sydney, a silent life and-death struggle is proceeding be tween the various agents, buying for shipment to one country or the other.

Sydney will lose, because business with her is a gamble, no matter what heartening reports come over the wireless. Auckland offers us a cer tain market at a guaranteed price, although we are not left under any false impression that the buyers there are philanthropists or are engaged in the tropical fruit trade solely for reasons of health.

Preparations For Horticul

Tural Show

On Friday, November 13 —to the superstitious the unluckiest day of the week, the unluckiest day of the month, and the unluckiest month of the year—we are to hold our annual Horticultural Show, and exhibits are already being carefully groomed and hurried forward or retarded, accord ing to their state of preparedness for competition.

In addition to the usual classes and sections, there are several new prizes to be won —notably one offered by Messrs. Burns, Philp for the best essay upon Norfolk Island, the win ning entry to become the property of the Company, to do as they like With.

In conjunction with Mr. Grey, local manager for B.P.’s, and Captain Flet cher Quintal, representing the island, your correspondent has been asked to judge the competition, and, while accepting the honour, is already won dering how three divergent tastes and points of view are coming to any unanimous agreement of merit. There may be something in this supersti tious idea after all.

On December 31, 19 30, Fiji’s police force comprised 19 Europeans, 112 Fijians and 103 Indians. The head quarters of the force is at Suva, with a central station at Totogo and a de pot at Nasova.