Polynesian Cattle

Wild Herds Roam Far Eastern Islands

From Our Own Correspondent PAPEETE, December 20.

THE results of the recent live stock census have been just published.

According to these, the island of Tahiti together with its neighbour, Moorea, contains 5,703 head of cattle, 1,841 horses, 247 sheep, 3,252 goats, and 6,679 pigs.

Most of the cattle are of course, kept as a necessary adjunct to coconut plan tations, where they not only supple ment the revenue derived from the palms, but also provide the most desir able sort of fertiliser for the land and save the planter money by keeping the growth of weeds and grass within reas onable limits.

The total number of cattle appears small, nevertheless the Papeete market is well supplied with beef at low prices.

Butchers are now paying 2.50 francs per kilo, live weight, for steers, and round about a franc per kilo more for dressed carcases, and it is noticeable, as one result of the drop in cattle prices, that veal is always in evidence on the market. This could seldom be had when cattle were selling at 9 to 10 francs per kilo live weight. Undoubt edly there are more than enough cattle to meet the local demand for beef in these depressed times. The importa tion of cold-storage beef from New Zealand has entirely ceased.

No figures are available for the Lee ward Urioup and other parts of French Oceania, where considerable numbers of cattle also exist.

Herds of wild cattle, sleek and beau tiful, whose progenitors probably date back to the first animals landed on the island by Captain Cook, roam the interior valleys of Tahiti. These are often dangerous to approach, and as the places they frequent are most difficult of access, it is seldom that our local Nimrods work up enough energy and enthusiasm to go after them.

Wild pigs and goats are also plenti ful in most of the islands, and it is said that the former have increased to such an extent in some of the Mar quesas Islands as to constitute a real menace. There, over considerable areas, the goats have eaten out and eventu ally killed off the natural pasturage and taken to the bark of trees as the only remaining means of sustenance, thus transforming in the course of years a tropical paradise into a dry and wind swept wilderness devoid of vegetation