Ellice Islands.

High Commissioner’s Visit.

From a Special Correspondent.

FUNAFUTI, March.

SO isolated are these Ellice Islands that nothing has appeared in ‘‘The Pacific Islands Monthly” about the visit of Sir Murchison Fletcher (High Commissioner of the Western Pacific) to this colony.

The Ellice Islands form part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony; but, whereas the Gilberts are well-known, for therein are situated the phosphate deposits of Nauru and Ocean Islands, and have direct communication with Australia, the Ellice Islands are eclipsed entirely by their northern and para mount partners.

The sole and meagre wealth of the nine atolls comprising the Ellice Group comes from copra production; and the income therefrom is nowadays reduced almost to vanishing point by reason of the abnormally low value of copra. As all trade is with Fiji, the double freight and charges bear heavily on the pro ducers of copra.

His Excellency left H.M.S. Laburnam in the Gilberts, and the warship came on ahead to Funafuti, the administra tive centre of the Ellice Group. The Commissioner came on later, in the Col onial Government yacht “Nimanoa,” after visiting some of the atolls en route. He arrived at Funafuti on Au gust 18, and made his official landing at 9 a.m. next day. He was accorded a welcome at the Government jetty by officials, residents, and some of the native Government officials. An in formal reception at the district officer’s house followed, after which, an inspec tion of the station, gaols, hospital, and native village occupied the day, with administration business.

There were no formal functions of a social nature, as his Excellency was obviously fatigued by his long and busy journey, but the officials and European residents were entertained by him on board the Laburnam at various times during his stay at Funafuti.

On August 20 the natives tendered a reception with many dances and songs, to the High Commissioner and staff.

Many gifts were presented—mats, fans, etc. —besides quite a number of curios, some of which were “genuine antiques,’’ and rare. Some fine embroidery work by the girls of the local missionary school met with his Excellency’s com mendation and one effort of the sing ing community, with which he was ob viously delighted and amused, was the rendition, in the vernacular, of the song “Show Me the Way to Go Home.” In returning thanks, his Excellency spoke at some length to the natives, touching on various matters he had observed on his tour, and, after the National An them, took his departure for the war ship, finally sailing next morning at daylight for the last port of his tour, Rotuma.

His Excellency showed a keen inter est in the natives of the various is lands at which he touched, and seemed solicitous for their welfare and pros perity, asking many questions regard ing trade conditions, etc. He also vis ited all copra sheds in every port, and was not at all satisfied with the qual ity of some of the copra he saw.

There are some ancient regulations dealing with the production of copra, which do not appear to have been util

ised at all, and it is fairly certain that one result of the official interest will be a new, and most probably, drastic ordinance, probably on the lines of the Samoa Copra Ordinance, making both buyer and producer responsible for the quality of copra exported. Not, mind you, that the quality of the copra ex ported from these islands (I am refer ring to the Ellice Group only, I have no knowledge whatever of the Gilberts) is so very reprehensible, and I have seen much more indifferent copra ship ped from Fiji. But, on the other hand, there is no real reason why the grade should not be much improved. The most primitive methods of production prevail, and with improved methods and more care taken, our copra has not much to fear from the most rigorous inspection.