‘Starving Islanders.”

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, Jan. 1.

A EUROPEAN arrived at Rarotonga from New Zealand recently with the astounding information that Euro peans at one of the main islands of the Cook Group were threatened with star vation.

Acting on word which he had received direct from a friend at the island, and spurred on by a request to “do some thing for them and quickly,” the good Samaritan laid out some hundreds of pounds in stores, tools and even firearms and ammunition, and landed them at Rarotonga. So anxious was he to re lieve the plight of the starving islanders that the chartering of a schooner to rush the stores to the island at once was considered.

When one or two matters touching upon the source of his information were explained to him he very much feared he had allowed himself to be hoaxed.