Arrival at Tulagi.

From a Special Correspondent.

Tulagi, Jan. 31.

THE “Bremerhaven” paid her first visit to Tulagi on Boxing Day. It was rather an unfortunate time to turn up, as a trading licence for the remain ing days of the year would have cost £ 80, so business was somewhat hampered; especially as the “Mataram” had only a few days before cleaned up the port.

However, a common carrier’s licence costing £15 for the trip was taken out and a small amount of freight was landed in Chinatown from Hongkong.

Her main port on this voyage will be Gizo, where it is understood 800 tons per annum have been guaranteed.

If promises are fulfilled, this vessel may capture a fair amount of trade, and Messrs. Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd., and W. R. Carpenter will need to do some quick thinking and acting in order to compete with her.

Another point that will have to be considered is the effect on the stores.

Chinatown to-day is, very largely, im porting its own goods direct from China, in spite of the fact that most of the Chinese are heavily in debt to one or other or both of the big firms; and, owing to the alarming increase in vari ety, and astonishingly low prices of Chinese manufactured trade goods, these traders are capturing a slice of local white trade. Since the advent of the “Bremerhaven,” which is to call at Tu lagi every two months, they will no doubt land their goods more cheaply than hitherto.