Tropicalities

THAT genial American writer and Pa cific traveller, Mr. Marc T. Greene, made another of his startling appear ances in Sydney during the month. He drops in periodically, and disappears un expectedly; and no sooner has one word of him in Tonga, or Singapore, or Nor folk Island, than he is back again. He has been up in Manchuria, looking the combatants over; about three weeks later, he was down in South Tasmania; and on February 28 he went off on the Niagara, with some thought of Samoa in his mind. But I predict Tahiti will see him again very soon. Like many sea soned travellers, he regards French Oceania as the fairest place on God’s earth. He has a merciless pen, and those Pacific peoples whom he criticises rise re gularly to frenzy and retaliation and are anything but pacific. But they all read what he writes —which may be taken as the measure of any writer’s success. * * * THE Melanesian Mission Press at Ma ravovo, Guadalcanar, is not the only press in the British Solomons. There is an important printing outfit con trolled by the Roman Catholic Mission headquarters at Visale, on Guadalcanar; and the Seventh Day Adventist Mission, at Roviana, also operates a press. We have been asked by the Melanesion Mis sion officials to make this correction of an article which we published last No vember.

IT is a remarkable thing, and striking testimony to the efficiency of the ser vices and the reliability of the pilots, that the New Guinea aerial transport organisations have carried on for years almost without the loss of a passenger.

Year in and year out, these aero planes have maintained communica tions between the Morobe field and Salamaua, Lae and Port Moresby—flying over some of the worst country in the world —and, until Mr.

Drayton crashed recently with a pas senger, I do not recollect one fatal acci dent in which anyone outside of the avi ation personnel was involved. Yet these pilots must have carried many thousands of passengers. In this connection, I have an interesting note from Captain P. H.

Moody, who had a good deal to do with early flying in New Guinea, but who is now settled down in Western Queens land: —“I have read the account in your columns of the death of Frank Drayton with a deal of sadness. He is the last to go of the team I took up there in the early days of New Guinea flying. Les Trist, Fred Ward and Frank Drayton— one by one they have passed away, leav ing nothing but the memory of loyal men and good fellows.” * * * THE value of the Department of Agri culture is recognised in the Territory of New Guinea, where the services of the expert officers, and the information secured at its various experimental plan tations, are freely availed of. But it may be that the usefulness of this or ganisation is not appreciated in other Islands Territories, where agricultural conditions are the same. The Depart ment, for instance, issues a “Price List of Planting Materials,” from which it appears that it has for sale, at low prices, the seeds, etc., of practically avery kind of plant and tree grown on

the various plantations; as well as such things as insecticides, sprays, etc. All South Seas planters should send to the Department of Agriculture, Rabaul, for this “Price List,” to be kept as a handy reference; and, if they are wise, they will try to secure, also, copies of the various pamphlets published, from time to time, by Mr. George H. Murray, Di rector of Agriculture in New Guinea. * * * WE are glad to have received from Ta hiti a copy of a very attractive newspaper of 18 pages entitled “Le Reveil” (“The Awakening”) which com menced publication recently and which will appear at regular intervals as “an organ to advance the economic and pol itical interests of the people of French Oceania.” Under the direction of the editor, Mons. H. Bodin, this new news paper deals vigorously with many sub jects of local and general interest. The pages, which are in French and Tahitian, have been most ingeniously and attrac tively printed by means of typewriter and duplicator. We wish the best of good luck to the new newspaper and hope it will have sufficient local support to en sure for it a long and useful career. * * * THOUSANDS of people in the Pacific Islands will be glad to note that the very popular commander of the B.P. liner “Macdhui,” Captain C. E. Williams, has received well deserved promotion.

“Jazz” —as he is universally known, in order to distinguish him from the other Captain Williams, who also has a thou sand friends —has been master of Island steamers for many years and has the kind of record that makes even the most hard-hearted of directors weep for joy when his name is mentioned. He has never lost a ship and never been involved in a serious accident —he has an un canny facility for finding his way about the unlighted Pacific at night, even in the thickest weather. They say he can pick his way blindfolded into little known and almost uncharted ports any where in the Solomons or New Guinea.

"Jazz” will leave the “Macdhui” when she reaches Sydney in April and proceed to Britain to bring out the Big Firm’s new motorship. The present first officer of the “Macdhui,” Mr. A. Campbell, will take over command. This also will be a popular appointment among Islanders.

Mr. Campbell, apart from social quali ties, is a splendid seaman; and there are tourists who say that Pacific Islands sightseeing is not really complete until one has seen this long, dour officer hand ling native stevedore labour. * * * THERE are thousands of bridge players in the Pacific Islands —it is a good old South Seas custom. But mostly they are auction players and, possibly are happy to remain in that condition.

But if there be among them any who have ambitions and wish to become players of contract bridge—the high brow, aristocratic relation of auction — they are recommended to get a copy of “Contract Kernels,” a new book by Myra Millingen, containing a complete de scription of the new game and just pub lished by Messrs. Angus and Robertson, Ltd., at 3/6. Those who profess to know, declare that up to date it is the best ex position published concerning this fas cinating development of bridge.