Cook Island News.

“Carinthia's” Visit.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, Feb. 27.

THE Cunard liner “Carinthia” on her world cruise was at Rarotonga for a few hours on February 7. During her short stay a number of local residents were guests of the Company aboard the vessel.

By comparison with the hard conditions and plain fare aboard an Island schooner the “Carinthia” was indeed luxurious and the glimpse of things from the winter garden on the top deck to her State rooms below wafted up visions of Omar’s poem.

As proof that the passengers were real genuine tourists they bought all manner of na tive curios, ornaments and such-like, and to the bewilderment of smiling-faced natives handed out superior brands of Havana cigars and amber scented cigarettes (private monogram thrown in) and bestowed tips for the most trifling service as a matter of course. Bank of England notes and dollar bills were tossed about with an astounding disregard of the present heavy ex change rate on local paper currency—25 per cent, with sterling and a higher percentage with the dollar.

The event of the “Carinthia” must indeed go down in Cook Islands history even for the elaborate arrangements specially made through Thos. Cook Ltd. for the open-air exhibition of native dancing at Murl.

The “Carinthia” stood well out to sea during her stay and took no chances of being driven on the reef. Statistics, the working out of which no doubt were intended to satisfy the American passengers, included some interesting records. One item which was worked out on more practical lines and which the common man understood better was the information that a whole trainload of beer had been taken aboard in England for the cruise.

Tourist Spirit Exhausted.

Following a call at the Galapagos Islands the Norwegian motor-ship, “Stella Polaris” (5,600 tons), entered the Marquesas Archipelago and landed tourists at several of the islands. She then called at Raratea and Tahiti and came on to Rarotonga where she dropped anchor on Feb ruary 13, departing the same day for Pago Pago.

Her 50 or 60 passengers were entertained to an afternoon’s entertainment of native dancing at Rarotonga and, although an extensive assort ment of native handicraft work was exhibited for sale, for some unknown reason, the passen gers were not particularly interested in purchases.

The Northern Cook Group.

No mail advices have reached Rarotonga from the Northern Cook Group since October 31 last year. This group (Penrhyn, Manihiki, and Ra kahanga) lies 750 miles about due north of Rarotonga and is more severely menaced by hur ricanes than the lower group (Aitutaki, Atiu, Mauke, Mangaia and Rarotonga). The two small sailing vessels are expected to arrive any day at Tahiti, direct from Penrhyn, with infor mation of how the northern islands have fared during the aad weather.

It is not yet known whether the schooner “Tiare Taporo,” which was in the vicinity of Rarotonga on January 3 met with the cyclone which the “Maunganui” encountered on the night of January 3 off Rarotonga.

Rockefeller Sanitation

Scheme.

The Rockefeller scheme of sanitation which is being attempted in the Cook Group is on sim ilar lines to that which has been installed in Fiji and despite the interference of heavy rains combined with exhausting summer weather, the work is being pressed forward at the P.W.D. depot, and in the field. It is anticipated that the whole of the installations at Rarotonga (850 about) will be completed within three or four months. Continuation of the work will then be transferred to Aitutaki and later to the other islands of the group.