Developing French Tourist Traffic

Cephee Brings First Round Trippers to French Oceania

From Our Own Correspondent.

Papeete, Oct. 6.

AN interesting beginning has been made by the Messageries Maritimes Steamship Company towards the development of a larger tourist traffic between France and the French Colonial possessions m the Pacific. This is being carried out in conjunction with the regular mail and passen-

ger service between Marseilles and New Caledonia.

The first batch of 40 round-trip excur sionists arrived in Tahiti by the S.S. Cephee on September 25, and were accorded a particularly warm reception by the local public. In fact, there was quite a demon stration on the quai where the visitors, in the charming Tahitian custom, were deco rated with garlands by the most ravish ing beauties of Papeete.

During the three days of their stay in Tahiti the party were well catered for in the matter of entertainment, a native dance was arranged, also a Bal Puhlique, and an automobile trip round the island in the course of which a native feast was par taken of in the district of Pueu. The visitors were also very cordially received by His Excellency Governor Sautot, by the various schools, and by Monsieur M.

Ahnne, President of the Societe des Etudes Oceaniennes which maintains a museum

containing a notable collection of Poly nesian antiquities.

The gesture most appreciated by this first party of tourists from France, how ever, was the warm welcome extended to them at a reception given by the Prin cesses Tekau and Terii Pomare. During the course of an address at this event,

Monsieur Salzani, Agent for the Messager ies Maritimes Co., evoked in moving terms the memory of the late Queen Marau of Tahiti, whose death a few months ago was a matter for universal regret.

Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Duncan, of Bulolo, New Guinea, are at present spending three months’ holiday in Sydney.

Father A. Manion, of the Society of the Divine Word, arrived in Australia from the United States of America by the Maunganui on October 19. Accom panied by Brother Victor Salois, S.V.D., he left Sydney for New Guinea by the Macdhui on October 24 to join the staff of the Catholic Mission at Wewak, on the northern coast of the New Guinea mainland.

Some of Tahiti’s fair ladies who welcomed the Cephee tourists from France with lovely garlands of Tahitian flowers. From left to right: The Misses Brander (nieces of Queen Pomare), Mile. Spitz, Mile. Herault and Madame Guilbert. M. Salzani, Messageries Maritimes Co.’s agent, is at the extreme right, and Monsieur L’Herbier, President of the Papeete Tourist Bureau, is in the background.

Mr. Peter Cowan, of Mauke Island, Souther* Cook Group, who arrived at Rarotonga recently by schooner to seek medical attention, shares octagenarian honours with Mr. Charlie Ward, writes our Cook Islands correspondent. After 30 years’ service with Messrs. A. B. Donald & Co. in their various Islands branches, he set up for himself as an independent trader, and to date has 51 years’ residence in the group to his credit. Mr. Cowan has a numerous family. His eldest son repre sents the district of Matavera on the Rarotonga Island Council, and visitors to Tahiti will, no doubt, remember Mr.

Tata Cowan, not only as the director and popular referee of the many sporting events staged in Papeete, but as one of the most hospitable and helpful of people to those new to the ways of that colony.