Tropicalities

WHEN Raitia te Puretu, a fruitgrower, of Rarotonga, Cook Islands, told a Parliamentary Committee in Wellington early in June that some of his Raroton gan compatriots were so poor that they were eating their dogs, he caused a stir.

Startled members wanted more informa tion. Judge Ayson, Resident Commis sioner for the Cook Islands, who hap pened to be in Wellington, was sent for.

Judge Ayson said that since the de structive hurricane of February, 1935, the natives had been poorer; but all natives had certain land rights, which at least ensured them a sufficient quantity of food, and there was no need for them to eat dog-flesh. He, personally, had not heard of any dog-eating. There was no necessity for it; but some might prefer that kind of meat, Mr. W. Mcßirney, veteran planter, of Rarotonga, said that he had known of five dogs which had been eaten by their sorrowful masters. The natives were not foodless; but he suggested that perhaps the fishing had been unsuccessful, and the natives were too poor at present to buy meat to add to their usual vegetable foods —and so Towser had gone to the pot.

When Te Puretu repeated his statement that “many of the natives lived on dog flesh,” Judge Ayson claimed that poverty did not exist to the extent that had been suggested by some of the evidence. No body could starve in the Islands, he said. * * * BEFORE the Europeans came into the South Seas, the natives of the Gazelle Peninsula (New Britain) and of Buka (Northern Solomons) had their own coin age systems, made up of different shells, re presenting different values. And, of course, as there could not be a currency without money-lending, these natives had also their own usurers, who demanded back 15 discs for every 10 loaned by them—a mere matter of 50 per cent. They also had a traffic in slaves, which they sold for flesh to tribes along the northern shores of New Britain. Some they kept for service and, long ago, when a chief died, several slaves and a few wives were put in the grave alive to keep him company. It was not exactly an admirable practice, but it was not peculiar to the gentlemen of New Britain —similar rites were performed in Babylon some thousands of years ago.

The above facts were found recently by Mrs. Mollie Lett, of Port Moresby, Papua, in a little-known German book, whose title (in English) is: “Thirty Years in the South Seas.” * * * A MAN who travels much in Melanesia called at this office, and expressed an opinion in words of one meaning.

“You have been condemning the low class whites who go to New Guinea, and especially to the goldfields, and treat the natives in a way which destroys white prestige,” he said. “An influence that Is just as bad, if not worse, is that of the damn-fool white women who go to Papua, New Guinea, and the Solomons, and do not observe reasonable modesty and dig nity in their conduct before natives.

“Some of us older men regard the irre sponsible white women as an absolute curse. They are not profligate women—in our own modern society, they are not even regarded as immodest—but in their deal ings with the natives they are silly, to the point of danger.

“Their commonest offence is their care lessness in going about only partially clothed in their own homes, in the pre sence of houseboys. They regard the native servants as mere automatons, and ignore them; or, conversely, they treat them in a free and easy way, as if they were sexless. No young white woman, settling down in these tropical islands for the first time, should arrange her house hold affairs, in relation to the native ser vants, until she has had a few chats with someone who has lived in the Islands for a few years. Then she will learn how necessary it is to be careful and circum spect; and the dangers, both personal and social, which carelessness creates.

“A special warning should be given to the mothers of young children who are inexperienced in Islands life. Children, necessarily, must be left to the care of native servants, to some extent; and there are dangers there which must be guarded against.

“It is the deliberate neglect of these things by fluffy-headed young fools from South which makes some of the old timers spit blood at times,” he concluded.

“Please tell them about it.” * * * AMONG the possessions inherited by King Edward VIII. from his late father is a small chest of drawers which, until the death of Queen Victoria, stood in Osborne House, the Queen’s favourite resi dence in the Isle of Wight. It is more than 80 years old, and the Queen treasured it because of its associations with Pitcairn Island, one of the most remote spots in the Pacific. The chest is made of miro wood, and the drawers from the bread-fruit tree.

The gift was made at the -suggestion of Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby in 1853. “Our means are very limited, and our mechanical skill also,” declared Arthur Quintal jnr. (then the island’s Chief Magistrate), “and we will esteem it a great favour if Your 'Majesty will, condescend to accept of it as a token of our loyalty and respect.” Some

where on the island are portraits of the Queen, the Prince Consort, and the Royal children. The pictures were given by Queen Victoria to Rev. G. H. Nobbs in 1852 when he visited England to be ordained.

When Nobbs called at Osborne House to meet Prince Albert, he begged that he might also see the Queen, and the privi lege was granted. * * * SOME time ago, it was suggested here that there was no need for the desig nation “British” Solomon Islands; all the Solomon Islands are now under British control. The original British Solomons are administered by the Colonial Office; and the islands of Bougainville and Buka (comprising the Northern Solomons, con firmed to German possession by the Wes tern Samoa settlement of 1900) are part of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea.

But now it appears that, for postal reasons, it is desirable to retain the old name. “British Solomon Islands” mean one thing; while “Solomon Islands” mean another, and may lead mail matter far astray.

“The distinction is most necessary,” says a Gizo resident in a letter to the editor. “A vessel cannot cross the line between the British Solomons and the Mandated Territory without pratique of a kind; until recently, passports were necessary: and it is practically impossible for natives to cross from one Territory to the other, although they may own land in adjoining islands.”

Which suggests that, although some broadminded officials have tried to remove these irritating conditions, the law still is maintaining its reputation of being an ass.

Mr. Nigel Fraser, who is employed as a native labour overseer by Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. at Bulwa on the New Guinea goldfields, arrived in Sydney by the Nep tuna on June 1. He was accompanied by his wife, and they will spend three months’ leave in Australia.

Mr. Hakon Mielche, the Danish black and-white artist who was with the Danish scientific expedition in the Pacific in 1934, is at present on a tour of the western republics of South America.