To Trading.

Islands Author Takes To Trading.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, Dec. 16.

OUR local author, Captain, R. J.

Dashwood (“Julian Hillas”) has left by the “Tagua” for Mauke Island, where he will be branch manager for the Cook Islands Trading Co.

This venture into trading is just an other chapter in his varied career. At the outbreak of the war, when he was studying for the ministry, he joined the Air Force, gaining the rank of Captain.

After being demobilised, he represented a motor firm in the North of England and a little later was a school-teacher.

Next we find him farming in South Af rica. He later toured the colony lec turing on Applied Psychology. Then, going to Australia, he formed a school on that subject. It was a success until the de pression-people at that stage were only interested in Applied Economics!

Captain Dashwood drifted to the Is lands and, after spending some time in Rarotonga, wrote his first novel, “I Know An Island”. His second, “White Natives”, has not yet been published. Since then he has written extensively for overseas magazines, and many of his articles have appeared in the “Pacific Islands Month ly”.

Mr. George Schwencke, of Messrs. O.

F. Nelson & Co., Ltd., who had been in Samoa for many years, died in Apia Hospital from an attack of pneumonia on December 5. He was 66 years of age.

Before settling in Samoa as a trader, ke as well kn “ wa throughout Central Paclfic as a seafaring man.

Captain G B Nasmvth harbour q* ■; r ’ naroour master at Suva and meteorologist to y l6 *D I Government, returned to Suva Horn Auckland, N.Z., on December 16, after attending the Pacific Meteorologi cal Conference at Wellington.