Bad Drought In Marquesas
p. 32 · Read in the full issue
Group
From Our Own Correspondent
Papeete. Dec. 15.
THE schooner “Denise” (Captain Mer vin), arrived at Papeete from the Marquesas Tslands on November 30.
Captain Mervin reports a long-contin ued and devastating drought in all the islands of the Marquesas—especially Nukuhiva.
Already, seven months have passed without even a shower of rain. Coconut groves which barely survived the pro longed drought of 1937 have succumbed this year.
Droughts in the Marquesas Islands continue for one and even two years, when a rainless season overtakes those latitudes. They are situated in the dol drums where there are very different climatic conditions from those prevailing in the islands further south.
The native Marquesans in times of plenty, guard themselves against the long drought by storing breadfruit in deep pits. The breadfruit so stored be comes with time a fermenting sour paste called mahi —not acceptable to Eu ropean palates. It being the only source of food supply (outside of fish and im norted tinned meats'* available during the rainless seasons, the physical condi tion of the Marquesan natives becomes very deteriorated if the drought is pro longed.