South Seas

"Wowsers" Of The

Contributed THE social system of the South Seas —particularly in such centres as Suva, Apia and Papeete—may be classed roughly into three divisions the official, the missionary, and the Brotherhood of the Bottle.

The official, of course, is an exclusive and limited circle which admits outsid ers only on state occasions.

The barriers about the missionary co terie are less impregnable, and there are passwords which will open the doors to earnest seekers for admission. There prevail, however, inflexible standards and, it is reputed, some very sniffy noses point over the teatables at social assemblages of the membership.

The Brotherhood of the Bottle, on the contrary, is eclectic. It imposes no stan dards of vocation or avocation, as re quirements for membership.

Nevertheless, the snorting contempt for Philistines outside the bond of their fellowship, far out-measures any mani festation of snobbery which might come from members of more exclusive coter ies. This displeasure is perhaps, akin to the fury which is reputed to shake the spirit of a woman scorned; for all those who remain outside the Brother hood, do so of their own free will and accord.

As, in ancient times, all men outside the confederation of Grecian cities were Barbarians, so all without the circle of the Brotherhood of the Bottle are Wow sers.

Now a Wowser —in the parlance south of the Line —is a person who, wrapped in a cloak of real or simulated piety turns a forbidding countenance on all effervescence of the human spirit, and casts over such frivolous pastimes a murky cloud of stern reprobation.

The Brotherhood do not, however, limit their use of the word to those who conform to its true definition.

Many really good fellows who are aware that rum, a tropical climate and white men do not compound happily, and are not desirous of making the ac quaintance of pink elephants, rosy ser pents and crimson centipedes are placed under the classification of Wowsers, in the lexicon of the Brother hood.

Winebibbers, and those who wait un til the sun is over the yard-arm, before broaching the bottle, are classed as part- Aryan. and granted places within the vestibule.

The true belted Knights of the In ner Temple and Keepers of the Palla dium of the Order, are the one bottle and two bottle men: quaffers of Glen livet, Highland Dew and the fiery rum of the Islands.

It is extraordinary, how many men take the Accolade. Perhaps it is the climate; or, perhaps, it is disillusion.

The lotus eating paradise of which they dreamed, and came so far to find, has proven to be but a mirage.

The genie of the Bottle mav, indeed, have wafted them to the country of their desire, and in sweet communion they seek to tarry there.

Mr. Michael Lynch, a pioneer of the Dreketi district, Fiji, died recently at Labasa. Old residents of the Colony will remember Mr. Lynch as sergeant in the former Fiji Police Force.