Tropicalities

IT was Easter, and we of the outlying parts of uncivilisation were all dossing at the guest house.

This morning we were discussing Mac’s seeming immunity from mosquito bites. We were scrambling around in various stages of undress, scraping faces, bathing, raid ing aspirin bottles—you know how it is— when Mac went for his “swim”.

The cooks were busy making beds, col lecting “calicos”, etc., when Mac’s cook noting his master’s absence—enlightened us with a twinkle in his eyes: “Along night, master b’long me, him he drunk too much—him he no savee time allgeter mosquito kai-kai along him.

Orright—behind along middle night-all geter mosquito, him he drunk too much — him he can’t savee kai-kai along master b’long me. No gammon. Ha! Ha! Ha!” * * * THERE are now 202 people on Pitcairn Island, Which has an area of only two square miles. When the popula tion reached 194. in 1856, it was considered too large for the island, and the people were removed to Norfolk Island. But 40 of them returned, and the population again commenced to grow, until to-day, as stated, it is now over 200. Something will have to be done about it soon. People from Pitcairn, in recent years, have ex amined two islands a few hundred miles away from Pitcairn—namely, Elizabeth (or Henderson) Island, and Ducie Island.

Both are high and well wooded and ap pear to be generally suitable for settle ment, except that in both cases there is a lack of permanent water, which becomes acute in dry seasons. * * * OP all the bright and embroidered stories of life in New Guinea, one likes best the story of Mrs. W. E. Giblin and her house-boy. It is necessary to empha sise that Mrs. Giblin (who has just left Wau to live in Sydney) is a gentle lady.

She has been a war nurse, and carved a plantation out of the jungle, and oper ated a mining claim on Edie Creek; but she never has been otherwise than sweet and womanly. In Wau, she had a house boy whose head was solid wood. No matter what the task, this unfortunate “coon” would get it wrong way first or up side down, and he was lazy. Friends told Mrs. Giblin what to say to him; but she shuddered, and struggled on, trying with kindness and patience to make him “house-boy true”.

But there came the inevitable end.

Visitors whom Mrs. Giblin delighted to honour coughed and gurgled over coffee; and deduction and analysis proved that the boy had put Epsom salts into the coffee pot. The boy seemed non-repentant; and the Giblin patience broke.

“You —”, she cried, bitterly, using the words which had been recommended to her*The boy leaped like a stung mus tang. Mrs. Giblin furiously repeated the phrase, which cast sanguinary doubt upon his ancestry.

“O me sorry too much missus”, whimp ered the boy.

Thereafter, he was a reformed char acter. Wau people with a sense of humour loved to hear Mrs. Giblin—albeit coyly— whipping him along with the “Beebee ’ phrase, while the boy leaped with enthus iasm into his housework.

Actually, this is not a funny story, but

a plain statement of fact. Hard-boiled Australian miners use the startling term as a final bitter curse upon their lagging labourers; and the labourers react to it as if it were a whip. They do not know what it means; but they do know that it represents the last word, the end of all patience, and that right behind it there usually is something worse than langu age. * * ♦ WHEN discussing the Public Service Re organisation Report, at a recent meeting of the British Solomon Is lands Protectorate Advisory Council, the Bishop of Melanesia (Dr. Baddeley) said: “If the future is black so far as the copra market is concerned —and we have little in the way of subsidiary industries— that may result in diminishing white population in these islands, and a conse quent fall in customs revenue. From what source then will there come an income to maintain necessary native welfare ser vices?”

In this connection, it is interesting to note that the male white population at the present time is only, approximately, 40 more than in 1909, and this increase is accounted for by an addition of 23 to the Government service, and extended mission activities. However, to counter balance this, there are now some 200 aliens, mostly Chinese, as against 1 alien in 1909. * * * IT happened on one of the out-stations of the 8.5.1. Protectorate during the crisis period of 1938. A sophisticated native of Malaita moved about amongst his primitive mountain brethren offering small Union Jacks, at £1 per head, which, he guaranteed, would be an effective pro tection against the Japanese troops in their forthcoming invasion, especially for the native women. (A Malaitaman hedges his women round with all kinds of elabor ate taboos, and will do anything to pre serve them inviolate.) The slick salesman

actually got rid of a few of his flags be fore the matter became known to the local Government Officer, who arrested him. At the trial, the “boy” put up the naive defence that he really believed in the protective function of the Union Jack.

Exasperated at his cheek, the D.O. looked hard at the culprit, and said: “Yes, it’s true the Union Jack protects people who live under the King’s Government, but you don’t really believe you are the King himself, do you?”

“No, master”, replied the accused. “I am not the King. I’m only a poor native”— almost bursting into tears with affected humility.

“Only a poor native, eh!” replied the D.O. “Good, then I’m going to put you where a lot of other poor natives like you are being cared for by the Govern ment. The sentence is six months.”

“Thank you, master”, replied the “poor native”.

“Solomon”.

UNDER a regime which, as Field - Marshal Goering (Hitler’s stand-in No. 1) boasts, prefers guns to butter, Nazi Germany nowadays has little use for art in any form, and in recent months a “kultur” clean-up has resulted in the “expulsion” of many modern paintings from the various Art Galleries. Among a large batch of pictures declared “deca dent” was “In Tahiti” by Gauguin, the celebrated French artist who lived for a number of years in French Oceania.

Auctioned at the Fischer Gallery in Lucerne, Switzerland, it brought £2,380.

Altogether 125 modern canvases were offered for sale, but the results were dis appointing and prices did not come up to expectation. Those unsold were sent back to Germany. * * » THE four days’ visit of the Governor- General of New Zealand (Lord Gal way) to Western Samoa at the end of July was an unqualified success. The warm, spontaneous welcome given the Vice-Regal party was not only a mani festation of the famed Samoan hospital ity, but coming after weary months of in ternal political bickering the visit offered the Samoan people an opportunity of openly demonstrating their loyalty to the British Empire. Even the Mau chiefs wore red, white and blue ribbons on their Mau uniforms. The only adverse com ment made in Apia on the visit con cerned : Someone had blundered in decorating the entrance gate to Malifa Government School. A large Japanese flag, which completely swamped the very small Union Jacks surrounding it, greeted the official party as it made its way into the school grounds.

The action of two European members of the Legislative Council in not attend ing the official dinner and ball at Gov ernment House, Vailima, after having re ceived invitations.

It is proposed to send the ova of trout from Rotorua district. New Zealand, to Suva. It is believed that the numerous streams of Fiji can be stocked up with trout.

The Catholic Mission at Milne Bay, Eastern Papua, opened a new church at Ladava on August 20. Built of native material, with a wooden floor, it was de signed by Father Bryson and constructed by Mission natives, under the supervision of Brother Vogt.