About Islands People

Mr. J. Clapham, accountant of the Bank of New Zealand, Suva, was fare welled by the members of the Fiji Ban ana Association at McDonald’s Hotel, on Jan. 12. Major Brewster, in making Mr.

Clapham a presentation on behalf of the Association, praised the good services rendered to shippers by Mr. Clapham during his stay in Suva, and congratu lated him on his promotion.

Mr. D. Ashton resigned from the ser vice of Steamships Trading Co. Ltd., Samarai, Papua, at the end of the year to become skipper of the auxiliary ketch “Lady Jean,” a freighting vessel oper ated in Eastern Papua by Messrs. Bunt ing and Evennett. Mr. Ashton came to Samarai last July as a member of the crew of the ill-fated yacht, “Lands End,” which was wrecked near Sud-Est Island.

Mr. W. A. Levett, of the London Mis sionary Society in the Gilbert Islands, has just completed furlough in Austra lia and is now on his way back to Beru.

He passed through New Zealand on the “Niagara” in February, and will connect with the “John Williams” at Suva. Fiji.

Mr. H. A. Gibbon, a well known geo physicist, of New York, is at present in Papua, in connection with the operations of the A.P. Co.

Mr. H. E. Snell, a director and secre tary of Morris, Hedstrom Ltd., Suva, arrived in New Zealand from Fiji by the “Monterey” in mid-January. He was accompanied by Mrs. Snell.

On January 30, at the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Port Moresby (Rev.

Father McEncoe officiating), Mr. G. F.

X. Brown was married to Miss Marjorie Thom, of Bondi, Sydney. The bride was given away by Mr. E. E. Washington, and was attended by Mrs. I. Griffiths as matron of honour. Mr. W. Brian Mol loy was best man. Mr. Brown is a well known resident of Port Moresby, and is a member of the staff of the Lands Department.

Sir Maynard Hedstrom, doyen of the Fiji Consular Service, has been honoured by His Majesty Gustaf V., King of Sweden, conferring upon him the In signia of Chevalier of the Order of the North Star, “in recogntion of valuable services rendered in the capacity of hon orary vice-consul of Sweden at Suva, Fiji,” over a period of 26 years. Sir Maynard has also received the Royal Warrant granting permission to receive and wear the insignia, and bearing the signature of His Majesty King George.

Rev. C. L. Welch is at present en route to Nauru, after spending furlough in Australia. He is a member of the Lon don Missionary Society’s staff.

Mrs. Martha Jones, wife of Mr. Jim Jones, of Headstone, Norfolk Island, died recently, aged 23.

Rev. Dr. C. E. Fox, M.A., who has been a Melanesian Mission worker in the Solo mon Islands for nearly 40 years, is at present in New Zealand, having just re turned from furlough in England. He will leave for Tulagi by the “Southern Cross” in April. Dr. Fox is one of the outstanding authorities on Pacific lin guistics in the world and while in Lon don completed a manuscript dealing with the Solomons, which he placed in the hands of a publisher—the war, however, has delayed its publication. Curiously enough. Dr. Fox was in England both at the outbreak of the Great War and at

the commencement of the present con flict. “The change in the behavior of the people on this occasion was most notice able,” he told the N.Z. newspapers on his arrival in the Dominion. “There was no suggestion of jingoism—merely a quiet determination to see things through. The British people are now united as they never were in 1914. There is no sign of decadence in England, and the country is lovelier than ever.”

Mr. Peter Buffett, of Norfolk Island, arrived in New Zealand in January on a visit to his son Mr. Arthur B. Buffett, who is a ground mechanic in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Mr, Buffett, Jnr., will shortly leave the Dominion for fur ther training in Canada.

Mr. J. F. Surr, of the Melanesian Mission staff at Tulagi, Solomon Islands, is now in New Zealand on leave.

Rev. G. H. Eastman, of the L.M.S. at Beru, G. and E. Islands, is at present on furlough in New Zealand.

This pretty girl, Miss Mar jorie Sexton, leaves her home in Nu kualofa, Tonga, this month, for New castie, England, where she is to be married to Wireless In struetor Harry Arm strong.