Tropic Alities

TWO Australian soldiers in Port Moresby involved themselves in a heap of trouble lately. Under the influence of lusty liquor, they wandered over to Ela Beach, late at night, seeking adventure. They found it in the bakery of G. Smith & Co., where they decided to pick a fight with the two native assist ants. Bread was being made, so they seized the native men and tried to put them in the flour trough. Assistance

came, and the heroes were thrown out.

Back in the moonlit road, they cater wauled their excitement to the stars, and then they went back and smashed the front windows of G. Smith & Co. By this time, policemen had arrived from over the hill, and the festive lads were taken into custody. Next morning the magistrate expressed his opinion of such behaviour in simple words of one syl lable, and the two gentlemen were con victed on a series of offences and sen tenced to 14 days.

One hates to think of the effect of such conduct by men of the “taubada” class upon the minds of native Papuans.

Soldiers who have no sense of the obli gations that lie upon a European should not be allowed in Papua or New Guinea. * INTEREST has been aroused locally by the imminent but, alas, temporary return to Fiji of Dr S. M. Lambert, who was widely known throughout the Western Pacific as the Rockefeller Foundation representative (says our Fiji correspondent, writing on June 10). It was hoped that, when Dr. Lambert had seen his book safely through the publishers’ hands, he would return per manently to such of the Pacific Islands as had no libel actions awaiting him.

Rumour, however, suggests that a too cautious publisher insisted on the omission of the most interesting para graphs from Dr. Lambert’s book; and rumour also suggests that his return to Suva and other places in the Western Pacific will be quite temporary. Even so, many scores of his friends will welcome his visit. * IN times long past, when the world was young, Ro’o was the messenger of the sun-god, Tane.

Like all messengers, he became the bearer of gossip and scandal, tittle-tattle and vague chatter, which eventually placed him in the pantheon of Polynesia as the god of rumour When the great gods departed, Ro’o was left behind to shift for himself.

There was no place for him in the solemn council chamber of oblivion to which they had retired. Nor did the mouldering marae in groves and valleys offer him sanctuary.

The Papeete market square, however, appeared a likely place and he established himself there. So congenial has he found this new abode that he has re mained there until this day.

Ro’o was born from a cloud and most of the oracles from his modern marae are as. damp and foggy as his birthplace.

The worshipful company who gather each morning at dawn to receive the oracles add to their murkiness when they disperse to their homes to relate them to their friends and neighbours.

This sort of thing has been going on for uncounted years. The most extra ordinary tales come out of the Papeete

market-place and there are always silly, misty-minded people to believe them — even in this day of radio and press and accurate sources of information. —A.C.R. * TO the Australian, the term “souvenir” has a somewhat different meaning from that generally accepted in France. Lieutenant Robert Guilhumet, a young officer from New Caledonia, with the Free French force in camp in Aus tralia, learned that to his cost, re cently, in Sydney. The officer was dining with a friend at a well-known hotel. His hat and gloves were left in the vestibule, almost within sight of the dining-room.

When he came to collect his possessions, the French kepi had disappeared.

Actually, the gloves were more valuable.

However, the souvenir-hunter evidently preferred the officer’s cap. The theft was a particularly mean one, as Lieutenant Guilhumet had no possible hope of re placing his loss, and he had to leave for abroad without the cap.—Eriki. * WHEN ships of the American squad ron that visited Sydney and NZ spent two days in Suva recently, interest in the visitors was more than

perfunctory—they were enthusiastically

welcomed ashore, and many entertain ments were exchanged (says our Fiji correspondent). Speculation was aroused when most of the sailors’ farewells included the announcement; “We’ll be right back before you know it!” Though there is no information as to whether the British Government is considering leas ing bases to the US Navy in Fiji, such as have been arranged in the West Indies, it is an open secret that the new American Consul in Suva has had a naval attache appointed to his office. * STRANGE ships that pass in the night!

The other evening, in Sydney, two men from opposite ends of the Pacific met at a function arranged by the Pacific Islands Society. One was for merly a miner in New Guinea, the other a Tahitian soldier. Neither could under stand the other very well, though schoolboy French helped a little. Before parting, the ex-miner asked if the young Tahitian had a watch. The lad, believing that he had been asked the time, replied: “Aita” (no). Thereupon, his new friend removed a gold wristlet watch from his arm and placed it about that of the Tahitian!—Vakatini.