Spoiled by Wet Weather

Tahiti's Fair

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, July 17.

OUR Agricultural Fair, held in July, was the most ambitious undertaking of that nature ever seen in this island. The group of buildings, on the grounds of the racecourse, were of the old Tahitian pattern and their erection was the work of the people of Papenoo dis trict, who are expert in that type of construction.

Unfortunately, the early days of both Fair and Bastile Lay ceremonies met very unpropitious weather. Prolonged rains turned the racecourse enclosure —where the Fair is situated —into a quaking morass. Those who did not have the fortitude to navigate the sea of mud were able, however, to hear the principal speakers and the singing by the district choirs, in the comfort of their homes— through the courtesy of the Marine radio service, which broadcast the most inter esting events.

The four choirs who sang the ancient paripari fenua (poetic chants) of their districts, revived memories of Tahiti’s Bastile Day in the period of its splen dour, when singing companies of all the islands came to Papeete to do honour to the great national festival.

The singing by the choirs of the Ra’iatea Colony and of the district of Faaone moved the listeners to enthusias tic applause and demands for as many repetitions as the committee would per mit. Paea and Pu-na’au-ia covered selves with glory, even though they did not achieve the standard set by Ra’iatea and Faaone.