Tropicalities

rE optimism of the Hon. Leonard Murray, CBE, thus expressed at a gathering of Territorians in Sydney on August 22: “I believe that it has been suggested that there has been on occasion an un healthy jealousy, amounting almost to dislike at times, between the two Terri tories of Papua and New Guinea. I do not believe that any such feeling ever existed. What has existed has been a healthy rivalry which has tended to stimulate the best efforts in each Terri tory, and which has been quite free from any bitter partisan feeling.

“Anyway, the future must be one of common effort, with mutual loyalty to each other, and with common pride of achievement.” ♦ * * Chicken-farming on Mangaia, cook Islands, is a worrying job. The bush is full of wild cats, real minia ture panthers. Out of a clutch of 20 chicks, one may-it lucky-raise three to henhood. The cats get the rest! Wire netting is too expensive; and the war has made it unobtainable, anyway. Our only consolation is that the rats, who used to steal the eggs, now get no show.

We do, at least, see our eggs hatched.

E.G. * * * rE ancient wheeze about “That ain’t no lady— that’s my missis!” had its parallel recently in my little baili wick up here on the cliff (wntesa resi dent of a Polynesian island). On hoat day I went to the local G.P.0., bedight in real European raiment—a suit Com ing back, I passed two native kids, of tender age, in the village street. One knew me; the other didn’t. Conversa-. tion (translated): , “Look—there’s a papa a from the Sh “Garn, that ain’t no. European. That’s Eti! 99 I have been 20 years a resident here--r and now feel that those two decades o trading are not in vain—l am now one of the gang. * * * THESE timeless Islands! The Spanish have a word for it—“Manana.” The Cook Islanders also have a word quite as musical, and with the same meaning: “Anana (bye-and-bye, or never do to-day what you can put off until to-morrow). The spirit of Anana is that mystic something which gives the Islands their peculiar fascination, and Ca Only U t S his° week the manager of a big local trading firm received from his agent on a far northern atoll, the follow fne brief message: “Please ask head quarters to return the sewmg-mac]hme which I sent for repair 22 years ago.

Which shows what I mean.

W. s. Bond, Rarotonga.

rANSPORT is difficult in the Pacific these days—even-for those who run it. Mr. Harold Gatty, who came 9Ut from America in July to set in motion the machinery for the resumption of Pan- American Airways Trans-Pacific service, expected to take in the whole business in a matter of weeks. But when he reached his terminal point in Australia, he found that the means whereby he hoped to return to the States had curled up and withered on the stem.

Finally, he departed from Suva on Sep tember 19— but not without a prolonged stay in Auckland.

While in the Dominion he be moaned his lot each meal-time to another hotel patron sitting at the same table.

Finally, after days of this, his tablemate turned up one morning with a bright ld “Look,” he said, “I know just the bloke who can fix you up. I don’t know him personally, but I can get you an introduc tion to him, and if there is anyone in this place who can fix air transport to America for you, this is the man.”

Mr. Gatty was interested, but suspicious.

“What’s his name?” he asked.

“He’s the chap who flew round the world with Wiley Post —he’s now with PA A. His name’s. Harold Gatty. ♦ * ♦ ONE of the first things noticed by the visitor to Fiji is that the only sugar available is raw sugar. Although this Colony has a sugar economy, the sugar traffic has been all one way for the past five years. There is no refinery in Fiji; and, although it has been possible to freight the raw product to New Zea land there has been no shipping avail able to bring the refined sugar back.

To one who sets little store by econo mic finagling between countries there seems no good reason why it is not pos sible to complete the business of refin ing right here in the place where sugar is grown. New Zealand, however, appa rently hugs to herself the privilege of refining the crude sugar and re-exporting it to the land of its origin.

Due to strikes, the southern States of Australia were having considerable heart burning over raw sugar earlier this year.

Australia was all for its Pfi re white crystals; but the raw sugar is accepted here by Fiji residents without comment.

The grains, however, show a tendency to stick together, and for that reason raw sugar is not exactly a social success.

Instead a free-running tnckle of white grains into your tea cup, you get the plop and the backwash of a congealed spoonful of brown sugar.—J.T. * * * 117HILE large centres like Sydney and W Auckland, in more or less close touch with Fiji in normal times, have at least one hotel which is a ren dezvous for ex-Fiji residents and visitors from the Islands it is unusual to find a somewhat similar state of affairs in more remote centres.

This happened in Mackay, Queensland, early in October: A. V. Guy, Fiji Lands

Department, on leave. 7 alke £ristiirv

“Barney” McGuire’s popular hostelry with R. C. Macpherson. Mackay Daily Mercury,” late of the “Fiji Times and Herald ” to say, “Bula balavu” over a couple ’of beers The dri had been poured when in walked W. N.

Cowie Civil Aviation Department, radio man relieving at Mackay. and formerly ofZJVand VPT>2. Suva, He was accom named by a chance-met ex-Fijian resi dent, W.G. Gilchrist, once of the Suva

Town Board staff, and now aerodromes inspector with the Civil Aviation Depart ment.

Needless to say, quite a few were “knocked over” and many an old tale oi Suva retold before the day’s beer quota cut out. “Barney” McGuire’s has become Mackay’s Fiji Club —at least tempor arily.—R.C.M. . ♦ * ♦ rUR absurd stories from Western Samoa; American visitor: “And do they still practise polygamy in this island?” Boy student: “Yes sir. Every evening at four thirty, sir.” „ ..

Mrs. Mandrill; “Could you tell me the name of that pretty little bird?” Island boy: “Yes madam. It is called the ‘Tiotala’.” Mrs. Mandrill: “Oh, what a pretty name. Now, what would that be in English?” * Island boy: “The lavatory bird, madam.” .

Planter: “Hi, boy, you must not go into that room while my wife is bathing.”

Boy; “No, boss. I bin look troo de key hole, till ’e finish.” .

Mrs. Black; “Just fancy, a young girl like that being born of twins.” Mrs Brown: Well, you know, they will eat these ‘double bananas’.” ♦ * ♦ rE old Tyneside custom, of borrowing a pie from the neighbours to grace one’s festal and guestal board, is not unknown in Poynesia, too. Only here, tins of various meats form a pyramid on the feast-table. The “Geordie” never, of course, cuts the bor rowed pie! rHis guests don’t, either (I fancy someone slips them a hint—that, or telepathy!). And. likewise, the tins of meat from the hilts next-door, go back, after the feast that a villager may give in honour of his guest from Aitutaki, etc., as virgin canisters unprofaned by machete-point (we don’t use tin-openers).

But one of these days, someone must for get. May I live to see it!—ETI. ♦ ♦ ♦ LITTLE Mary was an inveterate th\imb-sucker. Nothing her mother could do seemed to break her of the habit. At last one day, very fed up, her mother said: “Look here, Mary, if you don’t stop sucking that thumb of yours you’ll blow up and bust.”

A few days later the local ladies’ pat riotic society met at Mary’s house, and amongst them was a young woman shortly to become a mother.

Mary, who had been permitted to sit in, was obviously fascinated by this lady and followed her every movement, sil ently, for quite half-an-hour. Finally, unable to contain herself any longer, she planted herself in front of her and, dur ing a lull in the general conversation, said in a high, childish treble: “I’ll bet I know what you’ve been doing!”

The death was announced recently of Mr. W. C. B. Baverstock, who was a Dis trict Officer in the Gilbert and Ellice Colony between 1920 and 1935. He spent many years in Fanning Island.

Mrs. A. H. Steward, a resident of Fiji since 1903, died at the home of her son, Mr. Reg. Steward, of Suva, on September 28. She was 77 years of age.