Notes From Rotuma

rE wonderful news of the ending of the war was received with rejoicing in Rotuma. Church bells at the Sumi and Upu Catholic Missions were rung merrily for many hours, and drums were beaten in every village.

Because an overseas vessel was in port loading copra, our scheduled two days’ holiday could not be enjoyed until a later date. But a party of Rotumans went to the ship and gave an entertainment of songs and dances. The ship’s guns were fired, and there was also a rocket and tracer bullets display.

For an island of its size and popula tion (3,000) Rotuma’s contribution to the war was considerable. Nearly 100 young men saw service with the Fiji Defence Forces, in the Solomons and elsewhere.

Many more were employed with the Labour Corps in Fiji, while the people at home contributed to war funds a small percentage of all their copra weights.

The value of this percentage totalled approximately £7OO per annum. The Rotumans wished the whole amount to be devoted to war purposes, but the Fiji Government decided to allocate 25 per cent, of it only, and keep the balance to establish a provident fund for the future benefit of the Rotumans.

One Of The Joys Of Peace

When Captain W. Percy brought the MV “Yanawai” to Rotuma, on her Sep tember voyage, he remarked on how pleasant it was to be able to do tne journey from Udu Point to Rotuma with out the “blackout”—for the first time m six years!

Kapok

“Aweel’s” idea of applying centrifugal force to the de-seeding of kapok would cause a major brainstorm among the Rotumans, whose hunt-and-pick method is most popular. One PJ g sive spirit did tell us how to speed up the process—by rubbing the kapok over the holes in a cane-bottomed chair!

Obituary

The death occurred, on September 1, at his home in Malha’a, Rotuma, of Mr F. H. Gibson. In former years he was one of the firm of Missen & Gibson, traders, at Rotuma.