Tropicalities

HAS any Territorian heard of this episode which apparently oc curred during the early days of the Japanese occupation of Rahaul? The story is reprinted here from the current issue of the “Catholic Mission Magazine .”

Immediately after the Battle of the Coral Sea (the first check to Japan’s southward drive), the Imperial High Command in Rabaul was considerably puzzled. They could not understand why the gods had commenced to frown on the fortunes of Nippon.

They finally decided, however, in all seriousness, that it was because the ghosts of the Australians killed in the Japanese landing at Rabaul—in particu lar the ghost of a Captain Grey—had not been properly put to rest, in accord ance with Japanese traditions.

A grand parade was aranged; a special cemetery was prepared, the bodies of the Australian soldiers were exhumed and en cased in beautifully worked coffins; a monument to the Australian dead was erected, and, in the reburial and dedica tion ceremony the Australian flag was raised and saluted by all present.

Then came a hitch. In accordance with Japanese custom, a small bowl of rice and a vessel of sake (Japanese spirit) must be placed pn the grave of the departed— so that the ghost need not be restless, but may find meat and drink close at home.

A deputation of Japanese officers waited on Bishop Scharmach at the Vunapope Mission. The trouble was, they said, they did not think that the Australian ghosts would relish rice and sake; could the Bishop suggest something that could be put on the grave to keep the ghosts at home?

The Bishop, with heavy irony, suggested that the best thing to keep the ghosts of Australian soldiers at home in their graves would be two bottles of beer!

Not a smile greeted this —only serious consideration, until the Japanese mili tary priest (Shintoist) solved the prob lem by deciding, that the only nationality in the land of ghosts is Japanese, anyway,

and therefore the rice and sake would serve just as well on the graves of the Australian dead! * OUR old friend, Mr. Oscar Nordman, of Tahiti, is a proud, if unorthodox, grandfather. He writes cheerily from Papeete as follows: “My son, Milton, who volunteered his services for the duration of the war, and served in the Marine Nationale, is now in Paris, awaiting transportation to his native land (Tahiti).

“I am afraid that our Milton is an amusing lad. One day, to our surprise, a young woman entered our house here, with a child in her arms.

“ ‘Here,’ she said, ‘This baby belongs to your son, Milton/ “We looked at the child. She cer tainly resembled our Milton. So we ac cepted them.

“Some time afterwards, another girl arrived, also with an infant in her arms.

“ ‘Hello,’ I said . ‘What have we here?’

“ ‘This baby girl belongs to your son.’ she answered.

“I did not argue. They also joined our household. But I remembered with some trepidation the old saying ‘Never two without three.’

“So we were not surprised to learn that Milton had another child —another baby girl, born on Raiatea. In due course, the mother arrived here, and pre sented us with a lovely baby girl.

“We have named the three little girls Sierra, Sonoma and Ventura —after the three famous Oceanic liners, on the Trans-Pacific run, on which I served so happily in my younger years.

“We are a happy family here—the three young mothers, and the three little girls, are being well taken care of. We think that Milton will be stirred by their greeting, when he arrives.” * HE who imagines that the Sacred Heart Mission Fathers are men of solemn and dismal piety, of the “hair-shirted” school, is quite wrong.

The late Father “X,” a most dignified man, told me this tale: He had a native convert, rather a wag, and I fear, one more interested in hand outs than holiness. There are such.

Petero (that was the name the Father gave him, after St. Peter) was once caught red-handed, by his confessor, eating puakatoro (tinned meat) on Friday. This, of course, was against the canon. The Father rebuked Petero.

“Now, Petero, this won’t do! Beef—on Friday! I’m ashamed of you.”

“No. Father! He no meat. He fish.”

“Now. now! You know where liars go.

Don’t add to your sin, my son.”

“He fish all right, Boss —dinkum!”

Petero seemed serious, and unconvinced of error. Here is his defence (in his own idiom, as related): “Orraright, Father, true! You pipi (christen) me, call me Petero. Okay! I rome hnngery. I pipi my meat—call him fish!”—Eli. * A BROADCAST recently from Los Angeles stated that the New Zea land Maori originated in Mexico, migrated to Peru, sailed thence to Easter Island (where they cast the images, in moulds, using a secret formula of con crete), and. from Easter Island, voyaged to New Zealand.

The gentleman who broadcast this extraordinary fairy tale probably acquired

his story from the eminent Dr. Blunder hoven, PhD (Gastab). The learned scientist received his degree from Gasta bula University—situated in the natural gas area of the Taxas Panhandle. (Gastab.) looks so much like (Cantab.) that US scientists eagerly seek degrees from that seat of learning.—A. C. R. m AN intelligent “monkey” whom I lately acquired in Talasea as a cook-boy, laboriously sang through “God Save the King” while at work in the kitchen —just to air his knowledge.

When he had finished I asked him if he had learned the “Star Spangled Banner” while the Yanks were here. He said he had not, but that he knew the Jap national anthem. To prove it, he immediately gave quite a fair rendition.

“The Japs taught you that?” I asked.

But he answered “No,” again. He was, he said, at school in the senior class at the mission when it was learned that the Japs had attacked Pearl Harbour.

Immediately, orders came from mission headquarters that the children were to learn the Japanese anthem.

I have nothing against missions; but when will enemy aliens be replaced by our own missionaries, or those of our loyal Allies?—JW. * 'TTERE is a statement which will cause XX Australians to foam at the mouth.

A scholarly and far-seeing French man—whom I know well and esteem highly—expressed the opinion, to me in Tahiti lately, that within a period of 10 years, France, the British Empire and the United States will find it expedi ent to negotiate an alliance with Japan!

Stranger things than that have hap pened in the past. One must not over look that China has lately attempted to seize Hong Kong.”

The foregoing paragraph was written six months ago, in a letter to the editor of the “PIM.” Subsequent events (especially the behaviour of Russia at UNO. in London) tend to give it special significance.

AN English lady, Miss Irene Margesson, who took a keen interest in the life-story of Captain “Jimmy”

Smith, of Abemama (he died a few weeks ago in Fiji), sends us two amusing stories from the Overseas League, of which she is an active member; “A member in New Zealand wrote: T am now in New Zealand. I am anxi ous to read again a little article called “Candle-lighting Time.” It appeared in an English magazine. I have forgotten the name of the author and the name of the magazine—but I think it was published about 1906. Please send it to me.’

“But this was beaten by another mem ber, in Nigeria, who wrote to the London hostess of the Overseas League, saying: T enclose some stamps for a man in Poland—l don’t know'his name or ad dress, but will you kindly send them to him.’ But she found this man! She searched through old numbers of the ‘Overseas Journal’ (which had a stamp collectors’ page) till she discovered a notice from a Polish citizen asking for stamps. She sent them ‘on spec,’ and he replied: T am not the man. but I know who he is and will forward them.’ ” * ALTHOUGH for obvious, reasoik/t has not been possible to mention it, two well-known sailing vessels have been frequent visitors to Rarotonga during the last few years. These are the former

Cook Islands Trading Co. schooner “Tagua,’ y and the Auckland ketch “Golden Hind.” Both ships have been doing valuable work servicing lonely Island outposts over a wide area of the Pacific.

One interesting result of these visits is that a number of Pitcairn Islanders have been ashore in Rarotonga on vari ous occasions—one was the Chief Magis trate of Pitcairn, Mr. Parkin Christian— and similarity of the old-English dialect of the Pitcairn Islanders to that of the Marsters of Palmerston Atoll was re marked upon. Mr. Christian says that he was well acquainted with William Marsters, “father” of Palmerston, who had visited Pitcairn a number of times many years ago when working as mate on sailing vessels.

ON her last visit to Rarotonga, the “Golden Hind” brought a radio tech nician. returning from Pitcairn to New Zealand, who happens to be an enthuiastic bagpipist.

He carried his bagpipes with him when, with his shipmates, he made a motor trip around Rarotonga and he created a great sensation when he marched through the villages with the bagpipes a-skirling. This was the first time the natives had seen, or heard, this strange musical instrument.

On returning to the township of Avarua he provided a final thrill by marching through the hospital, leaving both patients and nurses open-mouthed and goggle-eyed with delighted astonish ment. Dr. Ellison, himself of part- Scottish descent, acted as pipe-major, leading the way through the wards

twirling a walking-stick for a mace.

W.B.