Tropicalities

THIS sturdy

snecimen of Australian 14vears-old boy hood has his roots deen in New Guinea. He was born in Rabaul and his father is Alf Priebe who, with George Han son. established the now profitable Samo plantation in New Ireland.

Mr. and Mrs.

Hanson (she was a Samarai Ballan tyne) were caught in Germany by the war, and spent six weary years there—part of which time Samo was given over to Japs and undergrowth. Mr.

Priebe. however, was one of the first planters back into New Ireland in 1945: and Samo came good again.

Mrs. Alf Priebe was Miss Dorothy

Eekhoff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs Henry G. Eekhoff, of Lae, favourably known to two generations of New Guinea mainlanders. Mr. and Mrs. Priebe are at present residing at Zillmere, Queens land, and Mr. and Mrs. Hanson are liv ing on an orchard property they have acquired near Gosford, NSW. * * ♦ NEW CALEDONIANS do not know whether it is prophetic, but at the first of the season’s race meetings in Noumea, a horse named de Gaulle ran third.

Among the rules of this racecourse, known as the Hippodrome Henry Mil liard, is one that goats and dogs found on the track will be shot. This is the brand new course at Anse Vata beach, built to replace the pre-war course at Magenta which the US Marines turned into an airfield during the Solomons campaign.

p.

IT happened in one of Suva’s restaur ants. It was one of those places where the Indian proprietor, instead of pro viding a menu card, preferred to air his English for the benefit of patrons.

We had safely steered through the first course and then our Indian appeared and announced: “By Christ—Bitch pie.”

Well, my friend was new to Fiji and not conversant with the language “as spoke,” so he was rather taken a-back, but he managed to stammer “I beg your pardon?”

“By Christ—Bitch pie,” repeated the waiter.

It was then time, I thought, for me to interpret. I explained that our next course was to be “Pie crust—Peach pie!” —“Periti.”

FROM the diary of an Administration official in Sarawak: The Courts of Requests, no longer existing, were looked on by the Chinese as a cheap debt collecting agency.

One case I heard was that of a rather attractive Melanau girl who was sued by a Chinese shopkeeper for a long list of articles. Weary and bored (I had been in Court for three hours) I wrote down the list as stated by the Chinese.

“Five kati of sugar?”—“Yes” (from the girl).

“Two depa of blachu?”—“Yes.”

“Ten roti cabin?” —“Yes.”

“Three depa of kainu perlas?”—“Yes.”

“One silk sarong?”

“NO!” from the girl most emphatically.

A slight squabble, and the girl ad mitted that she had not bought it.

The Chinese had given it to her.

“Why,” asked the tired magistrate.

“Oh, think for yourself,” replied the girl.— “North Borneo News.” ♦ * * HAVING heard two old-time Fiji resi dents arguing about the correct pro nunciation of “copra,” I looked it up in books of reference. Webster says that the word can be spelled also cobra (which is the pronunciation still given by many old traders), coprah, coppra and copperah.

All authorities agree that the word came originally from the Malayan “kop parah” or the Hindustani “khopra” (with the “o” pronounced broadly).

It is indicated that the dried kernel of the coconut first became known to Europeans in Indonesia as an article of commerce, and it was there that it picked up its name, now known all over the

world.-

R.

A BRETT HILDER sketch of Oscar Newman, an up-and-coming trader and planter of the New Hebrides.

He was in Sydney in September buying a copra-catching craft. He was born on Pentecost, NH, in 1907. His father was Norwegian and his mother formerly Miss Pearl Baxter, of Sydney. He has two

sisters and the whole family is dis tinguished by their striking similarity and lively popularity. They are bi-lingual, equally at home in French or English.

Their favourite expression is, “Now listen, You!” * ♦ * THE plaque bearing the Fijian coat-of arms has been removed from the bow of the former RCS “Viti” (picture in July PIM) and has been presented to the Colony by the new owners, the Tas man Steamship Company, of New Zea land.

At the opening of the Suva Yacht Club’s new clubhouse recently the Gov ernor of Fiji (Sir Brian Freeston) handed the plaque over to the care of the club. ♦ * ♦ IN relation to spelling and pronuncia tion, there is no more ridiculous lan guage than English, with its total lack of rules and orderliness. Foreigners who are obliged to write the language may be excused for falling into errors. The fol lowing example, therefore, is not offered as a reproach to the person concerned, but it is presented as an example of delightful unconscious humour.

When the Fiji Legislation Council met on September 17, the Indian member for the Eastern Division put in a written question concerning lack of transport facilities on Vanua Levu; and he used this sentence: “The bridal tracks are the only means of excess on the Island.” ♦ ♦ ♦ FROM an “old-timer”: “I was in Papua not long ago. It is a different Port Moresby from the place we knew.

Now there are 1,900 Europeans crowded into the place—and too many of them are women! I met old friends George Lupson and Jack Yates: Tom Nevitt was in hospital. Ellis Turner (formerly of Levers and BP’s) and Percy Batham are at the oil area. McCarthy, once cost master at Samarai, was at Yule Island, in charge of a store. Bruce Hamilton is around Port. ♦ ♦ ♦ WE have received a letter from 15-year old Gordon A. Pickup, of 68 Windsor Crescent, Bridlington, E.

Yorks, England, who is a prominent mem ber of the League of Pals.

The League of Pals, which apparently was formed in 1932, has for its aims (in spite of World War II and the present melancholy state of the world at large) the promotion of international friendship and goodwill everywhere. It has a membership of over 65,000 in 98 different countries. Anyone over the age of 11 may join. There are many members over 60.

If you think that world peace can be achieved by pen-friendships, international camps and exchange visits (and we do not) you can contact Gordon at the address given. He will give you any information you require and enrol you as a Pal.

CORRECTION: During the production of September “PIM,” four lines of an article on “Bully” Proctor (p. 46) were dislodged and became attached, at the beginning of page 47, to the short-story, “Nunu-Penni and a Tralala.” We apologise for this, as it marred the con tinuity of a good story.

In 1947 Fiji’s Magistrates’ Courts dealt with 7,161 criminal cases and 7,801 accused persons. They were; Fijians, 1,572; Indians. 5,057; other races (Euro peans, part-Europeans, Chinese and Polynesians), 1172.