But There Wasn’t Any

Brass Band!

Rotoiti Shows Flag At Mangaia

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Mangaia, Cl, May 30.

HIS Majesty’s NZ warship, Rotoiti, made her first call at this island on May 28 and 29, after a stay of several days at Rarotonga.

The weather was favourable, and the reef dead calm, which is not always the case when a ship of size arrives off the island. A party of officers, with the Commander, and two successive detach ments of selected ratings, spent the 48 hours ashore in the customary way—the usual round of Polynesian feasts, visits, and entertainment at the official Resi dency, where the officers spent a night.

The men returned to the ship.

The period immediately prior to this call was spent, by one stratum of our villagers, in preparing large supplies of bush beer in bottles, with a view to good sales at 1/-. The brew, it is to be feared, was not always of praiseworthy vintage; it is a well-known fact that native beer is made, only too often, under highly insanitary conditions, in kero sene tins, which the illegal tipple-mer chants frequently store in a latrine, as being the least likely place for a police search Jolly Jack, judging by the cheerfulness of some of the visitors after a tour of the villages, did not let this interfere with his enjoyment of the day ashore, however.

The naval visit closed with a much appreciated night display of star-shells, and searchlight drill, during which half hour the whole ship was illuminated as for a Royal Review.

With these visits promising now to be come a definitely annual affair, Islanders have something to look forward to for next season—but they still want a brass band, the only item missing from a very successful and impressive naval call.