Caronia Visits Suva

From Our Own Correspondent THE British Cunard liner Caronia, spent a day in Suva in February in the course of a round-the-world luxury dollar-earning cruise.

At least two larger vessels, H.M.S.

Hood and the Empress of Britain have visited Suva, but they both anchored in the harbour. The Caronia is believed to be the largest ship to come alongside the wharf. , , .

During the visitors’ twelve-hour stay in Suva they saw three Fijian mekes and watched an exhibition of fire-walking by people of Beqa. The afternoon was

devoted to shopping or sight seeing in the town and many of the visitors visited the beautiful display of hibiscus in the Parish Hall.

A sudden downpour of rain in the afternoon rather dampened the spirits of the visitors, and many of them returned to the ship soaked to the skin. On discussing the visitors with various shopowners in Suva, it was surprising to learn that the visitors were not very inter ested in purchasing souvenirs, as was the case with pre-war visits of tourist ships.

And in respect of the ques tion as to the few passengers on the tour, in comparison to the number of berths available, it was learned that at first the vessel was booked out but that war fears caused cancellations.