The Editors' Mailbag

Paric an#? all Tliaf M rar i. s , , , R. G. L. BARROW, transferred from the Western Pacific to Nigeria, after several years’ service in the New Hebrides, called in on Paris on his way across, and writes entertainingly in September “Corona” of his impressions. The last two paragraphs of his article: “The Parisians have perhaps sobered down a little. There is not so much gesticulating argument in cafes and at street corners, but that is perhaps little loss. One change I noticed was the almost complete absence of pornography in the book stalls. On the other hand there seemed to be more prostitutes than ever on the boulevards in the small hours. Is this perhaps symptomatic of the French disgust with idle theorising m favour of practical ac- , . , , , , . Sit ? 1 ¥? y CaSC do try and get to Paris No one seems to know

SPjJfL a rrr? S?

it more interesting and amusing

wit Pant 6

was told in Paris, always takes England with him when he travels.

This is perhaps particularly true of those who go to the colonies, so why once and nave a ta#ste of the capital of that other great Empire, the French Union?”

Incidentally, this “Corona,” esta- Wished only a couple of years ago, is one of the most fascinating of the monthlies that come to our desk.

It is written by Colonial Office men for His Majesty’s Colonial Service; and marked literary ability often combined with a delightful sense of humour, seems to be characteristic of these officials Hpaf an#? Tnnra a 4NOTHER correction this time rl. concerning a typipgraphical a error, Mr. J. D. Whitcomb, of Auckland, describing in August an incident associated with copra, wrote: It had been left out in very wet weather, and was rotten.” The hnotyper made “hot,” out of “wet,” which, of course, does not make sense to Islanders. Copra-makers like to put the kernels of their coconuts under the influence of heat —that is how copra is made. But the wetter the weather, the more inferior the copra.

Ronald Harvey and flia

? , Cy an(l tfte KedS 4 WEST INDIES correspondent says that, when the Colonial Office decided to make a Colonial Governor of Ronald Garvey (a well-known and popular official in the Central Pacific in the 30’s) and sent him to British Honauras, it picked for him one of the hot spots of the Empire.

Central American States are honeycombed with Communism and full 0 f anti-British agents, and Governor Sir Ronald Garvey soon was in holts with them, The Belize City Council refused to hang, in the City Hall, a portrait 0 f the King. The Council said it refused the picture because of the “numerous burdens” placed upon the country by the British, sir Ronald promptly dissolved the Council. “After my God comes my King,” he said. “From my youth I was taught to respect my King. I win not stand for such an act of disloyalty.”

Thereupon “the British Honduras People’s United Party” proclaimed indefinite period ot national mourning Pity the Empire has not got a fcw m o re Garveys in it. We should not then see these shameful things, like the murder of the governor of Malaya, the eviction of the British from Persia and the insolence of the decadent Egyptians. Under Musco vite di rec ti o n, this campaign against the British is world-wide. But the dav of reckoning is not far awav aay 01 recKomng 18 not lar away - Mr . , c , IMew uuinea s onakes THE District Medical Officer at I p_i__ TiriicAn taken us to task for pub in, a report Rl? ’ L> een identified as a deadly Taipan D J’ 1 8 - 1 hav f been unable to find out who exactly was responsible for this astonishing identification: it would appear to have originated in the mind of your reporter. . . . The snake in question was a member of the python family a ll of which are quite harmless.”

He then gives us this useful infor mation:— “A good deal of ignorance and confusion exists in the public mind in the Territory with regard to snakes, dangerous and otherwise, The known position is simply this, The only important poisonous terrestial snake in New Guinea is the Death Adder, (Acanthopis). It is common in Papua, west of Port Moresby, in the Central Highlands, the Morobe District and parts of the Sepik District. It has been recorded i n New Britain, but is extremely rare that island - It is unknown in New Ireland, Bougainville, and the Solomons.

“The Taipan (Oxyuranus) has been definitely recorded on at least two occasions from the Fly River of Papua, but nowhere else in the Territory.

“All sea-snakes (Enhydrina) are highly dangerous. Their venom is, quantity for quantity, more potent

than that of the Taipan or Austra lian Tiger Snake. Sea-snakes are common all round the coasts of the Territory and Islands.”

Hunting Deer by Amphibian

Enthusiastic note from an Aucklander: Tell all the hun ters in the Islands, who like a cool hunt, to look into this new idea, under which deer-stalkers are taken by Widgeon amphibian plane right in onto the lakes and fiords of the southwest South Island, around which deer abound. Amphibian Airways Ltd. was formed in In vercargill, NZ, to fly shooters in to the Fiordland lakes, and this is what one of the promoters says: ‘‘We’ve had a wonderful run and to date have been unable to cope with the demand of deer-stalking parties wanting to go to isolated lakes. ‘‘Fiordland has wonderful possi bilities. We’ve only touched the edge, but we’ve had overseas in quiries and I think it’ll be possible to offer something really worth while. This winter we hope to build log cabins at selected spots, surrounded by the very best of fishing and shooting.”