Gardner Island

The Colonists Of

Although it is six or more months late (it is the June-September issue just received) the latest Journal of the Poly lesian Society has a number of interest ing articles.

Professor E. W. Gifford of the United states, who spent some months in arch leological research in Fiji a year or so igo, writes of anthropological problems In Fiji; there is the usual quota of irticles on Maori and other Polynesian cultures and a long article by P. B. -axton, apparently an officer of the rV.P.H.C. who with his wife, spent some ime on Gardner, or Nikumaroro Island, i year or so ago.

The Journal like Australia’s Oceania, loes not pander to the natural curiosity the average reader—they never break town and add a footnote with some par iculars about the author. They say an irticle is by “A. B. Smith” or “X. Y. irown” and that is that. If you cannot »ick up from the text what the author s, or what authority he has for saying rhat he does, just too bad.

The long article by P. B. Laxton is in eresting, possibly because it does not aim o be scientific or anthropological. Card er is about 220 miles from Canton and his with two adjacent atolls was colon >ed by about 1,000 Gilbertese shortly efore World War 11. During the Pacific i’ar the Americans set up a radio station here and appear to have got on well ith the Islanders but after they left

the colonists were left very much to themselves and grew discontented. With the exception of half a dozen they all wanted to return to the Gilberts.

It was at this juncture that Mr.

Laxton, his wife and infants arrived and subsequently the majority of Islanders decided to remain on Gardner. The story tells of life on the small island and how the land was divided up and made use of under Laxton’s direction.

Coconut Toddy

He tells also something of coconut toddy . . . “They cut the young fruit-bearing spathe of a tree coming into bearing. It is bound and hung with a weight adjusted to the weight of the fruit that would be developing and a coconut cup is placed to catch the dripping sap. More often in these days a coco-cola bottle does duty for the coconut cup. Each morning and evening the full container is replaced by

an empty.

This sap or karewe is sweet and very nourishing and one tree giving well will keep a family from starvation with no other food. Often a working man will drink a draught at dawn and work

Vigorously all day without further nourishment. It is full of ferment and in 12 hours tiny bubbles rise making it taste of ginger-beer and buttermilk; 48 hours after cutting fermentation is in full progress and when fermentation is com plete and the liquid is still ... it has the alcohol content of strong ale and has a wild quarrelsome, sleepless intoxi cation if over-indulged in.”