Suva Crave

Of Tahiti Nature Man

SUVA, June 30 VHEN heading for Tahiti for the seventh time, Mr. V. Jamieson, of Lyttelton, New Zealand, >ent part of a two-day call at Suva oking for the grave of Ernest W. arling one of the most picturesque gures in Jack London’s book, ruise of the Snark.

Early in the century, Darling, an merican university man, settled in ahiti after finding that Hawaii did ot come uo to his expectations. :e was one of Tahiti’s famous lature men” when Jack London nd his wife visited the island in 106. He lived in the hills behind Pa eete, growing most of the food he te. His ideas of dress may have een a bit startling in 1906, but on is visits to Papeete his garments ould have constituted conspicuous ver-dressing on any modern bath ig beach.

In many ways Darling seems to ave been an exemplary character, at by 1918 his ideas had apparently ecome rather too advanced for ’ahiti (so much for the tourist jlders and travel-writers!) and he loved out. At Suva a few people him as a quiet-mannered lan who lived on fruit and fresh egetables and wore only as many lothes as he had to.

He interested the Fijians, who ommented that he resembled the eople in various Biblical pictures.

At the time of his arrival, Fiji and lost of the other South Pacific roups (barring American Samoa, rhere proper precautions were aken) was caught in the disastrous rorld-wide influenza epidemic. Dar ing became a victim, but as a Lospital patient refused to take any orm of drug or medicine. He lied, and was buried at the Suva Jemetery, where the name on his icadstone is preceded by the Latin irord Natura, summing up his creed n life. He died on December 9, 918.

On one of his earlier visits to Tahiti, Mr. Jamieson visited the site )f Darling’s dwelling, where the nature man” trounced the redoubt ible Jack London at boxing. Hardly l trace of the primitive hut now emains.

The New Zealander first visited s apeete in 1917 when he was aboard he Admiralty transport Karori. .ike many other people, he was :aught by the indefinable charm of rahiti. Now, on his seventh visit, le thinks he may settle there perrh mently.

Sister Dorothy May left Syd ley on the June Bulolo and will vork with the Anglican Mission in Papua.