prior to the First World war, the

beds were reported damaged in the 1914 hurricane and not much shell has since been fished there. Prior to that Lever Brothers obtained quantities of black-lip and made an experimental planting of gold lip shell—transferred from Sunday Is., Torres Strait in 1906 (as told by Captain Menmuir, of Sydney, in PIM of November, 1935).

Earlier still, as told in PIM of August, 1935, the Pacific Islands Trading Co., of Melbourne, made a short-lived attempt to work the island, fishing about four tons of shell in 1867-8.

In recent years the atoll has been closed due to a serious infestation

of termites, said to be not present on the other islands of the Cooks.

Is seems now, however, that, in view of the comparative ease with which a shell cargo could be fumigated, and the great economic importance of the shell possibly lying wasting in the lagoon, that the matter has been further considered and a less severe policy is in view At the present time the two other Cook Is. pearlshell lagoons, Mamhiki and Penrhyn, are together producing about 50 tons of shell per month, valued at about 35 cents US per pound weight. Suwarrow may sub stantially increase those earnings and place shell well ahead of all other C.I exports in value.

A northern Cook Island couple showing finished hat made from the young coconut leaves, and (at left) a hat in course of construction.