Fiji

In And Around

By R. W. Robson

Fiji Records For Duke

A PRINTED copy of the Proceed ings of the Fiji Society, specially bound and inscribed, will be presented to the Duke of Edinburgh, during the Royal visit to Fiji in December. The Fiji Society does a useful task in assisting to preserve the Colony’s cultural standards and keeping a historical record of events and developments. Mr. J. Maynard Hedstrom, as one of the leading officers, has had a long and thank less job in getting the Proceedings printed; but it has been done.

Ono-I-Lau’S Starlings

FIJI has been intrigued by its latest pest—the starlings of Ono-i-Lau—which, until re cently, it did not know existed. Dr.

Garrick, a scientist from Australia, has been in Suva, for a few weeks; and, after a visit to the Lau island, he addressed meetings of various bodies, like the Fiji Society and the Rotary Club.

He says it is a pity, but the birds must be eradicated—if they get loose on the group’s main islands they could do great damage.

It is expected that food traps will get the bulk of them; then nesting traps will be employed; and the balance will be destroyed in their rookeries by shooting.

Best-informed opinion is that the birds did not reach the island on a westerly gale—it is thought that they somehow were brought by a ship. Experts say that cases have been known of starlings being earned across the Atlantic on ships onto which they came to roost in ports, and were carried away.

“Fijiana”

AFTER a long period of neglect, in which many priceless records have been lost, a number of people now are eagerly searching for what may be called “Fijiana” old documents and pictures to describe the conditions which prevailed in the Fiji archipelago in the first half of last century.

In the forefront of the seekers are the new Governor, Sir Ronald Garvey, and Lady Garvey; and they have been helped very much by a former Governor, Sir Harry Luke, who has been hunting through some of Europe’s ancient bookshops. Sir Harry Luke found an old French book, containing a series of cleverly executed sketches of scenes in pre- European Fiji; and these, in special frames, now hang on the walls of Government House, in Suva.

The artist was one L. Le Breton, of whom nothing now is known, and the reproductions were made by lithography in Paris. A careful analysis of the detailed and delic atel/ executed drawings indicates that M. Le Breton visited the Levuka district probably in a French ship—between 1810 and

1825, and visited various points of interest, and was entertained by the chiefs.

One of the dozen drawings shows ‘King Tanoa of Pao;” another, the ctpast-line where the original native village stood on Levuka’s present site; another—very clear and full of action—shows sailing canoes in a lively sea; there is “the house of Trader Thomas”; and another de picting the people’s chief foodstuffs —coconuts, bananas, turtles, fish, and —most interesting— pineapples.

There are some indications of Euro pean contact.

Present-day Fijians who have ex amined the ancient prints are much interested in the dresses of the chiefs—there are features which since have completely disappeared.

Care Of The Press!

SUVA, visit by visit, never fails to supply us with a really funny story. The latest has to do with preparations for the Royal visit.

At least 40 press correspondents and photographers will arrive, to in tensify the Suva accommodation problem. To meet the situation, the organisers have decided to take over the Girls’ Grammar School for a few days, and adapt the hostel section to the requirements of the press It was decided to make as few structural alterations as pos sible in the interests of economy There were fixed signs in the dormitory section of the Girls’ school. The question arose, Need they be removed? In one place, a

printed notice instructs the inmates; “Use This Bell to Ring For Your Mistress.”

The solemn committee gave the matter solemn consideration, and decided to remove the sign, for the duration of the press invasion. (The same story was told in Britain during war-time Services billeting).

No Moaning At This Bar

IT was a solemn moment, at 9 a.m. on Monday, September 7, in Victoria Parade, Suva, when a pew sign, “The Club Bar —W. H.

Hayward, licensed to sell fermented and spirituous liquors,” was fastened on the front of the big hotel which Morris Hedstrom Ltd. are building in this central position.

Photographs in Sept. PIM show the building is taking recognisable shape, but completion is at least another year away. A section had to be hurried on, however, so that it could accommodate the new bar and comply with the terms of the liquor license.

There was no ceremony to mark the occasion. The first people to receive cold beer across the new bar were Indians and Fijians, hold ing permits to drink.

Kava Under A Cloud

WHEN a top-rank American newspaper man, Dick McMillan, well known in Hawaii, was in

Suva recently he decided that he would like to stage a yaqona (kava) ceremony in Honolulu and San Francisco, among his Islands friends. PRO chief, Len Usher, pre pared for him a neat parcel con taining yaqona root and a kava bowl or two, and it went forward as part of Mr. McMillan’s luggage.

On latest advices, Mr. McMillan was in serious trouble with a bureaucratic set-up called the Narcotics Bureau. The officials had never before seen the kava root and, after much smelling and tasting, they decided to ask Mr. McMillan to clear himself of the charge that

he had been trying to smuggle nar cotics into the States. At first, it was regarded as very funny; but now a thoroughly exasperated Mr.

McMillan has insisted that the r matter go forthwith to high authority in San Francisco to de cide if yaqona root is a narcotic!

Fiji’S Orchid Growers

IF any South Pacific orchid-grower and collector wants to exchange specimens with someone of similar views in Fiji, he should write to Mrs. J. Maynard Hedstrom, of Tamavua, Suva. Mrs. Hedstrom’s collection has increased and de veloped since I saw it in 1952, and there now are some interesting specimens ready for exchange. The Hedstrom garden took a terrific hiding in the 1952 hurricane; but now the flowers and trees, as in the rest of Suva, are bigger and better than ever. The flora of these Islands seems to flourish on hurri canes.

They are keen orchid-growers in Fiji. Just at the back of Nadi, in a very dry area, I saw some glori ous specimens that have been raised by Mr. Lloyd, who is in charge of the CSR Co.’s pineapple planta tions. Mr. Lloyd takes the long way round, he propagates from seeds— a five years’ process—instead of from cuttings, or what-have-you— but he certainly gets results.

Burden On Taveuni’S Neck

WHEN I met Mrs. W. W. Warden, wife of a well known Taveuni coconut planter, she registered a sturdy protest against Taveuni roads, on behalf of the Fijian copra producers in Taveuni. For various obvious reasons, the Fijians are en couraged to make copra. But, under present conditions on that island, they are practically crippled by lack of transport. There are only mule-tracks from the villages to the collecting points: and the copra has to be carried over those tracks on horseback, at 25/- per bag—which is a tax of around 50 per cent on the price they get for their copra.

“The Government has sent in bulldozers and things to build an air-strip in Taveuni,” says Mrs.

Warden. “Why can’t they use that equipment to make a few minor roads on the island and so take this huge burden off the native pro ducers?”

Well, why can’t they? Over to you, Suva!

Nature—In And Out Of

Balance

THE experts are wrinkling their foreheads over the unbalance of nature in Viti Levu.

As everyone knows, rats became a menace in the canefields, and so the mongoose was brought in from Asia to keep the rats in check. He has not only cleaned up the rats— he has virtually wiped out all the native birds which nested on or near the ground, and now he is seeking other means of sustenance

He is around in thousands. You cannot drive a mile outside the towns without seeing one scuttling across the road.

Snails, slugs and similar vermin made agriculture and horticulture a trial in Fiji. So they introduced the giant toad, from Hawaii. Now, home gardeners sing as they hoe; they rarely see a pest. But the toad is everywhere—a much shrunken toad, owing to the neces

sity now of working for his living blessed by flower-lovers, but a hide ous little beast, just the same.

Now, I am told, the hungry mon goose has turned upon the under fed toad, and is making him No. 1 on the menu. The toad is sup posed to protect himself against such treatment with a poison gland; but observers say the mongoose has. developed an immunity.

Latest newcomer is Oryctes —the accursed Rhinoceros Beetle. Optim istic officials think it is just pos sible that the hungry mongoose, or the even more hungry toad, will dis cover that Oryctes larvae (found in rotting vegetation, on the ground) will provide a morsel of succulent food, so that one problem will cancel out another. Here’s hoping!