Rarotongan Silliness
p. 125 · Read in the full issue
From Pure To Puree!
WHEN Maui Pomare arrived at Rarotonga in August to pick up a cargo of tomatoes wait ing on the wharf, it was a Saturday morning, but the weather prevented loading. Next day was suitable, but the labour would not work on Sun day, though the tomatoes were rapidly ripening.
When eventually loaded, on Mon day, many of the tomatoes were a rosy red. A government official in terested in the prompt despatch of the cargo on behalf of the people was heard to remark, “Pure in Raro —puree in Auckland!” (A pure is a prayer meeting).
It seems difficult to follow the line of religious reasoning that for bids a valuable cargo of foodstuffs to be loaded on a Sunday, when failure to load will result in heavy wastage.
On this occasion, it was reported, a high official of the LMS Church at Rarotonga personally made a circuit of the Island, commending his people for refusing to load the vessel.
Mitiaro Island, Cook Group, is infested with rats. Two residents, in a recent rat-trapping contest, using one trap each, caught 200 and 120 respectively in three weeks.