News from Mangaia,

Cook Is.

jV/TANGAIA, Cook Islands, was provided with the diversion of two “tere” parties, one from Aitutaki and the other from Mauke, arriving at the island almost simultaneously in December. Their visit was marred by a round of influenza, probably introduced by labourers back from Makatea, and the death of the son of a Mauke chief, who was buried in land belonging to the Royal Family of Mangaia.

Next scheduled visit to Mangaia is by the Atiu people late in 1954—by which time it is hoped that the taro will have grown again and the livestock bred in sufficient quantities to provide once more the lavish hospitality expected.

Four days intensive toil by all on Mangaia late in November in shipping twelve thousand cases of pineapples, had an unhappy sequel.

Bad weather delayed the loading, re sulting in the over-ripening of the fruit by the time it reached Auckland. Instead of the exnected 19/- per case, growers had to accept 8/6—though even this amount was not expected under the circumstances.

A visitor from overseas—and a some what outspoken critic of the Administra tion—was silenced recently at this Cook Island outpost. Emphatic that the Atua koro reef passage could be readily deepened to aid boat work, he was promptly presented with explosives and a gang of labourers and told to fire away.

For two days, explosions reveberated from Atau-koro to the central settlement, and then stopped— permanently. An in spection showed no discernible changes to the soundings and the useful result was simply nil.

In 1951 the Royal New Zealand Navy tried a depth charge in this pass, which did no more than chip blocks off the edge of the reef.

A cantilever system—quite uneconomic) —seems the only solution to the reefl problem at Mangaia and other sucbd “bad passage’’ reefs. tl Dr. Welch, newly appointed Assist-v ant Medical Officer for the Cookrf Islands, arrived at Rarotonga dur ing December.