Tropicalities

Magazine Section

You, Too, Can Export

Oranges

THERE is a native Co-operative in Rotuma which is on the alert for business with the outside world. When the Altair called in May to load copra for Suva it appeared to the man in charge to be an excellent opportunity to de spatch a consignment of their best oranges to the Suva market. Rotuma oranges are sought after there.

Quite a lot of labour was in volved in picking and packing the 200 baskets, each of about two dozen oranges. But the shipment was successfully loaded, and the co-operative’s members sat back and celebrated, while awaiting a cable from Suva announcing the profits of the deal.

Some days later it came: “Pro ceeds of sale, £2B: freight and charges, £4O; send £12.”

Learning By Doing!

IN Vila, New Hebrides, there is an enterprising French war veteran who operates one of the most popular and flourishing bars in town during the week, then at week ends dons flying kit and does a roaring business flying sightseers over the surrounding countryside.

On the young pilot’s own telling, he simply decided that flying could not be so very difficult, bought him self a Tiger Moth in Australia, took it up to Vila, climbed in—and took off After a couple of circuits he was ready for business as a charter-flight operator—JPS (What, no Department of Civil Aviation to insist on A or B Licences?)

Pioneers Were Kind To

Pests

IN Tonga, Samoa and Fiji the air is abuzz with big brown wasps that are steadily multiplying year by year. Mr. J. D .Whitcombe, old-time resident of Tonga, noting this, tells how they came to the South Pacific. ...

In 1892, Mr. Thomas Rudlmg, later Collector of Customs in Tonga, arrived in the Kingdom together with his Hawaiian wife. With them they brought five or six hives of bees One of these hives had, how ever been invaded by wasps, and so wasps became established in Tonga! later to spread from there t0 Even the I, Nukulalofa pro perty where Mr. Rudling lived is known as Be-kula or red-bee-the name for a wasp.

No less interesting, says Mr.

Whitcombe, was the introduction of the cane-like grass called Johnston Grass which is widely established in Tonga to-day. In about 1900, the German firm of D.H. and P.G. im ported a large consignment of horse collars which were stuffed with Johnston Grass. Eventually, having served their term, the collars were cast aside, their leather linings worn out —and from the linings fell the seeds which intro duced this weed.

Cook Islands Songs Go On

The Air

LATE last year the members of Ngatangiia settlement, Raro tonga, hit upon a novel idea of raising money to further the activ ities of their Community Centre.

The unique songs and chants of the islands are completely unknown to European and American radio listeners, and a half-hour pro gramme of Rarotongan music was tape recorded and sent off to America by Mr. Ronald Syme.

It was learned later that WMYC. a City of New York Radio Station, had accepted “Songs of Rarotonga” for the “Hands Across the Sea” programme, and proposed to extend it to over 100 stations of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters.

A further programme was given by Police Sergeant Nia Rua’s choir which was also recorded on tape and taken to Britain by Mr.

Syme. It was accepted by the BBC and will be broadcast in the Light Programme and the General Over seas Service.

Arrangements are being made for the Rarotongan Boys’ Brigade touring party to be televised and broadcast for the famous “In Town

To-night” programme.-

W. H.

Percival.

Culture In Noumea?

A note from our correspondent in Noumea, New Caledonia: — For the last month or two Noumea has been in the throes of a cultural wave. Started by a visiting Aus tralian juggler it was continued by a sword swallower. Later we had a classical pianist and his violin playing partner. We have now with us no less than the Baron Von Heiczy and “le mauvais garcon du Catch” Jon Morro. Headlines in the local paper promise their meeting as being sensational. One wonders what else this cultural urge will bring to us. . . .

More Adam And Eve

Following publication of The

Creation —the story of Adam and Eve in Pidgin in the May

issue of PIM, a mysterious parcel arrived for the Editor from Mr. Joe Bourke, of Wau, New Guinea.

The parcel contained a double sided record of a slightly different Pidgin version of the same story and, at present, it is giving consider able amusement to the Editor’s friends.

No explanation has been forth coming from Mr. Bourke as to the time and circumstances of the re cording—and we should like to hear more.

If the record were available com mercially in New Guinea, Mr. Bourke might make a shilling or two. It is a fact that one has to have a reasonable working knowledge of Pidgin before it is possible to re cognise cleverness in these curios ities, as distinct from mere novelty.