Sydney

Polynesian Ceremonies in Sydney

Fijian Rugby football team in Aus tralia was entertained in June by members of the Polynesian Association representing Fiji, Rotuma, Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa, Hawaii, Nei and Tahiti. Yaqona (kava) was made and ceremonially served.

As a compliment to Fiji, the women mem bers presented Island Dances, wearing dresses of tapa cloth from Bau, the traditional home of the Cakobau family.

Another ceremony took place in June t the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gosnell, at Sydenham, Sydney. Mrs.

U r,ell (Fesaitu) recently lost both her mother and her aunt—Mrs. Caroline Ray > oufoou, aged 88, and Mrs. Jessie Ray Varomue, aged 93. Both these ladies, of Rotuma Chiefly rank, passed away in Suva. They were daughters of a master mariner of the early days, Captain Kenneth Arthur Ray, skipper of the three < ted schooner “Marian Rennie”, well : iOwn when Levuka was the first capital cf Fiji. Club Members gathered at Fesaitu’s residence with customary offer ings of food. Kava was made, and mem bers presented a series of Island songs and dances, as their “sevusevu” to the families of the deceased ladies. ft Popular Monsieur Monty, on com pletion of his term as Post Master, Papeete, returned to France with

Madame Monty by May Caledonien.

f 1 We learn in a note from Dr. W. C.

Klein—who is about to leave The Hague for Central Africa—that he has now completed volumes I and II of his monumental book on New Guinea, He has had thirty col laborators and he, as the editor, has written the chapters on trade and

industry. The book deals with Aus tralian as well as with Dutch New Guinea. Dr. Klein, in tropical Africa, will gather data so that he can deal with a comparison between Central Africa and New Guinea working methods.