The Editors Mailbag
pp. 20-21 · Read in the full issue
Te Hongi: Maoris Do Not
Rub Noses
There is a common belief among Europeans that the traditional NZ Maori form of greeting (Te Hongi) includes the rubbing of noses. The familiar error occurred in a PIM reference not long ago, and Mr, Edwin Gold, a Cook .slands corre spondent, thoughtfully comments; “May Heaven forgive all of you!”
Maoris have never “rubbed noses,” he writes. The traditional NZ—as distinct from ' Cook Islands—hongi consists of placing the forehead against the forehead of the person greeted and closing the eyes while a traditional phrase is spoken. At the same time hands may be clasped, though this is sometimes omitted. There is absolutely no rub bing of noses.
Europeans held in Maori regard are eligible for the salute.
Curiously enough, the Cook Islanders, who are of the present stock of Maoridom, have no such custom. They employ the “English kiss,’’ but the name they give it is simply “hongi” without the “h.”
“It is the brow that counts in the NZ Maori greeting and the nose has only a walking-on part,” says Mr. Gold. “The noses touch, of course, but if the observers quoted had been really observant, Guide Rangi would not have been accused of Tubbing noses’ with a Samoan.”
When RLS Was In
Samoa, 70 Years Ago
The title to the land in which rests the tomb of Robert Louis Stevenson on Mount Vaea, outside Apia, Western Samoa, apparently belonged to Mrs. Isobel Field stepdaughter of RLS. • pj eld , die d a short while ago, m California, in her ninptip«? ielavpd ° f her estate was delayed because her will was contested by her two sons, Lou and Allan, who insisted that she had thpm hv n^ Uly mfluence d against them by her nurse.
Mrs. Else Noble Caldwell in a note from Los Angeles, says the adds o ‘‘ptfiT discontinued, and thP mil? 11 u e SIX mon ths before ca il be and I VaSn then the title to the Mount Vaea tomb site will be given to rests S with ar }h Go Xornment. This Strong™ th thB Wldow of Aust in be— h lSt ° ry H Jcientists nf ?H» bl 1 / ea ?. the erased words of the private diary of Mrs. RLS (formerly Mrs. Osbourne, and a
good deal older than- RLS)‘. Diary reveals nothing scandalous; but it is clear that the family at Vailima fought nastily over petty things— just like any other family.
An American screen-writer, pre paring “Long John Silver” (an RLS character) for production, asked a very old Sydney tailoring firm for certain costumes. The firm said sniffily that it would not deal with the order “until Mr. Stevenson’s bill with us is settled”. The film Company paid the 75-years-old debt immediately. (The ghost of RLS may be comforted by the fact that the Sydney firm now will have to pay heavy income tax upon it).
The Chinese and the
South Pacific
Some rather startling things were said at a private meeting of the Royal Empire Society, in London, addressed by Mr. Clement Attlee after the British Socialist leader had visited China and Australia.
The press was not present. Our information comes from an old friend who was there, and who gives us a summary of proceedings Whatever Mr. Attlee thinks of "Keeping it off the record”, South Pacific people are entitled to know these things.
Asked whether the Chinese and Japanese people had expansionist aims directed southwards, Mr.
Attlee said he was afraid they had —and he thought the apprehension
felt in Australia and NZ on score was justified.
Mr. Attlee also said thatl present Chinese Government; very strong in its insistence the 12.000,000 Chinese who If non -Chinese countries in around the Pacific are Clr nationals first, and citizens oi other countries afterwards.
These Pen-Friend Seeker
We get a little weary of th but here is another one. M: Udit Salhanti, who gives address as C o Morris Heds Ltd.. Suva. Fiji, says he is ‘ lonesome”; is 25; has dark, hair and a fair complexion "interested in everything”, inch.
Islands stamps; and seeks pen of his own age in any country., rashly promises to person answer any letter received.
This Demand for
NG Plywoods
A former ANGAU Jap-hu now engaged in building joinery in Auckland, has trying to arrange shipments, 3 Lae to Auckland, of the Commonwealth-New Guinea " bers Ltd (Bulolo) plywood, writes bitterly because, althougl claims to have opened up channel of trade, he finally informed officially that som* else had been given the sole ag( in NZ for Bulolo plywood, anc could order through that firm, has returned to his original sou for plywood.
Understandable. Also uni standable that the Bulolo cone supplying a world market, wants;
ent in each country, and not a : of individual accounts.
1C Rebroadcasts in
Samoa
Che Director of Broadcasting in istern Samoa, Mr. S. D. M. Smith, 5 made a spirited reply to the respondent in these columns 0 asked, in February, why there j been no re-broadcast of the een’s Xmas message.
Hr. Smith says: 1 should like to point out that i statements quoted by your cor pondent, from what is claimed be an official source, are highly They were not made me nor so far as I can ascertain, any other Government official, h regard to broadcasting.
Had your correspondent woached the Broadcasting De tment he would have found that s often quite impossible for the il broadcasting service to pick up h clarity overseas broadcasts mating from the BBC, either ;ctly or indirectly, and that there lid be little point in rebroad ting an indifferently received ssage from Her Majesty to our noan listeners. [ should like to add that very ensive news broadcasts in the noan language have been made recent months concerning the .vities of the Royal Family, tilarly, with favourable recep i conditions, numerous rebroad ;s have been made, as was the ; with the Coronation and the r al Tour.” i other words, Mr. Smith says re was too much radio inter nee at Christmas for the en’s broadcast to be picked up.