Tropicalities

Pacific Islands Monthly

Magazine Section

Stop Sending in Pythons,

Please

I South Pacific is many things > many men. But for real

Dnest-to-goodness Pacific

ir it’s probably a waste of time ig at the travel posters and lossy magazine articles about in Tahiti. Better by far to 3 through a batch of shock roneoed news sheets, foolscap Droduced by every official and Dfficial body in the Islands, ng every sort of activity from Joy Scouts, Red Cross notes, nment Routine Orders, :il minutes, shipping informa and what have you. mg a batch of these that came le other day was one we ally liked—an Administration sheet covering the activities ne native village oouncils in gly Gulf country of Papua, e are three excerpts we are I to share with those who that the Real Pacific is still found, in odd pockets here here: — The Moveave and Moripi Coun ave passed two very important -the first is that it is now for any man to demand any than £5O for bride price for his ter or ward. The Councillors 1 this rule because they felt some fathers were becoming reedy and preventing young

people from marrying. The second rule is about pig trespass. The rule says that if anyone’s pig destroys gardens or walks about the village defecating it will be put in a pound, or fenced enclosure, and the owner will have to pay a fee of 5/per day to get it out. This mean that in future all pig owners will have to look after their pigs. . . .

As Councillor Torea, from Savaiviri, said, ‘The pigs have been our bosses for too long!’” © “Village News, from Oalai. In 1956 Levo’s daughter Lavaki hung herself in Lae. She was buried there and after three years Levo was allowed to go and collect her bones and bring them back to Oalai. This he did just recently and he made a feast in memory of his daughter at Oalai. For the two day feast he killed two pigs, six fowls, one goat and provided 2,000 pounds of fresh food. There were 180 guests.” • “Snakes: This month three Taipans, three Death Adders, one Black snake and one large Python

were sent to Australia from Kukipi.

These snakes which you have caught and forwarded will be “milked” of their poison, and this will be made into medicine and may help to save your life if you should get bitten. For poisonous snakes you will receive £3 per foot, so keep sending them, please. The python sent in measured 12 feet. When it was caught by Orovea it had just eaten another snake, which in turn had just eaten an opossum. Don’t send in any more pythons, please.”

Not A Pointer, They Hope

READERS of the Norfolk Island Government Gazette have been looking at the Positions Vacant announcements lately and wonder ing. Under the sub-heading of “Taxation” the advertisements are saying that “income derived by residents of Norfolk Island from sources within the Island is not at present taxable under Common wealth legislation”. Some people seem to remeember that the operative term “not at present” was appearing in the Government advertisements for vacancies in New Guinea not long before the official announcement came that New Guinea was to have taxation.

In the Black Days

Of 1942 COMMENTING on the recent sale by Mrs. E. Good of her well known Kessa plantation, in the Bougainville district, Fred Archer (of Jame Plantation, Buka) recalls some Pacific War history; I helped to bury Percy Good, in March, 1942, and I helped to dig his bones up in March, 1946. Among the papers scattered outside was a will appointing me as one of his executors! But there was a later will which appointed Mrs. Good as sole executrix.

I listened in with Percy to the announcement (on February 16, 1942) that Singapore had fallen and he turned to me saying: Thats the end Fred—we are dead men.

The little yellow bastards will swarm all over the Pacific now.

There’s nothing to save Australia, 6V But the miracle happened and Australia was saved—and the

project was greatly assisted by those of whom it is now written; “Nem bilong ol i no ken lus”.

Moon Fever RUSSIA'S snap? pxnlnits havp no USbIA b space exploits have no doubt made some Western scientists envious, as the Russians probably know. But what they don’t know is the effect their exploits have been having on some New Guinea natives.

The average native who works for Europeans in the towns has a somewhat limited vista, bounded by his kai, his pay, and his week-end walkabout, and perhaps the “pictures” once a week. The big moment comes at the end of the month when his “moon monpy” is

due-anS no matteThow duff the

native, he always knows this period.

One day in Lae recently a large crowd of natives gathered outside a newsagency which displayed a newspaper poster reporting,

“Russians Hit Moon”.

There was a great argument in numerous dialects and in Pidgin,

and a bystander eventually got the story: “Man bilong Russia i siutim masket long moon, moon i bagarap pinis, moni i no kamap long mipela”.

Which means they were wondering h ° W they WoUld get their Wages nOW the moon h a d b een shot down.— p a f tl /\ij m ,ne vva Y s A CENTURIES old method of killing fish in Fiji has been condemned by the Colony’s Agricultural Advisory Council, The attention of the Council was called to the depletion of fish round the reefs of Fiji as a result of the use of duva. „, . , nnnnri which the Fiji&ns pound into pulp &nd then five down and release among S kllls the fish by P° lsonm g them, The practice is illegal, but the Advisory Council say that its use is still widespread. They recommended that the restrictions on the use of all chemicals for killing fish should be extended.