Pacific stories

retold

The University of Hawaii Press, which seems to have increased its output of South Pacific subjects recently, has now added a paper back series to its list—Pacific Clas sics—and launched the enterprise with three titles at once.

These are a novel of Captain Cook’s final voyage, The Return of Lono, by O. A. Bushnell (U 552.25); Fay G. Calkins’ day-to-day account of life in the Samoas as the American bride of a Western Samoan, My Samoan Chief ($1.95); and R. L.

Stevenson’s In the South Seas, an early account of his trips through the South Seas including the Marquesas and the Gilberts ($2.95).

A varied selection, one might think. Stevenson’s classic was first published more than 70 years ago and has been reprinted before, but Fay Calkins’ book is little more than 10 years old, and although the author gives us a warm and observant picture of modem Samoan life, the book really cannot claim to be a classic. But the publishers explain

that they do not intend to reprint in this new series only classics, or those books that have stood the test of time—that they intend to reprint a number of “notable works . . . some that were published obscurely and little noticed at first, but are now recognised as works of outstanding literary value, and others that initially enjoyed wide popularity but later were unjustly neglected. . . .”

My Samoan Chief is no doubt regarded as an example of the first, and In the South Seas an example of the second. So Pacific Classics won’t merely concentrate on clas sics, but range more widely among what one might call “good reading”.

It’s a commendable policy which could put a variety of interesting Pacificana within easy reach.—FW. ☆ Some of the wide selection of the “Islands in colour” type of coffee table, touristy books are apparently doing well. James Siers’ Fiji in Colour, published by A. H. and A. W. Reed,

has now come out in a new and revised edition, with additional pic tures taken at the Fiji independence celebrations in October, 1970. His individual character studies are parti cularly good, and many old friends of all races are recognisable. Polish born Siers, a photo-journalist who has lived in New Zealand since 1944, has published a number of books of Island pictures since 1968. ☆ Pig Raising in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate is a small, at tractively produced and illustrated book (some of it in colour) by former BSIP veterinary officer D. F. de Fredrick, aimed at helping the BSIP pig industry. It’s directed at enter prising village pig farmers, com mercial producers, missions and agricultural field staff, and what it has to say is of equal value to the pig industry in other islands. Among the points covered are housing and husbandry systems, diet, reproduction, growth rates, diseases and recom mendations for better pig raising.

The services of de Fredrick in the Solomons were provided under the Australian South Pacific Aid Pro gramme, and our copy came from the publishers, the Agricultural Information Service of the BSIP Department of Agriculture, Honiara.