The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1888. THE COOK GROUP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1970, 15 October 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1888. THE COOK GROUP.

The establishment of * British protectorate over the islands of the Cook or Hervey Group, of which Raratpnga is the best known, is doubtless the outcome of the representations made to the Imperial Government by Sir Robert Stout and Mr Ballance while m office, and is probably only the first step tpwards formal annexation. The action taken by the Imperial authorities, though highly satisfactory, compg pomew/hst as a surprise as up to January last the despatches to the Governor of New Zealand from the Secretary of State indicated that the establishment of an officer of consular rank at Earatonga who " would act, at the same time, as Agept for the New Zealand Government " was the limit of Imperial interference, anid even that was coupled with the condition that the salary' and expenses of that officer at the rate of £700 a year for 10 years should be paijj by New Zealand, which was also to defray the cost of building him a house when desired, Thin colony declined to accept these responsibilities, and the AgentGeneral, Sir F. D Bell, writing on the 21st February last m view of this fact, said " For the present, therefore, I think the matter must be considered at »n end." It is consequently an agreeable surprise to god that the i Imperial Government has, after so short an interval of time, entirely altered its views and taken a step which will assuredly lead to the formal adding of the Cook group to the Queen's dominions. That step— r-the proclamation of a protectorate — has doubtless been hastened by tho recent action of France and Germany with respect to the Now Hebrides and Samoa, and has not been taken a day too »oon, ior had there been much further delay one or other of thoso Powers would almost certainly have anticipated us. And now that the British flag has been hoisted over these islands-r-p-whioh aro said to be as regards climate better .suited for European colonisation than any other group m the Pacific, let us see what they are like An Auckland contemporary (the "Star") supplies a very full and interesting account from which we cull the particulars following. The group consists of ten islands, the one m the centre being Raratonga, and lyimy 600 miles S.W. of Tahiti. They have a common language classed as Ksratongao. Tfee patiyes Chri»-

tian, and trie Mission is m connection with the London Missionary Society, who have at Rarotonga a training institution whence native teachers are sent to all surrounding islands speaking Rarotongan, as well as to many m which the language, differing only m minor points, is soon acquired by the Rarotongan teacher. The Bible has been translated into Rarotongan, and this translation is used m alll the islands to which the teachers from it are sent. Seven of the islands are occupied, and the people are remarkable for industry and the carefulness of their cultivation. The chief island, Rarotonga, is a callingplace of the mail steamer running between Auckland, Samoa, and Tahiti. Rarotonga is mountainous, the highest point being 2900 feet above tho sea, and beautiful and fertile, with a pleasant and healthy climate. Except at Rarotonga, there are no harbors m the group, and Rarotonga is deficient m that respect, having no harbor readily accessible to vessels of a large size. The productions of the group are abundant, and its population is numerous considering the size of the islands. The exports include copra, oranges, lime juice, cotton and a large quantity of fruit, to the estimated value m all of £30,000. The imports are of corresponding amount, and the export, consisting of articles for which the market becomes large m proportion to the facilities for conveyance, we may expect 'that the present steam communication will cause it to greatly increase. Two islands geographically and ethnolo gically part of the Austral Group, namely, Karutu and Rimatara, have always, however, been connected m missionary labors with the Cook Group. Rarotonga is still the centre for these two islands, and to it their produce ! is sent for export. The islands of the Cook Group are under native rulere, and have laws of a simple character, which aim at a rigid regulation of the habits and morals, as well as the preservation of peace and order among the people.

Karotonga is about 24 miles m circuit and has a poulation estimated at 2000. Mangaia, of a similsr character but lees fertile, is about 30 miles m circumference with a similar population of 2000. Aitutaki, with its 1800 people, is eighteen miles m circumference — a beautiful and fruitful little island. Mitiaro, Atiu, and Mauku, with & population together of about 2000, are respectively 10, 8, and 6 miles m circuit, and the Hervey Island is properly a group of three small islands m the centre of a coral reef some 18 or 20 miles round and with 200 inhabitants. The total population of the Cook Group is thus about 8000.