WORpNGiD^JCKS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 118, 15 November 1939, Page 6

WORpNGiD^JCKS

yAtfANESE CUSTOM

The story ,pf what-he described as "commercial traveUipg ducks" in; Java was - told; 7'to the; .Wellington Rotary ; Club ; yesterday, by .the 'pas.t-president, Mr. c Charles ..Gdliny in ; the course of an account of his recent trip to the Dutch" East' Indies. He -said' that the ducks were taljen.round;.the rice, fields and'were hired .put to growers to eat up Worms ♦arid slUgs ori the paddy fields and fertilised ground.

After a journey on foot .lasting about eighteen months and extending over 300 miles, the ducks were sold, and their owners then had sufficient money to buy a display of jewellery which was considered the badge of genteelism in Java. For a time they were able to live a 7life of v ease and received the respect of the other natives until their money ran Out. They 7theri had to. pawn* their; jewellery to.; buy. sittings of duck eg|s from1 which an* iother ;fibck Would be hatched in the' :sutt^77.'t*i;17i7-.i ..' X--x ': XX-xX^.yX.'.'. X 7 y.Xy

MryTQctHri;^explained that -during their peregrination the ducks commenced to lay* the percentage of eggs gradually increasing as the journey continued, but when; he 7 added that I the ducks were trained to lay before six o'clock 7every morning so as not to interfere with the day's work in the rice .fields he" was -'.-greeted, with\ good-natured exclamations v7of; ./■ in--7 creduliti^C from.)h is 7 i ellq w-RO tarians; j The,.. ihtei vestirig7-cremation .TcustomS -in the TputchV Indies,;l^e7-; of I-Bali,. where orchids 7 Wiidi" and other places seen ? during ; the trip were described; by the speaker.