IV FAIR TAHITI

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1921, Page 4

IV FAIR TAHITI

A BRIEF STAY IN THE FRENCH COLONY. A NEW ZEALANDER’S IMPRESSED NS. WELLINGTON. Sept. 2J “There is no denying,” says A(u (’. M. Luke, “that Tahiti is a lovely plac,, for n visit of. say, two or three weeks. After that length of time people used to a teiiiperate climate begin io gettired and lethargic owing lo the warmth and humidity of the climate. The temperatures experienced were not very high : they ranged from about 78 to S.A deg. Kahr.. in the shade, but it is the humidity that gets one dawn. And yet we were there in the drv season the winter so T judge it must be a trying iTiinate in the summer —Hitwet season. Papeete is fortunately -dilated ill a hollow or indentation of the island, and gets less rain than the rest of the plnco, hut still it is encr- ■ ating enough after a few days. The island is picturesque, inasmuch as tlm laud seems t-o rise gradually from the beach to a short rang,, of mountains tbe highest peak of which is about 7(!!)f> feet. The nin-t notable peak. however. is not the highest, hut is a quaint ly-shaped and picturesque rock. between two higher peaks, known tr tin island as I lie ‘Diadem of the Pacific.’ The vegetation is luxuriant and glows right down to the beach. Tahiti is siirroiinding with a coral licit, generally about half a. mile away from the land, which acts as a natural breakwater. Papeete is ail indentation ill the i-oa-sl. but also bus its oil's!am’ing coral beds of rare beauty. One of 111,, recreations of visitors is to drift above the beds in a glass-bottomed boat, through which one can see '-oral of every tint and ill a. wonderful varielj: of fantastic shapes. “The importance of Tahiti in the futon- li.-s in its being on the direct route ol vessels passing between . tbe Panama Canal and Australasia. iL is 21(19 miles from New Zealand. HtilHl miles from Australia and lolM miles from San Krniiciseo. so Unit it is destined to be a well-placed coaling station I’rior to lb*- war tbe Kn n.-b Goverumont proposed spending about £l,oPf),(SOI) on slipways and docks at !’i| fete.

evidently with a view to tbe strategic use to which such a port might be put in war-time. Since the war the scarcity of money had probably del'd I -(I Ihe scheme indefinitely. ‘•There arc those on the Island, milives as well as others, v.lio express the regret that Tahiti is not a British (.ossession. as it was at one time. Tho population of Rape, to is about .Jt(‘o one-third of which is Chinese, hall of the remainder natives, and the rest Krench pi ople ami visitors. ACCOMMODATION not good. "There are a good few American visiters in the season, and amongst them journalists and magazine w iters who come away from San Eramisco, in eider to get out cf the whirl of American life fur a time and do hot tor work in a new atmosphere. There ar,. two hotels and several large compartment. houses, where one may take rooms, going out. to the hotels or restaurants (~,- als. AA’e stayed ill one of these houses, and. like the rest of them, wore known as “roomers.’ A great deal of the food consists of the native- fruits and vegetables, but other than the evening dinner we did not find that the combination of Kreiieli and Tahitain cooking very palatable. Ibe charge for dinner at the hotels was 10 francs, about Is 2d in our money attlm converted rate.

"In mkliliim to copra ami pearl xliel til’: island Inis an ussi't in its SllpiT phosphates. <-• -11 l rolled by 11 very l>>; i-ompn ti.v. Tlio deposits exist mi oiitly iiip islands of tlii* group. about 100 milt’ from Tahiti, mill during tlio tviir then was a goud ileal ul' business titlin’ be lwet’ii tliis company ami Australasia but since Nauru lias been brought inti prominence umler a niamlate lieltl by Australia ifinl New Zealand business Inn dropped away. There is also a coconut oi| industry, which is very promisin'). The oil is extracted from the coconuts and the residue is made into i-uk.-s which are said to provide most nutritious fodder for cattle. Alessrs Walker and Co., formerly of New Zealand, build trailing schooners up to 2-j(I tons register amlAJessrs llonahl and Co., and Alaxwell and Co., of Auckland are intereslwl in tile trade of the islands. 'l’here are two lit roe Ij’reneh wholesale linns, hut most of the retail business of Papeete is in the hands of the Chinese who do tin l laundry work, and control tlio h eel fruit and vegetable supplies. There is a municipal market which opens every morning at o’clock, and two-thirds of the people of Papeete do their household buying there. ■‘Tahiti has no representative Government. The Governor and most of the other officials are sent out from France. Recently the post of government has mounted up, and there has been an attempt to pile on taxation, which lias

hern this mimlli very strenuously resented. Tin' matter is now tile subject of neguti.i t ions between Tahiti and Frailer. Whilst ve were there 11.M.5. Chatlnini arrived, and staved a week at l’;i] eete. The nMiiers v.eie enleit hied at :: (1.-.:i<given by the Flench ' lub and otli’i'wise iteated n nsl hospitably. tlit :"i!s': of 'i .tiiri i. "They are troubled with two I'aLher t. r-i’.’e. eentaoi'.' s I’b'erses which have h. ell o'.re,ailing lII. a h anxiety 111 OiTleial eiri 1 s. The ;■ a i,. eh']>lia n tia.-i ■ and It prosy. Thr'r ■ e 8" eases of the latte.' disease isolated on a remote part of !li" is] ■ I'd v, lien I was there. The ]e! "d: in i''-i , vas truly e-;tr;nn dinary I a.i I i:, .a -aid the natives had ways a: i means of giving the dfsenses to ||' ;.iio v.oth whom tin were at odds, j That was told me by a missionary. tlin'ii t!"' e. but | / ninot sty personally whether s. i I- .; 'ci.fs af e perp 'Hated."