EXPLORING FILM.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1926, Page 4

EXPLORING FILM.

CRUISE OF ST. GFORGE. LONDON, Nov. 21. Research expeditions have a new interest in these days, because the stories may be told not only in words but through the instrumentality of the motion picture. A recent expedition has been that undertaken under the auspices of the Scientific Research Association to some of the lesser known islands of the Pacific. The journey was made in the steam yacht St. George, and a period of eighteen months was spent away from England. The story wax told in picture and by means of a lecture to an invited audience for the first time last week; and it is to be presented to tiie public immediately. No finer film of the South Seas has probably ever been shown.

Before passing out into the Pacific, the party visited the interesting Galapagoe (Irouj), which one of the scientists named “the land of the quaint and fearless folk.” Surely there is no land where beast and bird have greater confidence in their fellow humans The photographer Iliad no trouble in making pictures of all the curious inhabitants, most interesting of which perhaps are the gnarled amphibious lizards, 'which fiiid their chief sustenance in the seaweed at the bed of the sea. They congregate in their thousands, covering large areas of the rocks with their grotesque bodies. The walruses, too, are tame, tbe herons, and the flightless cormorant, and they take no more notice of the human intruders than if they were their own species. Only the vegetation is unfriendly. It is a barren land. Tn the sen, however, there are the tigers of tbe deep, and the-pictures showed the party catching bilge sharks with a line thrown from tbe shore. From the Galapagos, too, are collected many of (lie rocks which are carved with primitive representations of animals and men. NATIVE DANCING.

Beautiful pictures were taken when tbe ship approached the islands of Marquesas. There was one on hoard, however, on that morning whose humour was not for scenery. The only islands he wanted to see. he said, were the two in the lake in Claphnm Common. They had just completed 3COO miles across the Pacific. Pictures of native dancing proved that here, at least, the art had not been lost, though the ladies in the performance wore clothed not in the barbaric costumes of earlier days, but in simple cotton dresses.

At Tuamotu the photographer put into operation his apparatus for taking submarine pictures. No artificial light was needed, for the tropical sun penetrated deep down to the coral wonderland beneath the water. One of the most interesting islands was Rapa, an extinct volcano, the crater of which is now a harbour. Though the harbour is not more than a mile in width, tbe encircling peaks rise to 3000 feet. One hundred years ago there were in this island 2000 inhabitants, but the people of each valley were at war with those of the next valley. To-day llio population is only 200. The Polynesians here are a handsome race, but their life is exceedingly simple and now free from care. There is one white trader, sixty years of age, pleased with bis life and intending to live to a hundred. THE HOBGOBLIN LAND. Mr P. H. Johnston, tbe lecturer, described Easier Island as tbe hobgoblin land. A good' deal is kijown of this mysterious place, but probably there is no other set of pictures which give one such a good conception of the great stone images which are scattered round the island. They are from <i loot in 00 feet in height, most of them now lying prone, hut the largest one still erect is 37 feet. 'I he quarry was the crater in the middle of 11k island, and the conception of the original unknown .sculptors seemed lo be to plant these gigantic images all round the fifty miles of coast line. There are 100 platforms, and each one lias from three to fifteen stone images either erect or lying on the ground, fhc lecturer dot's not attempt to explain the origin of the images, hut il is something to be able to see for oneself so much of this mystery land of the Pacific.

T) itli a strong tropical sun. the conditions were perfect for photography, and needless to say, the pictures are beautifully clear.