MAIL CARRIERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3673, 2 August 1927, Page 1

MAIL CARRIERS.

INTERESTING DELIVERIES. Travellers in various parts of the world come upon some strange mail deliveries and one which must be unique is described by a Wanganui resident who has just returned from a tour of the Fijian, Tongan and Samoan Islands (says the Chronicle). He said that their steamer called at a small island named Niuafoon, between Suva asd Samoa. The vessel could not go in close to the shore, but anchored about two miles out. Presently a tiny speck in the water evolved into the mail carrier—a half-caste native, who swam with long leisurely strokes holding a stick in one hand from the top of which dangled the mail package. On arrival at the boat he did not seem at all distressed from his exertions in the water and left again in a few minutes, pushing a return mail in a watertight container before him. An other case of strange mail delivery, nearer home, is that in which a dog owned by a resident on the Wanganui River plays a prominent part. On the days that the steamer passes on its way up-river the dog is always on hand somewhere along the bank below his master’s house and it makes its presence known by excited caperings along the water’s edge and loud barking. The mail package is hurled from the steamer to the shore, and is quickly pounced on and borne away by the dog—frequently the only living creature who meets the boat at this particular spot. The members of the river steamer’s crew describe the dog as the best mail-carrier on the river.

■Still nearer home? A Bainesse resident a year or so ago possessed a very intelligent sheep dog. Each evening it used to meet the Palmerston Nerth-Foxton train which passed not far from his master’s residence and pick up the evening paper which was thrown off hy the guard. On some occasions the dog would I>o given “a run for its money” but it never returned home without the paper. On one occasion the paper was omitted from the bundle and the dog followed the train for . a good three miles and snatched up a neighbour’s paper as soon as it was thrown out and made off lioihe with it.