NOTES FROM RARGTONGA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 88

NOTES FROM RARGTONGA.

RAROTONGA, February 5. The Manapouri arrived on Sunday afternoon this time, the 27th ult., having made an unusually quick passage. She was under the command of Captain Lacey while Captain Crisp was on holiday leave. She calls at Atiu this time to pick up copra, also at Mangaia, as usual, again omitting Aitutaki, as there is no prospect of cargo there yet. Dr Gatley, our medical officer, returned from a few weeks' absence in New Zealand, by this steamer. Trade is very slack just now, there being a falling market for copra and a rising one for almost every saleable commodity, fruit, as usual, being nothing but a. speculation, with the odds very much against anything in the way of even a moderate profit. The fruit industry in New Zealand appears to be the worst managed of all, for fruit is never cheap to the consumer, and yet the growers cannot even get the cost of their products back with any degree of certainty, and on the very few occasions when the returns are (by comparison) thought remarkably good, there is an absurdly inadequate proportion of profit. The want of a payable market for fruit is the chief drawback to these Islands. Given that, this group would become a flemishing and even a. wealthy place, and the almost immediate development of trade with New Zealand would be surprising in its extent. The fertility of these islands is wonderful, and with any encouragement to cultivation they could produce enormously increasing quantities of fruit and other produce. The weather lately has been at about its lottest, which means a-n average of about 88deg F. in the shade for the greater part of the day; but everything goes on in the usual way, even lawn tennis not being neglected by the more enthusiastic. A new ordinance has just been gazetted prohibiting the importation, except through the Collector of Customs, of sundry bottled perfumes, including Florida, water, eau de Cologne, lavender water, and bay rum, and making it compulsory that a record shall be kept of all 6uch perfumes 6old and to whom supplied. The reason for this ordinance is that the ever-thirsty native of the Cook Islands has for some"" time been indulging, in the enforced abstinence from, more orthodox strong- liquors, in lavender water cocktails and bay rum punch, the latter being composed of the usual ingredients of hot water, sugar, and lemon, together with a quantity of bay rum,, which was presumably imported for the hairraising purposes for which the makers intended, it, but which has been proving rather" a "hair-raiser" in another sense -lately, owing 'to this unusual method of taking by internal applications.

The total area of Africa is estimated at about 11,500,000 square, miles, of which Great Britain, owns £,Z13 49104 910 square pnles.