GILBERT ISLANDS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 7 September 1916, Page 5

GILBERT ISLANDS.

“MOST VALUABLE IN THE WORLD. ” INTERESTING INVESTIGATION.

A passenger by the steamer Manuka from Sydney to Wellington was Professor Macmillan Brown, Vice-Chan-cellor of the University of New Zealand. Professor Brown has spent three months at the Gilbert and Ellice Islands on an investigation to discover the relationship of the Gilbert Islands to Polynesia in the east. Micronesia in the north-west, and Melanesia to the south-east

Speaking on the subject of his mission to a ‘ ‘New Zealand Times” re-

presentative on his arrival, Professor Brown remarked that for some years he had been studying the subect, and he had noticed that there were gaps in the association of the Gilbert Islands with. Polynesia. For instance, they had not the tubers of Polynesia/ —the taro yam or sweet potato. They had no sugar-cane or bananas, and only recently bread fruit. They had no double canoe, pig, or dog. Yet the people showed in their features and pby sique strong Polynesian qualities, whilst in the language he discovered that there was a basis of the Polyugn .sian, but there was somthing else which had developed from it.

“I have now come to the conclusion, ” said the professor, “that the Gilberts were people not from Polynesia, otherwise these gaps would not have occurred in its culture. The problem is one that has puzzled nie for many years. The Gilbert Islands have a population of 30,000, but the Ellice Islands form a small group, with a population of only 3000. They are all coral atols. Though these islands are on the equator they have one of the most delightful climates in the world, for the reason that the south-east trades blow without any obstruction from mountains for threequarters of the year.

“A most interesting feature in connection with the islands,” continued the professor, “is that the Ocean and Nauru islands, formerly ruled by Germany, are the two most valuable spots on the face of the earth. On them arc to bo found phosphorus worth hundreds of millions—of as much value as the whole of the nitrate fields of Chile. As these coral islands have risen from the sea, the birds have deposited rich layers of guano, .which, have permeated the limestone. There are now deposits of phosphates rock to a depth of '3O and 40 feet. J have seen these being worked. They provide the most valuable manure to be found in the world. A steamer comes along from Japan every week or so to take cargoes of the material to be made into superphosphates. Our freezing companies get shipments of these superphosphates from Japan monthly to mix with their blood manures. Ocean Island is the most westerly of the Gilberts, and is the seat og Government.

‘'One of the most estraordinary conclusion, “is that though the De-puty-Commissioner of the Gilberts haa been recommending that, they shoulcl bs transformed from a Protectorate intO'«, colony for, many years, It was only seven or eight months ego that the change was maaeV" ,«* ■ -