The Daily News WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1903. THE COOK ISLANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 5, 7 January 1903, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1903. THE COOK ISLANDS.

A description of the Oook Islands, which h»s boen prepared by a recent visitor, at the request of the Goremmen*, contains a quantity of information conceraing the group which I as not b.fore b:en made public. The popular idei is that Rarotongais the only one of the islands thit is of any commercial importance, but as a matter of fact both A tin aod Maogaia aw 1 >rger, and Maiike is, if possible, more productive. Rarotoag*. is tho bes' I known, mainly becansa it has aVe'tsr harbour, and ig better road«d i han the o-hew, and has on account of th<se advar,t'ges ben selected for the headquar'ers of the British Residents The nativ.s there number about 2000, and I the whit»3 about 70. There ate fully 12,000 acre 3 of what is described as magnificent land available for cul'ivation, but at present the greit bulk of this is h«ld by chiefs, who do Rot seem disprs d to encourage any surto.f industry among th°ir leas fortunatecoun trymen. The gentleman who prepared th* lvporfc urges that tha land should be acquired for the Government, on fair lerais, of course, to the native owner-, and leased to Europeans, who could urow highly profi able cropi of t-opical fruits, ruaiz% tobacco, olive*, spices, ar.d bo for:h. Th'se produc's could be grown even to greater advautaga on Atiu, where (be soil is of a red volcanic, r'usty nature, and specially fertile, Any tropical plant would thrive there, and 10,000 people might live in comfort with a little intelligent labour where 800 or 900 bow eke a precarious 6xlstecce. There are no poisonous reptiles on any of the islands, if we exclude mrgquitoes from this category, bat the bird Lfe is fairly vari»d. The kingfisher, toreaj sea-quail, and a little bird of the swallow species are found along the coast line, and parrots, pigeons, and ducks further inland. Fish are abundant everywhere. The nativ a are exrvmely hospitable, with a strong religious bent, but their morals, speaking generally, are a little loose, and seme of their habits are not such as we look for in good European society. Their great need is a settled form of government that would provide for the eduction of the young people and iiisi-4 upon the profitable occupation t-f the lands. When this is obtained, brighter days will dawn upon the islands and their inhabitants.