"IN THE SIR DE OF THE PALMS."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 137, 11 June 1903, Page 4

"IN THE SIR DE OF THE PALMS."

THE PABLIiMKNTiRY TBIP. (, X. Hateera Ftar r. porter mtervieWfd Mr 0. E. Major, M.8.R., on Tuesday.J ««nd m jpt from him some interesting ,'■ at'Fla:H»msntotian*MOftto{ »ery much. From there the rarty %nMeeleK' ffo Mangaia, inhabited by Rime 1000 natives, and" fi%joicing iu-,, the pessefsion M a?fKißg. The King' ftady wT h the l'g's'a-' toTB, braved the dangers of the camera. are, to all intsGTfjWcV,; iaqips'esrlffaoris. Fruit of all descriptions isprolific.oq. the island, which is JiiTfto ,yMte.l. ft? * lJetinJßpeJted; it very much resembles M*Be»itt{ ~ &m Bu there—Father Bermardine, a London Miesionary's Church, conferred the head men, got presents, and gave the camera man another treat. The village is in the centre of the iteland, instead of, as usual, on the Baa •hore. Atiu was the m?b port of call, and from there the-party went to Aituiaki, wh&re a pleasant time was •pent Three days at sea, and Tahiti jw reached*,; The voyage was ucplaiBant, owing to a gale. Tahiti, in Mr Major's opinioD, well deserves the name it bears —"The Pearl of the, tors, who fouadei the very fine hospital, the superioress in charge having baen 40 yearn on the„island. French is spoken by the while ifliubitants I and the native p->palation, and Mr Major's knowledge of the language ' proved nsefoPtc; himself and sama; of: iris less fortunate eompuuonsv- -Ffuit, is abundant and delicious. From Tahiti to Penrhyn was move. Penrhyn was t£ej of the party's itinerary, Being witflin' «Mfa£ ftessre*a| ofjpthe Equator. The jjffiyigtf fflvLffi na'ivft.dive diwn in tenfathoms, ormgiog up shells each time. The oyster is edible, but not too . delicate in flavour. Peirl fishing was which i»l^lrd#io'Bß^4tid^i3»te ine Penrhyn. the party proceeded to t W"ton'Qf iBWftUMe 4we ailttne «rnier| thdtJghP'of older «lDrnMMf'"'Ttestree«s #i {Village reflects much credit on ttw iativap, M**rm<sm oMSi B ? d o : T M a were n<xt msitei juia of these ialalids Mr M»jor Tpealrr lighly. Apia and HbsHHirbfrtf f exeSedtogly/intßaEßtieg and pret'y. The Germans4»ere fortunate in wresting this .fine island, with Major s»d: "Many 'of ftSSiti ¥ere expressed by various members of PaxliaBmtjiJhotaudMthe trip, but rn.Ojst.ef the opwisnJ-bbn the impress eM*otf member's, Bojitical-, views, and were a reflepf Kjcfaif tWrtmenl? Be U question From a comprehensive 'stand- 1 landers a great d.al mwe affer'aiSftner' decade or two has pissed. All reflective men, and mem-arjimfttsi patriotic spirit, admiji the-gre|it potential wealth of the islands now forming part of this calc«y,"aod ; ffiaQ''s that it would have been a constant menace to Britain's other South Sea possessions (including Australia and to have permitted the <e islands to have been seiz 3d by other 'Battens."

In Mr Maj w'a opinion it was a diplomatic step taken by the Premier when ha decided the trip should be undertaken, as it not only established and r counted the spirit of island federation, HmtJns given the inhabitants of Tahiti, c|w^^f|rjJ(.ijy^up r aDd Tonga an much concernf&A colony, an£ f jottoJ an in&cafiriti 6tlSTew Zealand's Mihy questions understood concerning this colony were, the Eutop'au andnative "« Tmpremier,'' saidMr M< jor, " in \sfas&l&sua ;:*isit^ wk : ,;npon iany Ji*ra»'ajt-be fearful tp the - kJanda ffiill become jTo all , in Bu»tong*SjpFfiriher development. Asked as jaMafrttdactivelpes', Mr " 'WWnP"' that/will grow ; t&£fi!wn in : | cotton, arrow- ' root, tea, wjfpspeocoa, all spice?, and tropical frniwwiveand fl jurishv The principal difficulty that is likely to ~ af theiiilanik is that of labour. This is, however, be'ng it ¥ ji and Samoa, a es'-.n* in Tahiti, by theTß* traduction of coolies, Solomon lalwd* •n, and other westward island labourers. The abundance of food—nab, physicil giants, are much disinclined to work other than intermittently." A remarkable feature in all the islands visited was the amount of labour in bunding v&ry'nfatay ramarEablymae: churche?, esch church being provided with ssatt all surmounted with wellextcuted carvings. The langusg* throughout the whole Cook Group isj?from*sa ethnological standpoint, that' of; the Maori race, ths Sunoin being most distinct from the others. TneFjianliDguage, of course, is the languaga of the Papuan, not th? Sawaloii. ~ " The visit," said Mr Major, "must certainly prove of benefit to New Zai- -' lind, sa, without a personal knowledge of the islands and th ir inbab : taot3 and " customs; it is impossible to sp'ak with H. ,apy (Qtftitude, or to frame any laws that will be likely to prove lasting and beneficial." Matters in the kiagdom of Tonga - • are id rather a'bad way, we atwtold.; The GDvernment is conducted entirely by the foagan?. It seems, however, that the small sum avaiUbls f jr public works (very little over 8 par c rot*o the total revenue) has caused adv<?rs! comment', with the resu't that unless. King George makes some drastic alter*r tions in the conduct of his affair. 3 , « • revolution will take place, and lie wil* find himself minus his throne and tin little perquisites at inched thereto. The Tongan group is an oie, and neater to New Zealand thai any of the islands of the Cook group •r Auckland, Tha harbour at the

good steam service, the islands will become more accessible. j jThe conduet ofthe affairs, m t« e^avO^J^^tatejt^pqmp and splendour cf European courts Ts" to "the-mind cf the humourist somewhat pantomimic. '•■" r,.-.b>.Aimvn i ii ' imil ,< FT"1"