TOURING THE WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 181, 4 September 1909, Page 4

TOURING THE WORLD.

;| A COLONIAL'S IMI'KESSKfifS. r Wc have been permitted to make t • following interesting extracts from 1< . ters written by Mr. lieu Fuller, who now luuring tlie world:— S.S. Mamipoun at sea, Hearing Tahiti, Wednesday, .Ma,eh 24th, 1909. Duly left Wellington 011 the s.s. Man ; ouri'on Tuesday, March 10th. And, o the misery of the first seven days! ■ was awful! A choppy sea—and how tl boat pitched and u-sed. However, thai 1 » thing of the past now, as far as td jirip is concerned--! hope. 1 had luni 1 when we departed, :'iid didn't again fa the table until '«'u anchored off Rar 1 tonga. L— liad her first meal at tl table this morning. I had two birthda; this year. As Northern time is kept i Karotonjja, we'd two Saturdays, and » though this is your Thursday it is oi Wednesday. We anchored oil' Barotonj at 7.30 a.m. on the 22nd. What a gloi ous sight —vegetation and beautifi green, and everywhere from the edge i the sea to the top of the peaks—atoot •oUOft. (I have since discovered it 3000 ft to the top of the peaks.) Ever i thing covered with tropical vcgetatioi I After breakfi •! we went ashore in lighter. Who; l'.:n wallluig the peopl I go down the gangway and trying to gc on hoard without getting wet. The dud amongst the passengers got drenchn and had to change ami catch a late boat. L— and I were fortunate. Thcr >veTe only nine saloon passengers. The i.ll, with the exception of two ladies went ashore. The little darlings woul not risk the perils of disembarking. Th island is about twenty miles in circurn J lercnee, aad running around it is a corn .'cef about one hundred yards out. A the landing-place there is a channel, a a fresh-water creek runs into the son and the launches and boats go throu'jl it. I omitted to take the name of th township, and so have forgotten it Note.—Must always dot it down at thi time.' Excuse me; we had very litth time, and all that time was busily em ployed siglit-secing. The natives are 'iki Maoris, and it is said the Maoris origin ally came to' New Zealand from Earo tonga. Well, all I can say is, they must have been sent a way and not allowed ti rttunt, or, having got away, wouldn't face the perils of the deep on the re turn journey, as llarotonga is the niosl delightful land I have, ever seen. Ths natives are a lovely lot, physically, ant ia their manners. All they need to eal and drink is in abundance at their doors and they never get cold weather. On arrival we called on a Mr. Bradley. Hi is proprietor of flic Hook Islands Trading Company, and owns plantations ol fruit, as well as Hie store. He told us there are about eighty white people and two thousand natives. There is a nice hotel owned by the Government and leased by a Mr. Oevcs. The claret cup he made ois saved our lives, and the memory of it will live for ever. It wis warm at Rarotonga, but not so as to he uncomfortable. Mr. Bradley got a buggy for us and supplied us with a driver—"Oliver." We picked up a Mr. and Mrs. Mi'tr-'"''— two fcllow-passcn-,»ers—and drove 'flit round the island. We left Hie ! "rlinsr-phi-e about 11 oelwk and got back about 1.45. There nre house* :i.t *ho''t intervals nearly oil the war— [WT.fni'table-looking places—and plenty of churches. And they apparently bury their dead in their front gardens, as \ve saw innumerable tombstones en route. Just fancy pulling up the buggy and plucking the most delirious oranges which grew overhead, and then to sec. o! : vcr shin up a cocoanut tree almost at a rim—and the taste of that .milk in the cocoanut—the bananas —one of wliich w?« a feed—growing by the wayside, the pineapples—oh, Ciel! .At one place we <-alled at thev nave us i lunch nf bananas they hnd ripening near the house, and the gracious way I lie native lady refused the ofl'cr of a 'nin was a les'in in manners. Oh, the '.flight of that walk along the best beach I have ever seen!—the hluse of IJie water inside pud outside the reef, fhe tropical fnil:-"re. the cloudless skies! \'o painter could ever approach, let alone do it full notice. Lately a tidal ivave visited th" Maud, and signs of it were verv nwavnt, npproaeb.es to bridges beim wn-hed completely nwnv and leaving Hie m"«nnry of the hvidg'S standing. The n-'ives are said to 1.0 quite happy, All ire well off, as wilh a little llshintr. a little work in gathering the fruit/iiivl =''iinprn«? it, thev get all they want. The men wear tronsei-n and a shirt (outside their breeches), mil the women apparently only mus'in (tresses. There are no sheep on the island. They won't live on account of the heat. We .saw a lot of pigs and "piglets." There re some cows, but we did not see 'i"'m. for we had to mi on board as soon v.- we got back, as we discovered that th" i?.»t launch for the boat was timed to leave at 1 o'clock--we figured on l«"v>cr at 4o'elock. I i'.ould have lik-1 ■> 'rye stayed there three days. If v. 'i >■' not had such In 1 weather going d" -.• <•■■■■> averaged about 200 instead of 2!HI •• ''■ -O we should have had a night hero. "P'-v get two boats a month—one f' ■:" ~nd ar 1 on« fvom W-llbiton. T he Auckland boat, which left the <-•• ■ '-'• n» we. »■■..■ n when we got thrre, :rid left before us, ".■■it as she is cHipe- .•' cjlier islands we -nil wt to T:il- ! !i !- r -re her. No pn"-r Is published. There is no cable servile, so tlint anvnne wlvi wants n complete rest among the beautiful siirrom.dings nature can of)'"'-. liarotoncra is IT, Tliere is no linl' or Hi«atre ~Vi; e . and m spite of that the natives nr° Papeete, Tahiti. March 25th, 1909. We tied up where the wharf ought to be n't 3.45 p.m. There is a covnl reef right around this islaawl, i>nt here there is a natural harbor formed try an opening about 150 ft mile in the reef. There is a went depth of water right up to the town, with a kind of sloping rubble wall between the mad and the deep. The tide falls and rises only one foot. This '« a' French, possession, and looks the part. Talk about seeing Path* pictures in real life—.some of the dramatic rural views of things 1 have seen per "bio" 'were brought vividly before mc. Wc went ashore nfltcT we had dinner, and it whs dtirk. We wandered around the town, which is ill lit with kerosene lamps—narrow streets and wooden buildings mostly—and did not receive a favorable impression. The stores'and cafes .were mostly open, and mostly Chows li-hind the counters—-cl-ean. but, neverth >]'•■*;, repulsive-look, ing Chinks. The =liwts wen- full of native women a.'"l mem. nifinv in n "shikkcred" condM"vn. An o""a>-,iomil gendarme paraded IN" stiv.-'j. We went aboard after a.n -her nF th'.., and sit on tire deck until 10 o'clock, and \V-i turned in. This mo-iing up at 7 o'c!" •!< and a walk around town. Much mi"f favorably impressed. But what ti town thin would be weivi it British! The foliage is'beautiiful. and the atmospherc although warm, is line. The nulivi women have a dis.ili.neHv French air The half-cas'tes are Vtiutiful creatures they wear their lihir down their lineVs in plaits, and are costumed in nuislir robes—Empire fusliion. The eokiasre ii use here is mostly French a.nd Chilinr money—very little Amoriccn or English L—'s. knowledge of Ev-iHi came Ir handy; she tried it o.n .some natives "\\i, boys'firsit, and thev give her a hearins; We fixed no our berths for the Mari posa, whicli leaves at 11 o'clock lo morrow, and after dejeuner a la Fun cliette—the storesNplose here from "10 t< 12, and everybody knocks off work—al 11 o'clock we went for a drive in th country. Beautiful scenery, hut T pre fer Rnrotonga. The oranges bore an certainly tlio best. Wc went into a na tivc house, or, rather, a Iwu«so inli'ibitei by natives, and ttn->v srlve ns enenii-.uit! to drink tTrom—quc«"hes tin- thirst won dcrfully—and noiue-oes and othor fn'ti to cat." Oot back ebout 4 o'clock. P-m women washinsr theniseh-es and tlvei linen in a public washing-place, n rn n ning stream. Saw the hospital, th. nrisson, post office, public buihlinus. elr I nf tartan rdn wrirtt to the Fojfcs Bet g'eres arnrf lin'tradiieed myself to the pri jinictor. Ho is a Fre.i'c:hnia'n, and speal: good KjigTisli. The Imll is si *oo.ie'o.ra>, with a drinking iamne>*. Tile profi is herp, I failcy T fcniw bi ishow Itio-nijililb. Tt itjrjimnWWd abou 8.30. ,He naiallv f.lfows only Sa'turd.r anil Simday, I>ut when s.teanners are i' ■ 'they give Vxtra shows?. Tliere were i nnmWcr af Yan,kee fellotws Qiere, a"i . about eighty nftitHves—mostly wonur I They gave a "Hullo, Hulk." daace. W ■ heard ?t wais awfnHy strong, and wei i prepared to be shook'ed. But devil t < a shock got we. It was performed b; ' tw*lvc natives of botli sexes, and wn ; rot ta,s siiggc'sitivo as a walwed-dow i Maori hialtn. They all seeimed sobeT- • probably Mint nwonntwl for this. Tli fcj music consisted of 'two kerr.-'ene tins, 1 nidte drum, ■ini\ whnt looke-1 like a b'air Itoo fane—these beaten l>y sticks, "n rfMi no gentle tads, so you cam in ngijie the din. l . San Frnwisco, j\nril flth. inn!). );. "We Jeft Paneetc m She M«riV«a e J 11.15 a.m. on. if ho ?Mh 'M'arch. We In ■ a fair cabin T'rvnv'iril. Tin.' a verv r.'teb '.voyage. Ij— was r.Vk neirlv <\ } \ t'i i fibre, and I 'felt en'n.fnrtable n<"> '1 We Bverawl .inn -n,llee Tier ila a ! and 'arrived <in the <"o'-v, ;i flates nf ycsflovdiw. 'n.nd Vrd up alontr«it tte wtarf «t 7,30 «,m, A!J pfti-t'htnTa

re na "aliens" were taken ™d signed for by ithe purser di route, and, tarring .the farce of seeing the diwtu-r (.1 dociu 1 is carried on the boat) ;i'i! 'he inimiIgriJAuii iiupevVor, we'd 'no difficulty in 'landing. Their s,v,sw.ui ui c,..-. king the 8 baggage 'by (die Lii'-'i'uius is perfect, so - I had a good iinpi'osfkm from ilie «toi!'t. s It is simply wonderful the loigrrAi tiiio town has made since 'the lire. It certainly io a hire i-i'iv. I U..11 1 >w -uuiii difference in the nrowiU in the streets . to a Sydney citwd. The wmther_ i> perfect, and fo far ( iwn in love with t! ttio 'country:. We .met .sonic nice people s on the boat—a Muiir-;, Clm.rU-, a jii-s-' s from Tahiti. He waji'ls to show nn i around Paife in June. , April oth. j We arc stiaymg-at the Ho-lcl Stewart, . onie of the in hi I '- V .::.•... .n ( first floor,and have 11 nice room; every ! convenience, in ....':■_ piw • ; telephone, etc. fori' dn!l:it- . room only. It's stiff, but it's worth it, ■ and about what you'd pay for a similar , room 'in the be*;, mile..-, in, Aivitralii, . We've seen no dninkeiwits-, bar tuo yout'lui siligkJy i.i.-.-1/ria.',•.!. Certainly r the Americana treat their women well, , a.nd women can walk 'lihe streets at night unattended i-.nd iii.a;-■'■ .;od. Hive not seen any people except people in t'hrir ■»■ ;Vng clothes. 'The tram sy-cc.iu ; « i'.i 1. ivi-l fvcqui'ii. and everywhere 1 like the '.vk.'l. «,'•-.- tern in the .lihc-vtrcs. lViiple do nit dress'for l.hc ',heal re. -?qi-| that's a good filing for (lie proprietors, «s T reckon . that maun' people ,-tiiv anray inim :licm '■ in Australia biv.-a.me Mi< : v have t-fi dn--,= ' anil cab it. This -morning went to CHIT House 'and Beach. The weather 1.-, simply glorious. Game into town, and ; went to Chinatown to lunch. Had chop suey, a conglomeration of—well, it was ' very .nice, and co-it 25 cents. 1 enjoyed it, and so did 'L—. Thin afternoon 1 dropped into a "Young Man, Beware" medical museum, boys under twenty-one jr-at allowed. Well,'l had started the, American chewing-gum titbit, but llmtj ; cured inc. . . . Thi-s is flood Fridiy, I hut the people don't seem to know it. j Every Wring open as ihui'il. One theatre is closed, hut as t.hey are staging "Peter Pan" 'On Sunday I e.xprH it is more conveniouce than religious scruples. April 12th. This is Earter Monday, but all the shops are open, nnd the people don't seem to know it is a holiday. I went njong to the 'Superior Court, which is held at the Carpenter's Hall, and heard them questioning the men cabled for jury service in the "graft" cases. Thev have been at it since JanuarylOth, and have, so far, selected eleven jurymen. Two thoiifiaiid men have been examined. They 'ha-ve only to say they are biassed one ;way or tile other to escape duly. The judge 'has «o robe or wig on, neither have Ithe lawyer*. The lawyers and jurynrcS sit down, -during iilie examination. The judge oV'casionaJly ileavcs the bench" to have a constitutional up and down the court. I walked home with the judge, hawing an agreeable conversation. After lunch 'went 'with L— to the Emporium a 'wjondcrful store "America's Grand ret and California's Greatest" (vide advertisement).