THE HURRICANE AT RAROTONGA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1935, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE HURRICANE AT RAROTONGA.

A LITTLE ISLANDER WRITES TO NEW ZEALAND. The following letter written by a little Islander living at Rarotonga to her former school teacher, now resident in Auckland, describes vividly in the little girl's quaint way the ravages of the hurricane: —

Avarua, Rarotonga, ' February 2, 1035. My Dear Mama Stevens, — With my groat pleasure I am just dropping you these few lines, as I am not busy to-day. First of all I must tell you about the awful etorm which happened a fortnight ago. It was so terrible. It started on Wednesday, February 0, blowing from the east, and tho next day a little further to the north, and it kept moving a little till it came to right north. That was Saturday night, and the wind blew harder and harder, so that you could not hear anything, Then the waves started to come and also the rain. On Sunday morning it was worse, the big sea coining on the U.S.S. Co.'s buildings. All the houses near the beach were badly broken and filled up with big stones and coral. About 12 o'clock on Sunday it got very much worse. The big sea came right up to the Government buildings, right in the courthouse and in Judge Ayson's office. Tho sea went right in the hospital, and the doctor and matron took all the sick people to another house. All the native people on the beach had to move away to the back. The papoas (white people) went up to Ngatipa (the Residency). All the broken houses were floating about on the road, and the Union Co.'s cargo boats were drifting to and fro right up Takuvaive Valley as far as Karika Ariki's place. One of them smashed into Mr. Hopkin's photo house.

I hope you remember that there used .to be a little island at Nikao. That one has been washed away by the waves, but there are two larger ones further up the lagoon now and another new one by the Catholic Cemetery's beach. The people have already begun to plant trees on them. Willie Brown's ice cream shop was washed away and he cannot find any of it now. A. 15. Donald's wharf was washed up by Hoff's store. The pretty flowers and trees in the hotel garden were all washed away and there are only big rocks and coral there now. On the main road the rocks were piled up nearly five feet high. Nine hundred men worked to clear them all away. On Monday morning it is settled down again. It was so terrible! They reckon that 90 per cent of the kai has been lost. My daddy has lost more than half his bananas and oranges, so therefore it is bad luck about my coming up to school in New Zealand, as I have four brothers in New Zealand to be upkept. This will be a very bad year for the island. You would be sorry to see our island now. There are no nice green leaves, only dead, dry ones. Our island looks funny now. The girl guides ; are waiting to meet Lord and Lady I Baden-Powell next month. We hope -they will have a good time visiting our companies, I think 1 must conclude, as the steamer is leaving soon. .May God bless you both. Yours sincerely, Itinga.