RAROTONGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8306, 12 July 1890, Page 6

RAROTONGA.

frEOM OCR own CORRESPONDED.] June 15, IS9O. Early on the morning of the 4th instant the residents of the village of Arorangi were startled with the report that a man had been found dead, hanging from a rafter in a boose. The news turned out to be true, and like many more death* in this world, this one is traceable to woman. The man, a native of Mitiero, was in love with a damsel of Aroraogi, and everything was going on smoothly until another fellow stepped alonz, and the girl, true to her .-ex, was "off with her old love and on with the new," and the jilted man feeling hi? loss so much, in true orthodox fashion, made one end of a line f*?t to a beam, the other into a elip-noose, and into thus safely deposited hi- neck, a kick of a bucket from under his feet, and the Mitiero lover was no more. The girl is etill happy. Messrs. Donald and Edenborou;'h, in addition to the building of a wharf in the harbour of Avaitu, have recently laid down the .structure of a line of truck rails, to be u.-ed for the conveyance of good? to and from ve--e!-. The whole job—wharf and rail line— if not noticeable for any great stretch of engineering skill is still substantial. The j..*. Little Agnes has been a trip round the group and returned on the "th in.-t-..-jt. She i? soon to load up with lime juice, oranges, etc., for your port, Sunday, the Sth instant, proved a mournful one "for the district of Avarua and Avaitu, for on that day three death? occurred— in the former and one in the latt«r district. They were all old people, one being close on the verge of 90 year*. The weather been extremely wet and cold during the la?t few week-, and no doubt that ha.- hastened the climax with those people who suffer very much during cold weather. Dr. Tiiby having left here for Auckland, we are again without 3 medical attendant. What i- wanted is a youngish medical man, who could get about in the bush and visit people :.- needed, our former doctor being too infirm for such work. Any intending i--i Jv:it should be possessed of a little capital to assist him, as there ii not suiii-ci-::.t practice to wholly ke*:-n a medical man. The residents here would, I believe, be willing to subscribe annually a sum t0v.,1. v.,1.- i- an income on some such principle as rc-guLtUs between benefit societies and their medical orsicer?. At Nu:atangiia, on the 1-th instant, a case ewe before the Queen and the authorities which wa< of a most important nature, touching as it did upon what might be r'.■:.:■ l the liberty of the subject, and in addition, charge- of theft and insulting the briti-h :! >_• were a'.-o laid. The comp!.;i:s..n: w:;- Dr. I*. K. M. Cowan and Mr*. W :.. Nicholas, .the former charging Mr Binj.imin Ccmrr.in!- and foor native* with having -te'en from erf hi* land three pi,*?, a d;. -.■:. and other article*; while the woman iaid v. cr;;<.r-_ - '? of a,-s.»uli against the same :<-T- ■::-. an i th-j actint: British Consul pre-r-.-rr-.-i a claim for damage? against them for an ::.-.;]: rii:-.-_'-.-i to have be-.-:i mads on the •• r 1 that ha-- braved a thousand years the b.v.tL- and the breeze." Mr. E-ham, the > cti-'jl, beint: brisrly engage*! attending the : a ii:ig or the br:2t:itine.S.irah Pile, for Auckland, aiijoituwt Mr. Henry Nicho'.aa.- hi* -üb-titut-i to attend the Court and watch the proceeding on behalf of Her Britannic M.<;■_-.-:>• Queen Victoria. The manner in which i native Court is held :- ;oriitwhit peculiar, arid highly intoresting. On the present occasion Her M»--_-.-:y occupied a seat under the verandah of her house, while around her r-at, or lather squatted, all the native nobility and men of learning of her Kingdom. Thc-e numbered some fifty men of all a.'-:?. Opposite, on the verandah of another ho'.:-e, were as?emb;ed the papas I These co'i-i-ted of the .■■ub-rtpr----ritative of Queen Victoria, the pro■'.■';j'.v:', your ■".-[r.-cial," , and one or two others who were interested or otherwise. and Maretu, the native missionary of Ngatangira —a worthy fellow, who speaks Erc'li-h well, an.l i- one who may be pointed to a- a goc/l sfjecimen of the Karotongan j>eople. On the gta*s between the two hJ\i-r.- .-Muatt'.-'l the other prosecutor 'Mr.-. Nicholas), the wr.r;e--e*-, and the defendant*, and a Urge .-:>riiikiing of the great unwashed— that may be taken in the literal and figurative .-en.-e. The whole scene «a.: a vfty picture*<iue one, and, for the happy-go-lucky style and appearance of the affair, might be copied with advantage by the Supreme Court of your colony. The- Q-j«n called upon the defendant, Cummin?, to open the case, and be, without being .-worn to true and faithfully tell all he knew concerning the c;»--c before the Court, at once stated ;.i- version, which - >va- that he did .-ei/.-j the cart, pig , etc., but it was done a- a t<.-?t cise, as he had been annoyed by the prosecutors on several occasions before, au 1 had had a bullock shot by the hu«band of one of them, and he had never been paid back its full value. Mrs. Nicholas : ; -.:■". corriinericed her tale, and in forcible language .-he picture i the wrongs thar had been done to her by the last witness and his hireling?. She had been ill-treated by them, and was still suffering from the blows received. The men assaulted her while her husband was away, and they forcibly took posse'.-ion of the cart and pig-;, despite her protect, and trie protest of her servant*. .Vow, the Court appeared to be fairly settled down to the work in hand, and from every side—like the shot and shell that thundered over the heads of that gallant six hundred at the Crimea — questions, repudiations, and answers were hurled about until one began to fancy he was in Paddy's Market on a Saturday night. Your ".special" nearly got lost in the taking of the evidence, but not to the Court. It «at out the etorrn ijuietly arid serenely, and suddenly a lull came over tht» scene —all were engaged in prayer. The prayer !inL-«hed, judgment was given. Mr. li. Cummins waa lined 100 dollar.--, Ttvaki, a native, 100 dollars, and two others iji) dollars each, making in all 300 dollar?, out of which 50 dollar* was set down as. a sop for the insult otfered by Taaki to the British flag. Now came thy paying of the fine, and this proved no litrle matter. No ju-t popping in to the clerk of the court and handing in your cheque. No, that is not the Karotonga way. Here it is much more simple and convenient, and I hope, for the sake of many losing litigants, that our mode will before long be adopted in New Zealand. Now for our modn-i optrandi: The police force— two strong, and both superintendents:—are mustered, and being told the name* of the guilty parties and the amount of their fine-!, they start on their work. Away they go, making a bee line for the debtors house. These they enter, and lay hands on all and sundry within reach, and in an incredibly .short space of time a pile is observable outside on the lawn or down by the pump at the back door. This pile upon inspection will be found to contain floor mats, women and men's left-off wearing apparel, out of which peeps the handle of what was once a re." pec table gingham, and a part-bar of soap ; from another the remains of one of Ellison's well-known 15s eiastia sides, and while these bundles are being tied up to take hence to the Courthouse, a muster i.-; being made of whatever pigs can be found. To these are added fowls, goats, bullocks, and all and sundry available assets that may be lying around. Upon arrival at the courthouse the goods are set down, valued, and then shared out. You are awarded 100 dollars say, but you don't get 100 dollars ; you get just what is given you and no more. Now, for instance, Her Majesty Queen Victoria has been awarded 50 dollars for that flag racket. Now, her lot consists of a part bar of soap, nine yards of dress print, a young pig, three fowls, one dozen wood matches, a chemise, man's old coat and a piece of calico (some live yards), and a fine, gentle nanny goat: total, £0 dollars. Now, the question arises, how is Victoria going to get her fine? Some suggest she should be made to come and fetch it away like everyone else, arid the authorities concur in this, therefore we hope some one will let the old lady know about this, for ."he will soon have a long bill sent in for tucker supplied to her live stock. The print and chimesc are certainly useful lines, but the man'- old coat and the part barb of soap are doubtful items. Now, is not the above a simple plan, and well worthy of imitation in New Zealand '! The brigantine Sarah Pile, which made a good passage down of 13 days, leaves on her return trip to-day, being loaded with oranges. The residents were pleased to see Captain S. McKen/.ie promoted to the rank of commander of the craft, he being an old favourite with the people hero.