ISLAND TREASURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21219, 27 June 1932, Page 11

ISLAND TREASURES.

UNIQUE COLLECTION MADE.

ACQUISITION FOR MUSEUM.

CRUISE BY A NATURALIST. An amazing assortment of Island curios, including native shells, plants, butterflies, stuffed birds, crocodiles, snails, snakes, flying foxes, spears, kites and fishing nets, was brought by the Melanesian Mission steamer Southern Cross, which returned to Auckland on Saturday from her Island cruise. They were collected in the New Hebrides. Santa Cruz and Solomon Groups by the Auckland naturalist Mr. A. T. Pycroft, for presentation to the Auckland Museum, and were obtained from the natives of the Islands in exchange for tobacco, calico, pipes, knives and fishhooks. Mr. Pycroft accompanied tlie steamer on its two and a-half months' cruise, visiting many out-of-the-way islands and securing about 1000 specimens, which should add considerably to the value of the Island collection in the museum. The butterflies, of brilliant tropical hues, number over 100.

A cinematograph machine and a camei a were among tho appliances taken by the naturalist on the cruise. A total of 152 photographic plates was exposed, and they will be presented to the museum. Among the most interesting photographs obtained were of eight Polynesian men, heavily tattooed, who arrived at Vanikoro, in the Santa Cruz Group, after a voyage of 120 miles in dug-out canoes from their home on the island of Tikopia. Those men are totally different in type from the Melanesians, having long hair, stained yellow through treatment with lime. Relics ol 111-fated Explorer.

Long ocean voyages are seldom undertaken by canoe in modern times, said Mr. Pycroft. but they were very frequent in older days. It was at Vanikoro that the two ships of the La Perouse expedition were wrecked in 1788, and in 1885 relics of the expedition were found at Tikopia, showing that they had been transported by canoe across the 120-rnile strip of ocean.

When the Southern Cross was at Yanikoro the eight Polynesian voyagers expected to be conveyed back to their island by the steamer, as the trade winds will prevent the return of the canoe's, and in expectation of a joyous home-coming they had decked themselves out with branches of the drascina and hibiscus flowers in their hair. They were overcome, with grief when told that the Southern Cross was not calling at Tikopia. Ravages oi Disease.

'"There is a great need for more medical assistance in Melanesia, ' said Mr. Pycroft. "Yaws and other diseases arc common on many of the islands and the cases arc pitiable to see, especially the children. On one island on which we landed two nursing sisters, with the help of the missionaries, made 19 injections for yaws in the two hours we were there. I was informed that three injections are necessarv to effect a cure. Good work is being done at the mission hospital at Fuabu and some distance from the hospital lepers who have been brought there from the neighbouring islands are segregated. They receive treatment from the hospital authorities." The natives throughout the mission field are taught the Mot a language in the schools, but Mr. Pycroft was informed that the synod has now decided to have English taught instoad. as the growing association of the natives and planteis and traders renders a knowledge of English more useful to the islanders. Mr. Pycroft was struck by the fact that pidgin English is not viewed favourably by the mission authorities and that commands to the. island crew on thp> Southern Cross are all given in plain English. Primitive Forms of Money. Probably the most treasured acquisition of the cruise was the purchase of two coils of red feather money, peculiar to Santa Cruz. These valuable curiosities, which are employed as a. medium of exchange for the purchase, for example, of wives and the cementing of friendship, consist of two or three fathoms of fibre entirely covered with the red feathers of birds. Another important prize was a complete red shell money mint, with all the necessary appliances for making native money. It was purchased at the Bina Lagoon", on the west coast of Malata. Mr. Pycroft said th&t one of the most, interesling events of the cruise was an inspection of the artificial islands at the Bina Lagoon. They were made years ago by taking heaps of coral out in canoes and tipping them into the water until a number of islands appeared, on which huts could be built for protection against ferocious bush tribes.