HOROWHENUA NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9622, 30 March 1917, Page 2

HOROWHENUA NOTES

(Prom Our Own Correspondent.) OTAKI. Thursday.

Playing for the Pearcy Cup on the local bowling green yesterday the holders—Noble, St. George, H. Bright, and Satherley—had a runaway victory over Cook, Allen, Young, and A. Bright, who failed to make headway from the start, and scored only ten to their opponents' 28.

A cricket match was played at Levin on Wednesday between the Otaki Native College boys and' the Levin High School boys,, when the latter won by a substantial margin. A return match will be played at an early date. Among, the latest to enlist in Wellington is Mr Charlie Clark, of Otaki. At Leyin yesterday Messrs Askew and George Armstrong were passed. The late Mrs Kenneth: Burt, who died at the Otaki Hospital on Monday afternoon, was for some years a resident of Wairnrapa; and a daughter of Mr Spearink. . On Monday night last, at' the Otaki Methodist Church, Mr H. Tunniclific. a well-known resident of the Wairarapa district, who has been engaged in missionary work in the Islands of New Britain for the past three years and ahalf, gave an address. The islands, comprising New 'Britain, are situated near New Guinea. Thev have an area of approximately 28,000 square miles, and their population is set down at 150,000, though Mr Tunn.ieliffe stated that it was now believed that since the discovery of many thousands of aboriginals in the interior of the land, tha entire population may bo very much greater than was at first supposed. These islands were at one time British possessions, bnt were afterwards handed over to Germany, in exchange for other Pacific island property. After tlie outbreak of the present wax, however, Australia took possessitn zj tbs islands. which will, in all probability, remain a British possession. Mr Tunnicliffe told an interesting story of the life and habits of the New Britain natives, described their huts, fish nets, and traps, etc., and gave details of the work being done by the missionaries. He said the natives there were a small, chocolate coloured people, with short, curly hair. Speaking >■ generally, they were not very energetic, though they profited very considerably ns a result of the teaching of the missionaries, and led a totally different life afterwards. The speaker said the New Britain natives were not a dirty race, as some declared, and he asserted that they had many good points; they never forgot a kindness done to them, were most loyal to the missionaries, and tried to follow the advice and example of their teachers.