Jottings of a Lady About Town

NZ Truth, Issue 1198, 15 November 1928, Page 19

Jottings of a Lady About Town

An Island Eve

UVT2 was always, if the truth were known, far more enterprising than her boy friend, and it is little Daisy Moran of the Pitcairn Island who is at present holding on to big brother's coat-tails, forcibly restraining him from making an immediate departure for his island home.

Daisy's first: job, on arriving m New Zealand, was to shorten her skirts. She wanted to trim her black tresses to match, too, but Brother Roland says "No." And though m Pitcairn shoes are worn only with Sunday-best attire, she is managing a pair of Baby Louis heels very successfully. Alone of the little party, she has been to a theatre and thinks that Pullers' is a magnificent place.

In fact, Daisy — slim, black-eyed, vivacious, and gifted with a pretty broken accent faiat might easily be French is having the time of her life, m New Zealand and doesn't want to go back at all. ,

Her brother has a wife m the far-off isle, however, and duty must be done: In the meantime, Daisy- means to extract every possible ounce of fun from the few short months of her stay.

"The first night — oh, it was ldve-le&" she says. ",A.ll the shop --windows-— the first I'd -ever seen— l had to keep peeping; out at them." ■ '..

So we may picture a little island Cinderella looking out at the bright lights of Wellington and thinking them as good as diamonds. Daisy has been for her first motor-drive and the driver couldn't go quick enough. Here, at any rate, the party of Pitcairners is m complete accord. ,

They would be quite content to glide along at severity miles an hour if our speed-cops looked with a paternal eye on such frivolities.

Over m Pitcairn, the maidens spend most of their. time making- souvenirs to be taken away and sold by the .ships. The girls aren't: allowed to go out: at night, and spend their evenings sewing-.

Cooking is done m stone ovens, standing erect from the ground like an ordinary oven, but carved out of solid rocks. There are five different kinds of bananas and they are used either fresh or dried.

Pitcairn oranges are the finest m the world and you can also taste paw- paws, guavas, pineapples and passion fruit m season. '. A staple food is arrowroot The girls dig the roots from the ground, cart them -home m. wheelbarrows, peel and wash them, mill them, m water to extract. the flour, and finally bag it up. •.-■■.

They make, also, from their own coconuts the coconut oil which keeps the Islander's hair crisp and shiny. Powder is permitted on the island, but nobody paints.

There is no divorce amongst Pitcairn people and only one man on the island smokes— a lone American^ who married a Pitcairn wife. . He isn't bored, for there is sport m quantities, fishing, canoe-paddling (the men think nothing of rowing to the' island of . Oeno^ which is seventy miles, distant), cricket and swimming. ' ...".'■•'• ' ;

There isn't a bathing suit m the whole of Pitcaim Island— girls go m m their underclothes or ordinary clothing — but Daisy is seriously thinking of taking a sui'f suit back.

From the age of six to that of sixteen, girls and boys go to school,' and must pass examinations just like -our own children. But the little business girl has yet to dawn on the Pitcairn horizon, where "work for women is of ail exceedingly domesticated nature. .

If you happen to possess an organ that you don't want,' post it, care of '"New Zealand Truth," to Daisy. The islanders are working here to get things. which then: little home needs, and Big Brother Roland has set his heart. on an organ for. the tiny church. And if you are having one of the new boilers installed; don't throw away your old copper/for Pitcairn needs such tilings and needs them badly. . ■':■■ *■.*'; '■•'; *" ■ -. ■ .'■ Pigeons -Say ' ' Thank: You - ". , 'THERE are hobbies and hobbies for *• ye tired business man, and though many of them take an. interest m '"birds" fe\v and ; far between are those who, like assistant r^te , collector Johnston; would trouble to cultivate a friendly relation with, the pigeons of Wellington. ' • • ' talce it for granted- that the birds the air caii "worry along on worms and : suchlike; f. Collector Johnston doesn't. For thfe last eighteen months he has come every day, with a shilling's' worth of peanuts m his hip.pocket, and red the multitude of pigeons which flutter around the ittle green square of lawn opposite the Opera House. .

The birds are perfectly fearless of their friend, and settle on his shoulders, eating 1 the nuts out of his hand.

They.seem to know when business is over for the day, and .fly back to their perches m the sun, there to preen their feathers and talk contentedly about, the pleasing disposition of mankind.