NOTES FROM RAROTONGA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13268, 27 April 1905, Page 3

NOTES FROM RAROTONGA.

(From Ouu Own Cobbesi'onmnt.) April 3. The Taviuni arrived rather unexpectedly on Monday afternoon, 26th alt., having made a. quick passage. She was not' due' till tho following morning, owing to'her being unablo to leave Auckland till the Wednesday instead of the Tuesday as usual. This was caused by the Taviuni's very late arrival in Auckland last time, as, owing to the very rough weather and heavy seas while she was here, it took from Wednesday morning to Saturday midday to got all her cargo 011 board, so that wo had "steamer day" here for throe and a-half days. Tliere was Very great difficulty and a considerable element of danger about tho operation of lightering off over 600 tons of stutt—almost entirely fruit—in tho very and work had to bo carried'oll'by fits and starts during tho four days 'whenever there was a lull. The jre&ter part, however, was done on Saturday, between 4.30 a.m. and midday. As the weather was exceptionally, hot just-at that time there is a poor chance of much of the fruit arriving 111 'anything but bad order—in fact, a great deal of it was overripo when it left here. A considerable amount of damage was done lo the boats by tho knocking about they experienced, and thero vwere many narrow escapes from what might liavo resulted seriously. Matters woro oven worse at tile island of Mitngaiit, and only about one-third of tho cargo there could be shipped, tho balance being left behind. At this place a brave deed was performed by a native named Yaevae-o-rongo, who has' already been the recipientof the Humane Society's medal for saving life. While boating fruit to the steamer a. man's canoe upset, and he, was swept right under' the reef, which at that place shelves out current flows under it. When a man gets underneath he is not usually- expected to mic in an appearance again; but in-spite of the great risk .Vaevae-o-rongo dived in and brought the other man out safely. It appears that Mangaia also had the misfortune to be visited by the hurricane previously mentioned, and suffered severely. There ( will be, if anything, a greater quantity of fruit shipped this time than last, tho greater port this trip being oranges, though bananas appear to lie plentiful too, Tho Union Steam Ship Company has now; got . up another bit? shed, making three, in \;iew of tho over-increas-ing amount of produce coming in for shipment. Planting is till going steadily 011, so that our exports will probably. double, themselves when all tbese' trees como into bearing. Copra is at present being made only in small quantities, arid of cofFeo againthis season there appears to- be no sign of a crop. 1 The latest excitement has been a circus with eight performers and somo horses, ponies, and trained dogs. It was 1 landed here from Tahiti, and stayed over a trip, giving about half a dozen performances,"which were very we-11 patronised) tho natives having plenty of money about this timo. Some very important decisions in connection with laud occupancy wore given by tho Land Titles Court last week, which will undoubtedly 1 result in very great benefit to the island and to all concerned. By the decision of tho court absolute titles- to tho land occupied by the natives have been granted to them for ever. As things were previously—and as t-hey ha-ve always 'been under the ride of the- Arikis—all land has been looked upon as the property of three or four Arikis, and tho occupiers merely held it 011 snffrance, paying therefor a yearly "atrnga," or tribute, by way of rent, consisting of perhaps a couple of pigs or a- few baskets of yams or ta-ro. The amount was merely nominal, but was an acknowledgment' of the right of the Ariki to the. land. This system has been an almost absolute bar to the improvement of tho land so held, for who was going to olant and improve when he Va-s, liable to be turned off nt a moment's notice—without oven tho orthodox "month's notice"— should 110 happen to offend his landlord? Certainly, it must bo acknowledged that it was a most uncommon thing for anyone to : be turned of?, but tho feeling that such might happen at any time was always' there, although many families had livod 011 the same " kiariga " for generations. However, the natives have of late years become more and more dissatisfied with- this state of things, and wish to have some security for their tenancy, in order that ;they. may plant, and so provide a sufficiency for their old ago and for their children. They have had their eyes opened. to a considerable extent as to the possibilities-of: the land,: when worked properly, by tho example of the several whites who have, acquired land and gone*in for plantations. This feeling of dissatisfaction was brought to a. head lately by ono man declining to pay : his tribute 'when called upon by the Axiki to do. so,- and when threatened 1 with eviction," together-with many others, appealed to the Land Titles Court, presided over by Colonel, Gudgeon (Chief Judge), with the result; that-;-■those who were able - to prove continuous., occupancy by their' family and relations for hundreds of years back wero granted absolute unalienable 'titles' to the land tliov. occuoied. At the time, of tho annexation of these islands the agreement withytho: l Rarotongans •' contained a s clause ■ to - t-hn effect that all - the old' laws of the people ■ would be .respected- and remain unaltered, •: oxecpt wlfcn they were opposed' to British laws ;of- free'dom'.and.. the'rirhts- of the individual; and the- court'decided ui'th^o-; cases that- .this law, by- wbieh i thevArikis ' held all the. land"and such absolute, power ■ over - the - people,' vw-as j not- in •: accordance: with ■ those- laws.' consequently thov' could not stand. The far-reaching benefits of thii ' decision are almost, incalculable. lor tlus

island is, capablo of producing a hundred times: more than it does at present in its ,T«y.-sparsely cultivated condition. . Latest reports from tho group bring formation: that the damage done bythp hurricane of 13th January was chiefly 005* fined 1.0 the islands,of Aitutaki, and Mangaia.. Mauke. Atiu, and JlitiarA received very litlle damage, and the crop* aro hot" affcctcd. It will tako the former three ;: islands some months to recover. :

We liavo not quite escaped tlie prevailing bad .weather, 011 this, island. After , being without rain for between two and three months the clouds burst, on the 22nd lilt., ' and it rained as it only can rr.iu in the tropics three days. All the creeks oh the island overflowed their banks and flooded the . surrounding flat country. Several bridges were carried away '011 the maiii rbad, but were immediately repaired by tho; Pitblio Works Department. One planter, who recently btiilt several bridges across tho' creek on' his plantation, was unlucky enough to lose all of them, as well as having, his road carried away in many parts. ,Tho lower portion of tho Kaurai Creek, which, skirts the Government Buildings and' tho Union Company's property, became blocked,. and in a'very short space of time the water had surrounded the buildings, rising halfway, up the verandah. Vary little damage . was ,done outsido of a thick' deposit of mud being left. A small portion of tho Union Company's lioat slip was carried, away. • On Monday, 20th February, * we wero' astonished by tho cry of "Sail, ho!" The «ail turned out to be tho French barquentine Fanny,' 50 days out from Svdney to New. Caledonia. Tho captain had not woll out nf his reckoning, and made the island of Manuae. Ho V.-Pnr ashore to find but where he was, and ou being told and beiny short of provisions ho mado for Aitutaki, 60 miles away. The members of tho craw

•"■fused to leave the latter . island" unless a pilot went aboard to take .them to their destination. Tlio Government Agent told the captain that ho had batter come. on to Rarotonga, - where ho could obtain provision* aud where nr? rangoiiicnts with his crcw might be made. After staying off this island for four days the captain decided to take Captain Johansen as pilot to Noumea. The crow. absolutely refused to sail unless this course was taken.

Per last steamer a large quantity of timber and iron came to hand for . the new cargo shed that the Union Steam Ship Company proposes building. This company has already two . largo cargo sheds, but as the fruit industry is largely increasing ,it has been v found that increased accommodation is necessary.

Last month the rccord cargo for this time of the yea:- was sent -away from this island. 'It totalled 620 tons, and is a sien of the capabilities of the place. There wul be quite as much, if not more, this .month, and it is to be hoped that a good returti will come back to the natives. They have been planting a proat many bananas of late, and El'o export from this island alone will be at least double of that of last year. ' ; Our local medical ofiiner, Dr H. E. GatJey. has bcrai granted leave of absence to visit the Old Country, and has been relioved by Dr 73ennet. late of Foxton. Tlie latter finds his hanits very full at present, there being evidently a good deal of illness (or curiosity.) about.