“BEACHCOMBERS AND OTHERS"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22257, 9 May 1934, Page 12

“BEACHCOMBERS AND OTHERS"

ADDRESS BY MR H. D. SKINNER. An interesting address entitled " Beachcombers and Others" was delivered last evening to members of the Otago Institute by Mr H. D. Skintter in the Museum lecture hall. Dr C. E. Hercus presided over a good audience. Mr Skinner, in his opening remarks; stressed the need for making clear the meaning of the term " beachcomber." Beachcombers, the speaker stated, might be classed iu five groups—mutineers, deserters, administrators, traders, and .finally those who came to Polynesia of their own choice. The main .portion of the address comprised the reading of vivid extracts both from published works upon the 'South Sea Islands and from letters received personally by the speaker from traders operating at the present time in that area. In connection with the mutineers, •a passage was quoted from Mariner's account of the mutiny on the Privateer, Port au Prince, it being pointed out that Mariner was only 15 years of age when the described took, place. The point of, view of a deserter was illustrated by a section of the reminiscences of William Diapea, while the administrative angle was shown by the reading of passages from Sir Basil Thompson's "Diversions of a Prime Minister." Mr Skinner then read extracts from letters received by him from Mr Drary Low, a present-day trader in the South Seas, which described in amusing language some of the experiences and dangers undergone during his voyages. Sections were finally read from another letter written by a beachcomber who recently carried off a large amount of valuable ethnographic material from a-Poly-. ncsian area controlled by a . foreign Power. This letter described the blackmail suffered by the writer at the hands of enterprising natives while he was smuggling- his material off the islands. During the evening Mrs Skinner reid two delightful passages from Nordhoff and Hall's "Faery Islands of the South Seas." ~ o At the conclusion of the address Dr Mullin moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr and Mrs Skinner for the excellent address they had given.