CRUISING IN THE SOUTH SEAS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2428, 26 September 1900, Page 34

CRUISING IN THE SOUTH SEAS.

(From Oxm Own Coerkspondent. ) AUCKLAND, September 22,

Among the passengers by the ,s.s. Ovalau from Tahiti were Lord Albert Osborne ('brother of the Duke of Leeds) and MaDouglas Hall. They have been visiting the Islands on pleasure bent, combined with some studies in anthropology. They left, England in March for the United Stales, through whicii they*, passed, staying a few days at San Francisco. From that port they took passage to Tahiti, v here they had a very pleas.uifc time.- They foundj the Governor, M. Gallef, a very charming man,, and received at the hands of the French officials every courtesy. At Papute they chartered a. vessel, and had a cruise in the Marquesas and Paumotu groups, making anthropological researches. There were some cases of leprosy at the Marquesas (said to have been introduced by the Chinese), and of elephantiasis at the 'Pamnotus. The French Administrator was doing his bosb for the welfare of the natives. On the island of Tauohai they found the Sisiers had a veiy good school for native girls, who were taught to read and -write, and got a knowledge of geography. The girls wrote a very fair hand. They were obliged coinpul&orily to go to school from six io 16. Ou the other side of the island was a boys' school, hut it was not &o satisfactory as the girK In the Marquesas they met with a v hite man wholly tattooed. It appeared he fell in love with o native princess. She stated that she could not marry a man who was not tattooed. He .underwent the process, winch took much and cost iiim much pain, when he again urged his suit, as he had complied with her requirements. The fickle maiden rejected him, saying that as a white man lie looked absurd tatooed. He cannot go home now to Europe, as he would be laughed at. On one island — v Xukuhinai — they were terribly pestered with a sandfly (nono), to whose attack that of the mosquito was mildness itself. Mr Hall has obtained some curious as well as rare specimens of human hair, and al.«o some gods. Lord O&borne and Mr Hall leave to-day for the lake country. It was their intention to proceed to Warakei, but time will not permit, as they leave again on Wednesday for Fiji, en route for the New Hebrides (if they can arrange it), Samoa, and Honolulu, staying over a trip of the mail steamer at each port. They had some good shark-fishing at one of the islands, in company with Captain M'Beth of the Ovalau.