"BLACK-BIRDING."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13340, 26 March 1914, Page 9

" BLACK-BIRDING."

IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

The modern method of. ''black-birding*' m the yet uncivilised : Solomon Islands of the South Pacific, sacred m the annals ot romantic literature to the memory ,of Louis Beck and "Bully" Hayes, was the story told, to a Wellington interviewer by Mr Robert Allan, a resident, of : Nel - son, who has just returned home after a four months' tour of the Hebrides. Mr Allan was fortunate enough to obtain passage during part of Ms journey m a recruiting vessel doing the rounds of the remote islands of the Solomons, where even yet the natives prey one upon the other, and the tourist who is daring enough to drop into a village without the backing of a gunboat is welcomed asa toothsome morsel. , Dealings with the bushmen of the islands by the recruiting crew' are carried on, states Mr Allan, 'with scrupulous care on both sides. ; The ship drops anchor and fires a cannon to announce its advent and purpose. The captain puts ashore m a boat manned by an armed crew, followed by a covering boat of; armed men, that stands off watching for possible hostilities on the part the natives. The recruiter, who accompanies the captain's boat, then conducts negotiations with the natives, who assemble on the shore, paying over the recruiting fee for a native or "boy" to that person's relative, the standard fee being 281bs cf tobacco and a parcel containing an axe, two knives, a dozen boxes? of "matches, and a loin cloth. In some cases the natives desire porpoise teeth, m which instance about 300 of these are added to tlie payment, and half the amount cf tobacco is deducted. This is always paid over immediately. At other times the "boy" himself desires- payment, and it ; s usual to pay him £2 on the spot. He then recruits for two years on a wage of 10s a month, with food and accommodation, at the ned of which time he must b£ returned to his home by the recruiting agent unless he elects to enlist for another 12 months. During' his term on the Queensland plantations he is under Government supervision, when his employer may not allow him more than 25 per cent bf his wages tfo spend, and must give him the balance .at the end of the term.