ISLAND NATIVES FRIENDLY

Southland Times, Issue 23288, 26 August 1937, Page 6

ISLAND NATIVES FRIENDLY

CRUISE PASSENGERS ENTERTAINED BETTER UNDERSTANDING PROFESSED (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, August 25. With vivid and pleasant memories of almost a month’s holiday in the warmest of weather, about 250 passengers arrived at Auckland by the Maunganui after completing a cruise of more than 5000 miles round the islands of Rarotonga, Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Samoa and Tonga. Everywhere they landed, and when a wharf was not available the passengers were given the additional excitement of being taken ashore in the ship’s boats, extraordinary hospitality was lavished upon them by the natives. n “Although we were on holiday, said one of the passengers, “many of us could not fail to bring back from these beautiful islands a foundation for a warmer understanding of their problems than we ever had before. The friendliness of the islanders was so obvious, spontaneous and sincere that I do not think anybody on board came away from their homes without a very deep feeling of regard for them not only as hosts, but also as a very fine race.” An instance of the generosity of the islanders was given at Papeete, where a huge feast was prepared in native fashion. Plantains, bananas and fruit of all descriptions, which everywhere were to be seen growing in profusion, were prepared with sucking pigs in huge earthen ovens rather in the style of the Maori manner of cooking. GOODS BY BARTER New ground for a cruise ship was touched at Moorea and Bora Bora in the Society Islands. At Bora Bora the ship was invaded as it lay out in the roadstead by scores of frail outrigger canoes laden with native hand work and bunches of fruit. No money was acceptable to the islanders because it was of no use to them, so they bartered with the passengers for articles of clothing, particularly shirts and blazers. At Papeete a further surprise was in store. The ship was boarded by laughing Tahitian girls, who decorated, the passengers with leis or flower garlands. Food in abundance of varieties never seen before by the majority of the passengers was placed before them al-, most at every turn. Tahitians, Chinese and French offered them sauces in joints of bamboo stalks, hot pancakes in green leaves, porcupine, fish, shell fish, bananas, small pigs, taro and breadfruit. The feast was something that the passengers said they could never forget and the 100 and more natives who prepared it in a beautiful forest glade were obviously delighted to do everything they could to make the event unforgettable. Visits to the capital’s cabarets and night clubs and motor drives through tropical forests completed the tourists’ programme. From Papeete the Maunganui went 10 miles on to Moorea and from there, after the passengers had picnicked and swum in warm waters and had been greeted at every native home with friendly signs of welcome, Apia was reached on August 16 and many of the passengers took advantage of the warm sunshine which stayed with the vessel for the whole of the cruise, with the exception of the first two days, to pay a visit to the tomb of R. L. Stevenson. Vavau and Nukualofa were visited on the way back to New Zealand. When the ship was not in port entertainments were arranged on board by Captain G. B. Morgan and his officers, balls, sports, tournaments, gymkhanas and pictures keeping the passengers in an endless state of excitement.