THE COOK ISLANDS

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13729, 20 October 1908, Page 3

THE COOK ISLANDS

.». PECULIARITIES OF THE PEOPLE. " From certain remarks made in the Parliament of New. Zealand during the session of 1907 I gather," reports the CunuiiKsibner of the Cook Islands to the Minister in Charge, "that it was believed that the Government of that colony might have done much towards improving the health of the inhabitants of the Cook and Northern Island*. My experience, gained during a residence of ten years among these people, gives me no ground to hope that any action the Government might take would be beneficial to the Natives, who are, without exception, the most cruel and callous people towards their sick relatives that can be found at the present day. If you should ask the question as to whether the sick person has been fed, they will- tell'you that he has not, and that it was unnecessary to feed li'im, as he was eure to die. They are both obstinate and superstitious, and cling to their old methods and tohungas. "As for the tohunga, he is as dangerous to the well-being of the people of the Ccok Islands as he has been in New Zealand for any time during the hist fifty years, and in either place he will not easily be suppressed, for the simple reason that, tlie -Maori has more faith in the .tohunga, than in the doctor. There are certain aspects of the Maori mind most difficult to deal with. For instance, ■if I the fit si dose of medicine does not effect an immediate cure, it is no good, and he will hav« no more of it. Again, he cannot see that tin- food he its eating can have any connection with, or effect on. the malady from which he sutlers, Mud therefore, life wife will neglect to cook him proper food, because ■she cannot see the tiaceaoty for so doing. The point which 1 wisb to make clear is tin:?: The Government can do nothing; but the doctor can do almost anything if ihe people have influence he may do as l)r G. Craig influence h euiay do, as l)r G. Craig and Ur I'omare have done ; both) of these gentlemen were listened to and obeyed. The Xatives do not want professional ability in their doctor so much a» firmness of character, and above all things good address'. If he has not the latter the Natives will uot, go near him. The present medical officer of tho Cook Inlands is mint unpopular by reason of a bad or gnitf mauner, and, as a natural consequence, the Xativis will cither-neglect to call him in, or, if they do call upoti him, it will only !>«. when the patient is in extremis. '* The Atiu people suffer ftoiu the fact that they have not made any progies-. towards civilisation during th-: last forty I years. They ar c still savages and th>- j Arikis arc supreme. In th<- caso of | Mauke 1 had a sound excuse fur order- ] ing that all the lands sJiould be surveyed, i for the people of that island wen- always I qiiatrvlliug; hut in Atiu the* chiefs and | Arikis govern with a strong hand, and, I if there he quarrels they ar<- hidden ftom iii»'. The people ate. used I" Mibmis-vii ; I and even though I may indue- the chid* i I" have th«- tribal boutldari- > suiveye'd, | it will be of little benefit to the lower ] rank.- of the people, in whose foituiics j lam most cotHciiicd. For these r. aimis j 1 do not expect any immediate improve- | mciit in the conditions of lift- at Atiu, j though the island is l.uge and leitile. j The jH-ople are apt to be- both childish i aud sulky, and believe that they cm , arbitrarily fix the price of Maud p:->- i elucc. Last year they weie at least | 50 tons short <>i the usual supply ot ; copra. They simply refu-d to us.- tie' I nut* they hid because- th- juic. s ; of tlw early part of the .-• .i><ni weie | not maintained, and by some proc< >s of | leasuniug, entirely their own. they ,on-. de-red that they had been injured by this : . fact—indeed, that i: was the r<sult of j some i-oinbinatioii against them. j "With such a p.-<>plrt arguimnt i- im , . possible; for they ,u<- not, o|>oii to con- - t viction; but tune will work wonder-. ■ ■ *nd' K,.r<itong.i will be tiu- oi»|. < t !•; llir prosperity <•>!" 'his l.i-l nun'-.I i-': m! i- s„ obviout" that, the ot!i'i Mauds ar- ' inquiring into the ( .uin- thereof, anil : already the Annans In. e f",in •'. ".in j panics to work and plant their land—.l j ,_ v. ty satisfactory arrMigeineut, for it i? . in k-v-piti- with their obi . tsKnu.- " • I'M fioV (Jomtmciit has su*n\ the I -< t-«; of time I'.r'i. vr.i .<J! skin di.—a-e- j Is t-i cbciii.ita aud gwtrt... j 1