ASTONISHING FIJIANS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11789, 13 February 1906, Page 6

ASTONISHING FIJIANS.

An article in the January Badminton Magazine, making mention -»f • the experiences of Mr and Mrs Gliddon during their motoring tour round the world, tells of the astonishment which their car caused to the Fijians. Mr and Mrs Gliddon visited Fiji on their way home from the United States to New Zealand, Australia, and Java.

"The king," says the writer, "had never seen a motor car, except on paper. His first question to Mr Gliddon was, 'Will it go sixty miles an hour?' The people screeched themselves wild with joy over it, and named it 'The Father of all Devils,' 'The Boat of tho Land,' and 'The God of Fire." Every two or three days they seemed to be ready with a new name — never fooling quite satisfied with the last. They all wanted to ride in the car, and even offered as much as a shilling to pay for this privilege. The mystery of its motive-power appealed strongly to them. They would lie down and look underneath for a long time without moving, to s<e if they could find out what made it go. Whenever tho car was stopped, immense crowds would gather round, and when it started would run after it until they were tired out, screaming the whole time.

"The Fijians were frankly attracted by the man who could manage such a strange n-iiiiniil. and tlioy would stand round Mr Gliddon and look at him as if they had never seen a white man .before. &om& offered to buy his clothes — ,t h inking, presumably, that there must be a marvellous power in them. One man asked him the price of a striped shirt he happened to be wearing. Mr Gliddou. thinking he meant the cost, turned to Mrs Gliddon with the query, 'How much?' When she replied, 'Oh, about six shillings,' the native shook his head, and, taking four shillings carefully out of his mouth, tendered them. He was distressful for a long time after he was refused, and for about an hour stood round the car, every few minutes offering his four shillings."

There was a clean sheet in the Police Court this morning.

We have boen asked to intimate that the Orchestral Society resumes practise on Wednesday, the 21st instant. There are some vacancies in the band, particularly in the string section, and anyone .desirous of joining should hand in their names to Mr Leslie Peck or Mr W. H. McCaul, hon. sec. The concerts of tho Society axe gaining steadily in popularity, and the coming season srould be a most successful one. In this connection we would point out that the present is also an opportune time to join as non-performing members, as the full number of concerts in- the year may then be enjoyed.