33

A.—3

The French steamer " Cholita " took some ninety people (men. women, and children) away from the Islands of Manihiki and Rakahanga, and the " Huanui " about sixty. The present passage at Tauhunu, the principal settlement, could be opened, but as required for £50. I visited the site of the proposed other passage from the sea to the lagoon through the reef, and consider that it would cost £500 to make the passage 20 ft. wide and|3 ft. deep at, low tide. I propose that a bar should be left near the entrance at the sea end, to stop an}- outrush of water through, the channel from the lagoon. On Saturday, the 9th May, we visited Tukao. the other settlement on the Island of Manihiki. Tukao seems to have suffered to the same extent as Tauhunu, the principal settlement. The Government tank at Tukao proved of great service to the people after the hurricane, as it Was found to be full of fresh water, while the wells Were filled with salt water. The people of Tauhunu. not having at that time a catchment for their tank, got their drinking-water from Tukao. The Tukao passage is also a bad one, and could be greatly improved for £50. We left Manihiki for Rakahanga on Monday evening, the I.lth May, and arrived at Rakahanga on Tuesday morning, the 12th. Rakahanga. Rakahanga does not seem to have suffered so badly as Manihiki. The Natives here have a good deal of copra, and one store has a fair amount of provisions, and the other stores expect to be supplied in a month or so, so Government assistance is not required for the present. One life was lost here during the hurricane, a woman from the leper island being drowned. In Manihiki and Rakahanga the food-plants (principally puraka) have been destroyed by the seas, and fresh plants are much needed, and I submit that the Government should render them assistance in this direction in obtaining plants for them from Aitutaki. The present reef passage is a bad one, and a much better one could be made nearer to the settlement. This passage I estimate would cost £250. The Government tank at Rakahanga is working well, and is much appreciated by the Natives. It was full at the hurricane-time, and provided the Natives with good drinking-water. Another Gale, On the 20th April last Manihiki and Rakahanga experienced another gale, which did not do much damage. The people thought at the time that they were in for another hurricane. More tanks. I consider that at Manihiki and Rakahanga the tanks should be doubled -that is, the tanks should be in twos. One more tank at Tauhunu, Tukao, and one more at Rakahanga, making three more new tanks in these islands. This would give the Natives a chance of cleaning out one tank at a time at each tank-site and be using the water from the other. Penrhyn, We arrived at Penrhyn on Wednesday, the 27th May. Penrhyn has not suffered from the gales we have had lately throughout the Cook Islands. There was a heavy sea on the Bth January, which did little damage except to some coconut-palms on the outer side of the island. The Natives have copra, and there is food in the stores, and more expected, so no Government assistance is required here at present. I consider that a new house for the Resident Agent is much needed, and should be taken in hand as soon as possible. The present house, which the Omoka Natives put up at their own cost, has never been paid for by the Government. As this is a matter which occurred some twelve years or so ago, Ido not think that any claim will be made for it now. But the old house, which is falling to pieces, might be sold, and the money obtained for it handed over to the Island Council. I submit that the new house should be placed about the middle of the present Government wharf, well out from the beach and clear of all coconut-palms. The present house is at times infested with mosquitoes. The present wharf would have to be enlarged by about 80 ft. long, 40 ft. wide, and roughly an average of 3 ft. high—say, 350 cubic yards of material required. This material could be got by boats and from the outer side of the island. The house, I consider, should he much on the same plan, and of wood, as the houses already built for Resident Agents in some of the other islands of the Cook-Group. I am pleased to see the great improvement that has taken place in the Settlement of Omoka since my last visit some eleven years ago. The Natives have now some good, neat wooden houses. They have made some good roads, which could still be extended with, advantage. The pigs have been removed from the settlement. The houses are not now too crowded together like before, and the whole place looks clean. I consider that permission to build should be first obtained from the Resident Agent before any building is put up, as in Rarotonga, and this rule should be carried out in all the Islands. On Friday, the sth June, we visited the Settlement of Tautua. This settlement has been improved by a good load.fand the place looks clean but deserted. A fanatic of a Native missionary and his wife have encouraged some of the Natives away to another islandlby miracles they are going to perform, but the miracles have not come off yet. The present Government tank at Omoka, alongside of the church, is working well, but it is rather far from the settlement. I submit that, if a chance occurs, a tank be built in the settlement, and the water be caught from the roofs of the school and Courthouses. The water from the present tank

5—A. 3.