Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-11-11
Cocoanuts in Fijl-How the Nuts are
Paged, Packed and Exported.

Our sojourn on the island for the next
ten days, however far more thsu compen-
sated Tor the trouble. The house is finely
situated on a spur overlooking the bold
Hills of Vanua Lew. The long Undu
Point closes in the view towards the north,
making the part of the sea visible appear
one great lake, and all around us ana up
the slopes OF the hills and at our feet in
the plsin the young cocoanuts are waving
Let US go down TO the beach TO visit the
machinery-houses, and thus get an idea OF
the work upon al estate Of this descrip.
ton. These vast heaps Of cocoanuts are
Gathered from all parts OF the island,
which mas circumference OF shout thirty
miles, and, after the kernel has been ex-
trscted and dried on a long uataS, or
tables, or in steam drying house, which
is the more improved method, II is packed
in bags for transport by the inter island
steamers TO Levuka or by some OF the
small craft which the merchants employ
TO collect their cargoes. The price in the
island is about $l4 per ton. But after
the kernel has been disposed OF, the husk
is attacked, and by means of various
machines popularity called "devsls," it is
torn into the fiber of which 1t is com.
posed and cleaned of its Dust (Which is
8 valuable composO aud turned into briS-
ties for brushes or treated as fiber to be
packed into bales for export All the Is
borers who attend TO these machines are
Polynesisus, many Of them on Rambl be-
ing the wild-looking Tokalaus from the
Gilbert and Marshall group. Let us
watch for q moment the two who are from
the New Hebrides turning the screw press
by which the fiber is compressed into
bales One of them is survivor OF the
Carl massacre, who refused to go home
when one OF Her Msjesty's ships came to
repatriate the remnant who escaped.
Three OF them felt they had had enough
of the sea and its incidents, and preferred
to remain where they were. They are
naked black giants, and as they throw
their force TO turn the handle OF the
screw, capstan fashion, their muscles stand
out, and the whole frame is a model 81
Hercul, an power The storehouse Is full
of bales ready Tor the steamer by which
we expect to leave, and these ind msr-
ket In Sydney, while the brlsties 90 10
England We pass along by the laborers'
houses and there we find the FAM liar COO
lies. and hear again the "Salasm Sahib,"
often heard when sojourned In Maurluus,
Mr. Hill is the only proprietor as ye
about 100 of the frs. ship-load of Indian
Immigrants. They live quite friendly
side by side with the Polyuesisns, whom
they term "Iunglis." A curious traffic
has arisen between them, the Polynesians
going out to the woods to hunt the wild
0ips which they sell to the Indians, who
get much better wages than themselves,
for 81 4 pig; and on the bread irui,, v hich
grows n profusion, and other extras, the
coolies are becoming fat aud sleek. Pass
ing on, we get into a cocoanut grove,
which stretches a long distance along the
coast, the lap OF the full tide coming up
TO he very roots OF the fret line OF trees.
On some Of the trees the nuts are SO thick
as to defy computation, being indeed too
crowded for growth. AS many as 400
have been counted on one tree, but this Is
only when they are as small as apples,
for they fall abundantly in the struggle OF
the iltest TO survive. Snll further along
the coast we come TO other flats and val
leys which are also being cleared out Tor
planting with cocoanuts or cotton, and 1t
is easy 10 perceive that the exports from
this one island alone Will, IN not many
wears, equal the exports from the whole
colony when | arrived. Ga one occasion,
when the ladies went by boat on picnic
to locality called Georgia, where the
proprietor has another house, | walked
with Mr.. Hunter, the Chief Po
lice Magistrate Of Levuka, along he coast
a distance which WAS stated to he six
miles, bu. which in the heat of the day,
without d breath Of vino IN the woods
took to be double the distance The
immense vstu trees were shedding their
long tassels of pink and white flowers
which filled the whole air with delicate
perfume. The path passed through tim
Der, which from It's majestic growth
show, d the richness Of the soil, and on
our return in he evening, by sea, we had
q good opportunity of viewing the finely
wooded hills, which even Ia The days
when Commodore Wilkes made his sur
vey Of the group, caused Rsmbi TO be
distinguished among the islands. The
YtpOnee the successor of the Pretty Jane,
and a steamer more worthy of the colony,
arrived al! TOO soon to cut short our eX-
petitions in search of wood pigeons and
wild pigs, and our struggles at lawn ter
MS when the sun WAS dipping behind The
mountains OF Fanua LgvU. She was MI.
ed No To cotton and cOpra from the
WindwaId, with bales OF tioer from Uudu
Pglnt, and when she had taken In the
Rsmbi bales, with sol me hundreds OF
bags Of copra from Yuma Point, Travlnni,
she sailed tor Levuka, via Saw savu Bay,
bearing US hOmeward TO UvalGu, winch,
after all can hold its own in lovellncs
with any island Of the group.
Curious Sea Inhabitants