The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-16
A Visit to South Sea Island Queen.
Written for the Sunday Standard.

Written for the Sunday Standard.
Rarotonga is the Hottest and most
striking of the islands in the Cook or
Iervey group. In clear weather ii can
asily be seen 60 miles away We sight
ID it at fully that distance one satur-
lay evening, but the next morning. fine
as the weather was. there was not a
trace of it to be seen, and it seemed as
if we must have passed it in the dark.
We began to understand how it was
that Captain Cook, when he discovered
the other islands of the group, missed
1t entirely, and that John Williams, who
heard of it's existence from the people
of Aitutaka, cruised about for a whole
week in sailing vessel in it's neigh
borhood without finding it. When he
made second attempt, some time af-
ter, he had a similar experience, and
was just about to give 1t up, when sud
denly the clouds parted and melted
away, and showed him the island IF
which he was in search not far off. This
was our experience about o'clock on
the Sunday morning, and by 1890 we
were landing at the little stone pier at
Avarua, receiving an enthusiastic well
come from a crowd of well dressed ma
tives and their missionary the Rev. j.
j. K. Hutchin.
The people are stalwart and hand
some race, very nearly allied to the
Maoris of New Zealand, who, indeed
regard them as elder brothers. Nature
is bountiful. the climate is delightful
and since the advent of Christianity
and civilization, they have made con
siderable advance in at least the eXter-
mails of civilized comfort. good read
circles the island, and fairly well-bult
cottages of European form, many roof
ed with corrugated iron, are found
along its course Many of these are very
bare of any comfortable furnishing, but
1t Is not easy to find one which does not
possess sewing machine on its stand
the missionary's wife says the women
show considerable skill in cutting ou-
and making their clothing. They GER
tainly also display considerable taste in
their choice and combination of colors
Horses and wheeled vehicles have been
introduced during recent years, and 1t
seems to be the ambition of every
householder to own an American four
wheeled spider, and one or more ponies
Unfortunately, their love of horse flesh
has not advanced to such a point as to
lead to kindly treatment or care of the
animals after they have purchased
them. Queen Makea herself lent me
her vehicle for use on one occasion, and
the horse turned out to be so lame that
1T was pain to sit behind it.
The native population of the island Is
only $500, and that of the whole group
of seven islands is under 10000. but the
trade in copra and coffee Is large
enough to make 1t worth while for an
Australian steamer to call every four
weeks, and inter-island schooOners
seem to have a considerable amount
of traffic. The settlement at .Avarua,
Rarotonga, boasts of two stone piers,
several trading firms and a very mixed
foreign population of about $50. AT
the earnest request of Queen Makea
and her chiefs, a British protectorate
was established in 1891, the queens de-
sire being that some effective control
might be exercised over the for ign
traders especially in regard to the
traffic in Intoxicating liquors. The
public affairs of the whole group are
now managed by a parliament of rep
resentative. members, the British resi-
dent on Rarotonga being the adviser
of the legislature. Up to the present,
the liquor traffic has been eff ctively