Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-01-20
NATIVE LIFE
OF AvARUA
OF NATIVE HOUSE
AND ITS CONTENTS.
Our Representative i'm South Sea Is
lands Writes of Beautiful
Avarua, Its People and
Their HabitatiOns.

Avarua, Rarotonga, Jan. 13.-Na-
! tive life on this island is simplicity
| itself. A visit to one of the native
houses was one of the interesting
| features of the trip and is well worth
describing. Threading my way along
a narrow path through maze of
wondrous tropical growth, shown off
to perfection by the towering hills
beyond, l came to a coral strand, all
bleached and white, s-~~ourding the
thatched hut. The .ouse was ten
| feet high by fifteen long and ten
wide, with coral floor and thatched
leaf roof, with sides of closely woven
bamboo sticks. A few low bed
steads are around the room, and on
each is layer of beautiful mats,
| woven from sugar cane, palm or
pandonus. There is no curtain or
mon for the whole family, all living
in the perfect innocence of Eve before
the apple was eaten. Big camphor
chests keep what little clothing the
people are not wearing, while sew
ing machine standing in the corner
shows that civilization hae reached
even this remote garter of the
world. From one corner across to the
other stretches a clothes line on
which hang all sorts of wearing ap-
parel, in divers colors and conditions
of patches.
Sitting on mats which cover the
floor are a number of women who
give cordial welcome. They are all
dressed in the loose calico dresses,
typical of the island. Some are
weaving hats, others making mats,
but all are doing their work so
indolently that it scarcely seems to
be work at all. Time is of no OBJ
ject here, consequently the hat which
until some time next year.
Oranges, bananas and other fruits
are offered and all seem to be glad
of my visit, but l am sure that as
soon as left the place they returned
to their accustomed occupation of
retailing the latest gossip of the is
land, with, perhaps, some sighting
reference to my personal appearance.
There Is nothing vicious in this sort
of talk with them, but it must be re-
membered that they have nothing
except the rare visit of stranger to
break the mOnotOny of their lives.
Leaving this house l took a track
leading down fertile valley, and
wandered on amid vanilla and coffee
| plantations, with guavas and pine
apples running riot, and oranges and
bananas growing wild, while the air
is thick with the aroma Of the tropic
| flowers. l have never seen such
wealth of flowers, nor any of such
gorgeous colorings as are to be found
here.
| l next made a visit to Makea,
|
hat in hand, ushered me into her
presence, and l was impressed with
her resemblance to Lillioukalani,
queen of the Hawaiian islands. They
look enough alike TO be sisters.
Queen Makea rules all these people
of Rarotonga and her rule is absolute
for the natives fully believe she has
the power of casting spells upon them
with the evil eye. She speaks very
little English, consequently my inter-
view was brief. She cordially shook
hands wnen l left, and said she was.
pleased with my visit. / was told
that when some of her subjects Of
Tended her she simply said, away
with you, wish to see you no more"
and tie offending native went away
to die
For minor offenses the natives are
fined and work out their fines by
serving the queer for stated periods,
or for articles ranging from a bar of
| ''~SP ~ hhOhSy ohouhtihS W Twenty
five dollars. OF course the queen is
under British dominion, as this is
land belongs to Great Britain, but one
would never know it from the way
the people give her absolute obed-
ience.
Bird life on this island is meager,
abOut the only ono IN ha caap a. a
small blue crane. The Nina bird
found on the other islands of this
vicinity, is absent as 1t has not been
introduced. and as result the in
sect life Is pest so far as the fruit
trees are concerned. The most strik-
ing thing to be found on this island
is the variety of beautiful sheels.
The climate is even. never showing a