Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-08-20
n. .ydv,rd'sY,s


the country if the tourists VIII
come on Marirosa Day were pne
vented from landing. About tn
best crop that is raised in Tahi
ii is the tourist crop, and con
seduently the doctor gav'
us a practique 50 quickly
that hardly anybody knows hi
had been aboard. Then came tn
ordeal of passing our goods
through the customs house.
had visions of the experiences
that had been my lot on Othel
trips to foreign lands ard won
dered whether. one of my
three cameras would not be con.
'fiScaed by the lynx-eyed officials
Of France. Some of the paSseng
erS feared all sorts of hOrmd
things happen to their wearing
apparel, but experience has evi'
IDENTITY Taught the Tahiti custom
officials THAT passengers on the
MaripOsa rarely if ever have any
thing of value, and the entire
ceremony at the custom house
consisted in my pointing out lay
baggage 10 the ..iflcial Sc that he
could pass it to the half naked
native who was ready to carry il
to Lovina's. The official didnt
even take the trouble to puta
chalk mark on it.
The customs barrier safely pass
ed there was now nothing be-
tween us and LOvina s but a
shaded street. L have mentioned
Lovina's quite frequently and
possibly my readers will begin
to wonder who and what LOvina
is: Lovina is one of the most
prominent characters of Tahiti
and not to know Lovina is not to
know Tahiti. You may 60 there
and have a. good time and never
see the governor or the mayor,
but 1T would be impossible if
you did not get acquainted with
LOvina. She keeps the chief mo
tel.at Papeete, and is one of the
kindest, most obl;ging women
one could meet in many years OF
travelling.
Breakfast in Tahiti is a flnc-
ton that occurs about II O'Clock
in the morning. No matter what
time you may desire to get up
and wander about the country all
you will be able to get will be a
little toast and coffee, until the
regular breakfast hour of eleven
arrives. Then what a meal you
do get. That first breakfast in
'.Papeete fingers in my memory
yet, and even the dinner which
came at 6 o clock in the evening,
. with its. roast sucking pig that
'hao been raisod on cOcOanlt milk
fades into ipsignificance beside
: it. The breakfast as are all other
meal, is served on the broad We
randa, which IS shaded with
vines and clustered with fine
which ills The air for blocks
around. Let it be remembered
that whenever | say anything
about meals there must always
be ADDED oranges, pineapples
bananas and such other fruit
as may be in season. Fruit does
not count when taking about eat.
ing in Tahiti, and on top of this
it must be remembered that fresh
'c0cOanut milk is almost meal of
itself, and one can have all they
can drink for the asking at any
time and any place.
Immediately after breakfast ]
hunted up TAFT Salmon and ar.
Ranged for a team and carnage
to take cur party out to Point
Venus. TAFT Salmon, it must Ir
remembered is a prince of the
royal blood who keeps a livery
stable and while he OWNS acre af-
ter acre of valuable land, from
which he derives princely revenu
he also looks after making a few
extra dollars out of the tourists
who invade his kingdom. If
were to describe the horses
which composed the team"
am sure some of you would take
'stepS to have me brought before
the Society for Prevention OF
Cruelty to Animals for censure.
We went to Point Venus and
saw where Captain Cook noted
the transit of Venus nearly al
hundred years ago, and then rode
back to. town, passing dozens Of
natives hurrvinO in 70 +ol,o nan,