Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-08-13
9r. Edwards Letter


face above the waters, the cess
alton OF motto nof the ship, and
the gentle Tapping of the waves
against the sides of the vessel
told me THAT we had come to
anchor off the island of Raro
tonga. A warm, soft air, sweet
as EySium, laden with those
enhcing odOrs of the tropics,
came through my port hole ano
went out ON deck to- again see
that marvel-a tropical sunrise.
The break of the water over the
reef made sweet music, and a
few lights Pickering in the palm
Leaf hutS ON share indicated The
Locations of the little town OF
Avarua.
Daylight disclosed a lovely
island, with a background Of
jagged and sevree mountainou
peaks, standing like giant senti.
nes, reaching into the clouds.
Two great tiers of luxuriant veg
'etatlOn cover the hills to their
SUBMITS. The highest hill is
-2,2OO feet, and there is a most PIE.
'cuIlar green to dts verdure. In
the foreground, toward the
beach, is a fringe of cocoa nut
palms, thousands upon thousands
OF them, forming a most beautiful
picture. This is the island of
RarOtOnga, and Those who told
me that 1t was more beautiful
THAN eihter Tahiti or Raiatea
made no mistake.
With the coming of daylight,
the people Weakened up and BY
the time the sun rose the veSsl
was surrounded by cataamaranS
with their queer pole outriggers,
which were pulled alongside by
the lusty armed natives. Other
boats filled with laughing and
ohattering natives pull alongside
and as We are eager to- get ashore
We do not wait for the breakfast
gong but take the first boat of
fered and go dancing over the
reef to tn landing. | have
seem blue water but surely no.
where else in all THE world can it
be so blue as it is here.
On shore is a most wonderful
panorama of trOpic beauty. We
are welcomed by women and
girls in gay shawls,. and men
clad in pink shirts and the gaudy
cOlOred parOus. Most of these
people are squatting Or lolling i'm
a large shed by the beach, and
they scarcely change their atti-
tude as they send their CHEEKY
'eorama" after you as you pass
along. Along the main road if ut
maybe called a road, OF Avarua,
There is presented such a picture
as makes ones heart ache to
think that he must leave it and
go again to the world of tol
and struggle. Cocoa palms, lad
en- with NUTS almost tO breaking,
sway in tine gentle trade wind
which constantly sings a melody
of THE South Seas, while the
great frOndS of the hover bana-
mas sing in a minDr key as they
rustic with an occasional breeze.
All around are orange trees, pa
paws, but they are nothing like
the papawS ofthe southern states,
mango and breadfruit trees are
laden with their fruit. The broad
leaves of the tare and the sharp
spikes of the pineapple form a
lower and different green, while
now and then in a small cleared
place is the green of sugar cane
Tall, graceful bamboos wave
over great beds of most nxur
liant flowers of most gorgeous col
.,orings. l wish it were In my
power to paint this picture with
words that you could see it. 1t
is a lush of the tropics, and all
Through this wonderful variety Of
plant Life are to be seen happy
faced natives, all beaming with
the essence of good will and well
come to the stranger. Small Chill.
ian ponies, fowls, pigeons, cats
and the ever present pig, which
is treated as a member of the
family, and sometimes, it is said
is even sucked at The human
breast, make up the multitude Of
life, and through it all bicycles
and buggies whirl bnskly along.
| have tried to give YOU the
impression that came to me on
Tho morning of NV landing ON