The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-10-17
BY MRS. C. O. ROBINSON
If could sail the seven seas,
Could roam where nature smiles,
The siren call would beckon me
To the South Pacific Isles.

IN 1776 the American colonies
4 were trying valiantly to relieve
the English of the burden of gov
erning them, and an explorer named
Cook was combing the South Seas
for more British possessions.
Captain Cook mot the one of
north pole fame, was a most in
trepid explorer and traveller, with
a shipload of missionaries and Brit
ish flags. Whenever he spied an is
land, he stopped long enough to
leave a missionary and plant the
English ensign.
In 1777, Captain Cook landed at
the Tonga islands, and called them
the Friendly islands, because he
found the natives SO receptive. He
left a missionary and today the
natives are Christians. While they
have their own government, they
are also under protection of Great
Britain
The recent eclipse reminds us of
the expedition that went to Niua-
fou, one Of the Tonga group, to view
an eclipse on Oct. 81, 1890. Niua-
fou was the only spot on which the
eclipse was visible. The expedition
was sent by the United States naval
observatory and was quite an under
taking, as Niuafou has no harbor
and no beach.
n n
A oh efN -
"A month at this island, and un-
til recently the mail was sealed in
tin can and swimmer delivered
it to the boat, bringing back the in
coming mail in the same manner.
For that reason Niuafou is called
Tin Can Island" and the mail so is
cached.
Not long ago the swimmer was
injured by shark, so now a canoe
is used and mail cacheted Dis
patched by Canoe" These covers
are priced highly by collectors.
Niaufou is on the Hath meridian.
the international date line. To the
natives today also is tomorrow.
Tonga first issued stamps in 1886
and its issue of 1897 is a series of
handsome pictorials showing birds,
fruits and island scenes.
Captain Cook also discovered. in
TIT, the island of Niue and the
Cook islands, which he named for
himself. This year a new series of
stamps honoring Captain Cook has
been issued by these islands. How
ever, his portrait has appeared be-
fore on their stamps.
The islands of the Cook group be-
long to New Zealand, which also
was visited by Captain Cook in his
travels. He left them horses, pigs
and sheep, the first four-footed ami
mails the natives ever had seen.
And President Roosevelt sent them
reindeer and rainbow trout to add
TO their scant natural history COL
lection.
EIRST stamps of New Zealand
catalog for $1,000 each and all
OF the early issues are of high value
In 1888 advertising was printed on
the backs of their stamps, and in
1907 an issue was overprinted king
Edward VII Land" and taken or
an expedition into the Antarctic.
New Zealand is an extremely pro-
gressive country. 1t was the first
nation to give suffrage to women
and old age pensions. 1t tried an
increased postal rate last year. but
recently returned to the regular
rate. Probably it found, as has our
government, that an excess in post
age does not always mean more
revenue.
In 1778 Captain Cook landed A.
Hawaii and was killed by the ma
tiVes. To commemorate the 15Oth
anniversary of his death, the United
States overprinted the 2 and scent
regular United States issues with
the word Hawaii and the dates
1778-1928."
A very valuable Hawaiian stamp
is the 2-cent blue of 1851. II is
called missionary stamp because
it was used pricipally by the mis-