The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-18
1ahItian Scenes in Mutny on The Bounty True,
Declare Youthful Indianapolis Technical Experts
Hugh, Sidney Allen Know
Facts for They've
Been There.
BY JOHN w. THOMPSON

check up on the technicalities of
the picture. l found out why movie
companies have quit attempting to
fake scenes of places like Tahiti, to
which few Of us have been. It
because boys like Hugh and Sidney
know too much about those places.
Why they're technical experts on
Tahiti, its customs and people
There's only one thing about
"Mutiny on the Bounty" according
to Sidney, that isn't up to snuff.
The women aren't really as pref
ty as they are in the pitcure," he
said as seriously as any screen di-
rector. AT least the ones we saw
weren't"
Went There With Uncle
In August, 1884, the two boys "set
sail" from San Francisco with their
uncle, Edward Secrist, who raises
Italian bees on Tahiti because
there aren't any reptiles on the
island to disturb the bees sense of
security. The voyage, as the boys
relate it, might have been a little
like the voyage of the Bounty in
1893 One Of them was pretty upset
during the trip
For while the boys lived in a
regular native hut-one room,
matched roof of palms, "'n every
thing" They said they could un-
derstand perfectly why Clark Gable,
F'ranchot Tone and the other MI
tiny boys wanted to stay on the
islands. The temperature rarely
gets above 80 and never below 60.
It's seldom hot and it is never really
cold. There is always a cool breeze
blowing.
Bring Home Private Fleet
The boys brought home a fleet of
native carved boats, all replica of
the type of canoe in which the Ia
hitianS rOWed out to meet the
Bounty almost $50 years ago. The
Tah1tianS still make their boats like
that, with an outrigger on one side
and with high stern, although
they don't carve heads of their IA
tive gods on them like they used 20.
Hugh and Sidney have pictures of
themselves padding around III one
Of those boats, using the same
kind of Handicapped paddles that
FranchCt Tone used in "Mutiny on
the Bounty when he rows out to
meet the returning Capt. Bligh on
the frigate Pandora"
Hugh and Sidney went to school
in Tahiti for about two months.
Hugh didn't mind it much but
Sidney emphatically didn't care
for it,
We had to learn to talk French, 3"
Hugh said. The Tahitian bows
and girls have to recite the Lords
Prayer in French four times each
day. Promptly, Hugh demonstrated
how the Tahitians say the Lords
Prayer. His French is much bet
ter than mine.
Truly Paradise
There were about 100 in the Ia
hitian school, which is held near
Papeete, the capital There were
five rooms and six grades.
It's truly a paradise in Tahiti.
Most of the natives didn't bother
about making a living.
They just go out, pick some
bananas, oranges and breadfruit,
take them home and eat. Then they
sleep" Hugh said. The natives
like to dance, and Hugh and Sidney
told about seeing a native cere-
mony something like the one seen
IN "Mutiny on the Bounty"
Tell of Dance
The natives got in rows and one
man beat on a big drum. Some
times a little girl years old. would
lead tie lance Sidney explained.
TIE boys also brought back sam
pies Of the bright red-and- blue COL
ored, figured calico which the Tahi-
tianS wear. The costumes in 'Mutiny
on the Bounty are almost identi-
cal with the cloth they have at
home.
Other articles brought home by
the Allen expedition include a head
band made of shells of different
sizes and colorS and sewn to a bam-
boo strip; coconut dish from
which one can eat or drink: a valu-
able piece of native bark cloth from
Samoa. and striking cloth paint
ing Of Tahiti done by a Dutch art
iSt.
Make Friends Easily
According to the Allen boys. the
Tahitians are not difficult to be-
come acquainted with. 1t wasn't
long after the Americans landed"
until they were teaching the native
BOYS and girls how to play cop
and robber' on the same beautiful
slopes where Capt. Blighs crew
landed years ago.
Part Of the time Hugh and Sid
ney spent in Tahiti, they lived in
the house belonging to Robert
Keable, where it is said he wrote
most of his book, Simon Called
Peter" They liked the regular
house" much better than the
native hut.
Remember the scenes in 'Mutiny
on the Bounty" where the Bounty'S
crew are seen cooking native food
in Tahiti? Well. Hugh and Sidney
say that the natives still cook their
food that way-wrap up peeled
breadfruit and fish and mangos
mot our kind in palm leaves,
smother it all under a pie of rocks,
build fire on top and let the whole
meal roast.
Not Much Excitement
It's never very exciting in Tahiti.
So Hugh spent his time copying a
little map of the United States. He
made an enlarged copy putting in
all the cities, the roads leading from
one state to another. and colored