49

A.—3

More of this intoxication is seen Sunday afternoons and Sunday nights than at any other time. This is doubtless due, in part, to the enforced Sunday idleness of those who do not care to spend their time in the church. The evils are, to my mind, an object-lesson on the futility of trying to make people religious by Sunday laws. Physically and morally non-church-going natives are far better off when they work every day in the week. People who intelligently and conscientiously observe the Lord's rest-day need no Sunday laws, for they could not be induced to either labour or play in holy time. Hence, to my mind, Sunday or Sabbath laws of human enactment are unnecessary, meddlesome, and pernicious. As expressed above, I am unable to give you full statistics of our work in Rarotonga, as some of our earlier records have been lost. I have counted in all fifty-two cases of serious sickness which resulted, as I believe, directly from the use of intoxicants. Of these fifty-two cases, five died. It has been far more difficult to determine how many of our cases have resulted indirectly from the use of intoxicating liquors. I took three separate months at random from our records, and made their statistics the basis of my estimate. The aggregate of cases for the three months was 333. The number of cases indirectly due to the use of liquors during the same three months was thirty-four. This gives us a percentage of about ten. My opinion is that accurate records for the entire time of my stay in Rarotonga will give us between ten and twelve. My reason for thinking that the above is too small is that, after making the estimate, a further study of the lists discovered names that were omitted in the estimate. I am, &c. Frederick J. Moss, Esq., British Resident. J. E. Caldwell, M.D.

Enclosure No. 6. Sir,— Rarotonga, 16th July, 1897. I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of July, 1897, received this day, and to thank you for the information it contains, and for the full and speedy response to my application. The liquor question is giving me, as it has done and still does so many others in all countries, great anxiety. My object is to lay before the Rarotonga Council, when it meets next month, all the facts I can collect in as clear a form as possible. It would be a help if you could let me know the nature of the diseases generated among the Maoris by alcohol. If you could give me the information, even in a general way, I should be much obliged. Would you object to my publishing in full your letter, with my report, if found advisable ? I have, &c, Dr. Caldwell, Rarotonga. Feedebiok J. Moss, British Resident.

Enclosure No. 7. Sib,— Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 21st July, 1897. I have received your letter of the 18th July, requesting a list of the diseases among the natives of these islands resulting from the use of alcoholic beverages, also inquiring if I have any objection to the publication of my former letter. I cheerfully furnish the following list of diseases, but beg to say that this report, like the last, is partly from memory. I know of no objection to the publication of any of my letters you may see fit to make public. List of Diseases resulting from Intoxicants as seen among the Natives in the Cook Islands. Dyspepsia. Boils. Anasarca. Gastritis. Phlegmon. Ascites. Gastric ulcers. Enlargement of the liver. Mania. Eczema. Bright's disease General debility, inviting disease Fatty degeneration of the heart. Ulcers. of every nature. Carbuncles. Jaundice. Phlegmon, of a metastatic tendency, resulting often in abscess, is very common. Perhaps this is the only feature in the cases that have come under my observation which is peculiar. I have found them particularly interesting, because good authorities in European countries have expressed a doubt whether metastasis of abscess ever occurs. In one case a " bush-beer " drinker went to bed on account of phlegmon of the calf of his leg. Three months later he walked again, having had seventeen abscesses opened by the knife. These occurre.i in various parts of his body, in crops of three or four at a time, and that in spite of the most perfect drainage that could be secured. It has occurred to me that perhaps the extreme depravity of the blood, resulting from rotting fruit consumed with " bush beer," may be the direct cause of this peculiarity. Earnestly hoping that your efforts to limit or abolish the use of liquor among the Maoris of our islands may be successful, I am, &c, Frederick J. Moss, Esq., British Resident. J. E. Oaldwell, Ph. 8., M.D.

Enclosure No. 8. Sir,— Rarotonga, 22nd July, 1897. In replying to your last letter, in which you desire an explanation of my use of the term " rotting fruit oonsumed with the bush beer," I may say that I did not mean to be understood to state that the fruit is rotten before being put into the barrel. As we all know, alcohol is a product of fermentation, and fermentation is only another name for decay. The fruit always stands one or two days in the barrel before it is drank. The odour when being drank shows it to be exceedingly sour. Recent experiments testing the effects of acid upon stomach digestion show that the stomach is almost entirely inert when the food is mixed with strong acids, even acid fruit juice, and more so with acid of fermentation. The large quantity of this fermenting mass drank from the barrel makes it impossible for digestion to be unhindered ; hence the process of fermentation must go right on in the stomachs of the drinkers, literally converting them into swill-buckets. This will explain why good food eaten before the beer is drank is sometimes vomited a day or two afterward not yet digested. I have, &c, Frederick J. Moss, Esq., British Resident. J. E. Caldwell, Ph.B., M.D.

[An additional despatch (23/97), (16th Occober), from British Resident to the Governor of New Zealand, included correspondence with the Rev. J. Hutchin respecting the gross exaggerations as to " the havoc created by drink among the natives," &c, published in New Zealand newspapers. This is available at any moment if required. —F.J.M.]

(8.) Petition from Kohn, Piltz, Taylob, and Dβ. Ceaig to Govebnob of New Zealand, with Memorandum THEEEON FROM THE BbITISH RESIDENT. [For petition and British Resident's remarks thereon, see enclosures to No. 12 (on page 10).] Memo. —This petition was not sent by me when received, ag the petitioners wrote to me that they were sending a copy themselves. Their copy was returned by His Excellency the Governor, with instructions that they must send it through me, and a copy of this reply from His Excellency was sent to me. I thereupon sent the original petition, with the remarks attached.—F. J. Moss.—lBth November, 1897. In the remarks I have made upon the petition I overlooked reference to the Registrar of Deeds, included in the petition, and stated in my despatch: " Mr. Scard was appointed on 17th July, 1891, and has filled the office without complaint of any kind ever being made. He is paid by fee only, and I find that for some time past only one deed per month has, on the average, been presented. Registration is only compulsory in dealings with native lands, and the object is to secure publicity. In all other cases it is voluntary, and only to give security against loss of the original deeds.—F. J. M.

7—A. 3.