15

A.—3b

The settlement in Mauke is in the interior, and is reached by a good level road running for a mile or so from the beach through a luxuriant growth of tropical vegetation. In and around the large central area, which is comparatively bare of growth, stand the church (a large and elaborate structure), the meeting-house, and the dwellings of the three Arikis—Tararo, Te Au, and Samuela— and people. The only European residents we met were a Mr. Franheim, and Father Bernardine, a French priest of the Roman Catholic Church. The party were received with the ■ utmost cordiality, and after some .little time had been spent in looking over the island the Natives were assembled in the meeting-house, and the Minister addressed them as follows :— Hon. Mr. Mills : Friends, salutations to you all. The Premier sends his greetings to you. I want to say a few words to you on this my first visit to your island, with my friends, who are members of one or other of the two Houses of Parliament in New Zealand. We are specially interested in your welfare since you have become annexed to New Zealand, and, like ourselves, belong to the great British Empire, and we feel that it is the duty of the Government to do all they possibly can to improve matters on the various islands included in the annexation. The Premier would have liked to come along with us, but it was impossible for him to get away. He asked me, however, to tell you all that he intends if possible to visit the islands with the Governor about January next. I have been administering the affairs of the Cook and other islands during the past fifteen months, and have obtained a good deal of information through our Resident Commissioner, Colonel Gudgeon. But information obtained in that way cannot possibly appeal to one so forcibly as a visit to the islands, in which one has the opportunity of seeing your surroundings and observing your manner of life. All the members here with me are also very anxious to gain information for themselves, so as to know what is the best course to follow when any statutes affecting che Cook Islands are broughc forward in the New Zealand House of Parliament and the affairs of the islands are discussed. lam sorry that the time at our disposal will not allow us to remain in your beautiful island all day, but as we wish to call at Atiu this afternoon, and have a large number of islands to visit before we return to New Zealand, we must not lose any time in our movements. But I can assure you one and all that any matters you may wish to bring before the Government through our Resident Commissioner, Colonel Gudgeon, who will send them on to me, will be submitted to Cabinet, and then, if necessary, to Parliament; and we shall be only too happy to do anything we can to further the interests of this island. I can now only tha*k you most heartily for the kindly reception you have accorded to us. When I return to New Zealand I shall tell the Premier and Cabinet, and my friends will no doubt tell the other members of Parliament and others who take an interest in the islands, of the very hearty reception you gave us. Now, as our captain has sent us word that the sea is rising, and that it will be advisable for us to go off to the steamer, I have, on behalf of myself and friends, to say good-bye to you. I hope at some future time to be able to visit the islands and stay much longer. I will now ask my friends to give three hearty cheers. The Minister and the party then cheered heartily for Mauke and its people. Te Au, one of the Arikis expressed a wish that the party should stay at Mauke until the following day, as the Natives wished to bring presents of food, &c, and pay their respects. The Minister explained that this was not possible, but said he heartily accepted the will for the deed. We left for the island of Atiu shortly after midday, and arrived off the landing-place at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the distance being forty-three miles. On the way the little coral island of Mitiaro was seen lying away to the north. It is only five miles in circumference, and lies very low, but it contributes its share of the copra and oranges exported from the Group. ATIU. This island is much like Mauke in appearance, having the same high fringing reef and the same dead-coral formation over the greater part of its area. It is much larger, however, its ai - ea being about thirty-two square miles, and it has four times as much waste land as Rarotonga. Atiu is a valuable island, and exports good quantities of copra, oranges, coffee, and lime-juice. All the usual island fruits grow well, but a fuller development of the resources of the island is retarded through the lack of proper facilities for shipping produce. Arrangements are being made, however, to have a boat passage formed througli the reef at the earliest possible moment. The cavernous formation, which is so marked a feature of the makatea at Mangaia, is also present in the coral-rock portion of Atiu, and must, no doubt, be found more or less in all islands that owe their existence in any degree to the upheaval of a sea-worn coral reef. The late Ngamaru Ariki was practically King of Atiu, although he had lived for many years in Rarotonga, and as such he exercised a measure of sovereignty over Mauke and Mitiaro, both of which were conquered by the Atiuans prior to the introduction of Christianity. The population of the island is something over 900 Natives, but this does not represent anything like the total of the Atiuan tribes. They are largely represented in the subordinate islands, as well as in Tahiti. The only white resident is Mr. Adolph yon Nagel, who acts as British Resident without salary. The settlement at Atiu is some distance inland, on the flat summit of the low central hill to which the island rises; and, arriving as we did so late in the afternoon, a visit to it was out of the question. Only a few of the party accompanied the Minister ashore. The landing on the reef was effected with some difficulty, as there was a heavy sea running, and there were no Natives on the reef to render assistance. Some little distance from the landing we were met by Mr. yon Nagel and a few Natives. The Hon. Mr. Mills addressed them briefly, explaining the purpose of our visit, and expressing his regret that the party could not stay longer on the island. He assured them that the New Zealand Government was deeply interested in their welfare, and would do its best to help them it) every way. Then, as it was already growing dark, we put off at once for the steamer. Our boat narrowiy escaped being smashed on the reef when leaving the island, but we reached the ". Mapourika " safely, and by 6 o'clock we were on our way to Aitutaki, 122 miles to the north-west.