26

A.—3

Mauke. We landed at Mauke about 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the 25th February. Mauke seerm to come through the blow next best to Rarotonga. The coconuts arc not much damaged, but the orange-crop for this year has suffered a good deal. There will be small shipments of oranges from there this year. Plenty of food and water on the island. They had a big sea, which did little damage. Very few houses were hurt by the wind. At the northern landing—Angataura—the approach has been washed away and rendered unworkable as it stands at present. If there is time to do it this year I suggest that a road be blasted out down to the beach. I consider that this could be done for £100, provided the Natives will remove the stones. There is also the principal landing on the western side at Taunganui which requires improving. The road down to the beach requires grading, which would not be an expensive job. £100 might be spent with advantage here. Again, the passage requires opening out—about 1,000 cubic yards of hard coral to be blown away. The cost of this I estimate at £500. . ■ . . There is also required at Mauke a double line of rails for taking down produce and bringing up stores and boats. The lines would require to be about 100 yards in length each. There is no regular boat for mails and Government passengers, and I consider a boat should be subsidized for that purpose, as at Aitutaki and Mangaia. The roads might be improved in Mauke. If in wet weather sand was put on the wet clay it would bind well. A small sum might be placed on the estimates to help in this purpose. We left Mauke on Monday, the 2nd March, at 2 p.m. Two extra 400-gallon tanks are much needed for the Resident Agent's quarters at Mauke They might be bought from the Triton syndicate. Mitiaro. We arrived at Mitaro on the 3rd March at 4 p.m. I found the only store on the island practically empty, having only, in the way of food, three bags of sugar. I therefore, seeing the people were 'in want of food, having no money, and no ship being likely to arrive for some time, got from Captain Jonassen, on behalf of the Government, ten bags rice, twenty bags Hour, twenty tins biscuits, and three bags sugar. This I gave to the head man, Ton, to distribute among the people as he thought best. The people are at present living on coconuts and fish. I am told the Natives have planted kumeras, mario bananas, and taro, some of which will be ready in about three months. The coconuts have been blown oft the trees, and as soon as the Natives have finished planting food they intend making copra. Many of the orange-trees have been blown down, and the oranges have been blown off the trees, and there will be a very small crop this year. The food-crops have been destroyed by the hurricane, and as 1 found the people very short of food, I hope you will approve of my 'action in supplying some food to them at Government expense. The concrete tank erected by the Government was not hurt, and the people Have plenty of water. We left Mitirao the same day as we arrived, at 7 p.m., for Atiu. Atiu. We arrived at Atiu on the 4th March, at 8 a.m. The coconut-palms seemed to have suffered a good deal. There are plenty of coconuts on the ground to make copra. The Natives seem to have food and money, and there are plenty of provisions in the stores. Some of the orange-trees have been blown down, and there will be a small crop this year. If, later on, the Natives are short of money relief-works might be undertaken to allow them some money. We left Atiu for Rarotonga on the 4th March, and arrived at 11 p.m. next day. The only island I found in veal want of stores was Mitiaro, and I gave them what I considered fair help. In doing so I hope I have carried out your instructions and that my action has your approval. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner. H. M. Connal, Engineer.

g IR) Cook Islands Administration, Rarotonga, Ist April, 1914. I have the honour to submit the report on public works for the year ended 31st March, 1914. Survey of Lands. The Land Court was held for three months during the year in Rarotonga The most of the surveying done was partitioning of sections which had previously been passed by the Court. Meteorological. The total rainfall at Avarua, on the northern side of Rarotonga, for the year 1913 was 65'92in., which was much below the average of previous years. The highest reading of the Fahranheit thermometer in the shade for the year was 91-s°, on the 29th January, and the lowest was 55°, on the 30th June. The lowest reading of the barometer at sea-level was 29'78in., on the 28th September, 1913. On the 9th and 10th January, 1914, the Group had a hurricane. Very little damage was done at Rarotonga, but some of the other islands suffered, as I have reported to you by my letter of the 6th March.