Niue. 
293 
which is copra. At the time of my arrival 
there were five traders on the island, who, 
while absolutely yearning for each other’s society 
during the slack season, were mortal enemies, 
from a business point of view, during the copra 
season. Business competition was very keen, 
and the natives took advantage of it to the 
fullest extent by demanding such a high price 
for their copra and cotton that the white men 
had to combine and agree as to a maximum 
price. After a hard battle with the natives, 
the latter yielded and peace was restored. 
At our village, Avatele, there were two 
traders. There were also two at Alofi, and one 
(the doyen of the vocation on Niue) at a distant 
village called Mutulau. As there are eight 
other towns, besides those mentioned, which 
have no resident traders, the people of these 
eight places have to carry their produce in some 
cases nine or ten miles. Thus, to Avatele 
would be brought copra, arrowroot, fungus, 
and cotton from the large towns of Hakupu 
and Liku, distant six and eleven miles, as well 
as from the nearer small towns of Fatiau and 
Tamakautoga, while Alofi and Mutulau were 
the markets for Uhomotu, Tamalagau, Tamaha- 
