Islanders, and nature, rain gifts on departing Queen
| Funafuti, Tuvalu
Government ministers grappled with islanders bearing gifts for Britain's Queen Elizabeth Wednesday night at the end of a royal visit to this South Sea island.
The Queen burst out laughing as Tuvalu's finance minister, staging a mock battle, tackled an islander bearing a roll of matting. It is bad manners in Tuvalu to accept a gift directly.
The Queen braved a tropical rainstorm to be carried though the streets of Funafuti in a ceremonial gold-and-turquoise dugout canoe.
