IN THE SAVAGE SOUTH SEAS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2211, 25 July 1914, Page 9

IN THE SAVAGE SOUTH SEAS

TIKOPEA AND. lIS KING AN UNEXPECTED VISIT (Contributed.)

"Wait till we get to Tikopea," "Jusb wait till you ece the Tikojxsani." Oft--1 repeated remarks of a similar nature tended to arouse, very excusable .curiosity in the minds of at least two of a trio who had but recently joined the. staff of the Mclanesian Mission, and who were now travelling o.n tho Southern Qross to the scenes of tlicir : futuro labours. It so happened that tliis particular voyage was fraught with peculiar interest regarding Tikopea.. .This interest was greatly increased by. the , fact that at Mota Lava (ovor 100 miles away) tlio Southern Cross had picked up four Tikopeans, amongst whom was a., son of one of. the kinas of Tikopea. Theso four had drifted ft) , Mota Lava in'a canoe, a fifth haying been caton by a shark when ten days .gut. They had come safejy through porile. many and varied; including several unsuccessful attempts at suicide after their food gave out; A lad from one of tho mission's central schools was also returning to epend his holiday in his native"."Village, in Tikopea. So the Southern Cross naturally expected, and was accorded, a cordial welcome • inTikopean waters. Before she , cast an- , chor, o'anoes surrounded herj and Tikopeans^huge,, - copper-colouredi 'long- : . haired men and short-haired, ; scantilyclad women, , whose bodies were elaborately tattooed with lace-like designs, all savage looking, swarmed up: the' ship'sside. The people of this island are , quite.different in manners, habits, and appearance from the Melanesians. Their looks certainly belied them, for friendliness and good nature characterised their speech and actions.' \ [■ "You will tako care of the ladies, Dig," ■ remarked the Bishop as a boatload frojn the Southern Cross scrambled ashore on the white, pebbly beach.' Dig acquiseed cheerfully, whereby his natural goodness of. heart was.apparent; Undoubtedly he would have-pre-, ferred to. go with the into the precincts of the king, from-which women-were as a rule excluded. .'

The relations and friends of the;longlost had assoinbled l on the beacli,' where nose-rubbing and -'falling upontho neck weeping" was 'carried on to the,'satisfaction. of : all parties concerned.': The King's son was Kissed, nose rubbed, and' wailed' over, from the'soles of his feet to the topmost curl of his waving ruddy locks. Me was then escorted' by the most highly-born of his father's subjects to the regal domain. , . ' '■• ; ■■■•.';•

' The two-ladies of the trio of'visitors left on the beach, soon discovered that, they were the objepts of much' demonstrative attention..' Tikopean "ladies of every age and social standing; : crowded round, them, not .only shskiugirhands.' but refusing to/relinquish th&''ljand , when.- shaken. .In ,a few momenfs'leacu.' white woman was the centre of friendly," catteringj dusky onesj \while from behind and betore numberlessi others pressed forward' to pay theirYhomoge. The attention bestowed'-on the mere man of the party was comparatively slight,_ somewhat-patronising 1 in''fact. But "Otine we eqaoaga" (the.-; whitewoman) was a species to be>-niinutely examined. All the details of her siopa (European .olothiiig),• from• Ih'e.-hat-pine to the ehoe laces, wore worthy of admiration in the feminine Tikopean mind. As their friendliness became overwhelmingi one of theladies suggested'.'a move: 1 The;cron'd oi- admiring .females moved on also, leading the bewildered trio far up the beach, and then.: inland towards the hush. One of the'visitors endeavoured to explain by signs that; they were tired,now, and indicated by further signs that- they, would .like to rest. . Nothing could be simpler. "Let us all sit"■'••was , evidently, the remark which passed from mouth to mouth, snd; when the admired ones sat their admirers crowded on'them closer than :ever, i chewing betel-nut unceasingly, and expectorating right and 7 left. The trio then became somewhat desperate. "We'd' better, walk on, 1 think," suggested one, and she boldly' let the way forward. The crowd also' rose on. masse, and 'followed,' jostling; pushing, tumbling'; over one another, .laughing merrily all tho while. '•■' •■■ -.". .- ■ '■. -■•.-• '. ■ At leugtli tho , how really alarmed trio was brought to'a halt before what, appeared to .ho; a small oncampment', three or four "native houses, BurroundT ed by a cleared' spaco amongst■'■ the trees. An enormous man 'then came forward,, both hands■ outstretchedi' to welcome tho now-comers and, speaking in Mota, bade them "come in--.and- sit down." The two white ladies were"then , pushed towards a long narrow bench.. And a quaint black seat,;curved, evidently from the branch of a treej' was brought fomard for their escort. . The big man and a great many of the dusky, ladies squatted .on the ground, and at_a sign from the former a 'dusky maid brought forward a tray made fronv' a palm leaf, on which were placed three half-coconut shells containing, dirty white sticky-looking mixture; • .Theso she placed on the Tcnees of the. chief, : who indicated , by signs that his white guests were to take one each. The ladies glanced appoalmgly at the man of the party, who groaned audibly. What was to be. done. That this terrible concoction could not-tie oaten was.clear, but his dusky majesty, with the power of life and death in his hands, and his hundred and one close handyi must on no account be offended, was an equally definite policy. So a now subject of conversation had to. be 'introduced to distract his attention/' from the uneaten food. Our Tikopean host's knowledge of Mota was so very slight that further attempts at conversation, pimply added misunderstanding to misunderstanding. ' Efforts woro : made to explain to his majesty that the trio had' come/ ashore' with ' the Bishop, had'lost him through the embarrassing 'attentions they iiiad'all re- , coived. at' his .majesty's hands,-', and were now anxious to'tiud, tlio Bishop" and get ba«k to -the. snip-.without- de--lay. Had tho chittf seen the Btshdp, or could.ho. infonii tho party wliero his Lordship could be found?, In reply to all these inquiries, the .'dubKy gentleman again bowed and smiled in tho direction of the still blushing and confused membor of the party, explaining rapidly iu his own language, interspersed with expression in iviota iind futilo attempts to improve the conversation by introducing pidgin English, that he was; fully conscious .of,, and greatly appreciated tho honour .conferred on I'im by this visit, and, that he was very anxious that that great white ' chief, tho Bishop arid his consorts, would partake of this Tikopean delicacy which had been specially-pre-pared for the party by his feinalo chef. After a further attempt to oxplain.that all three worn suffering from malde mer, a look of comprehension seemed to dawn on the. face of thoir excellent host, much'to tho relief of the. embarrassed trio. The man of the , party promptly took advantage of. tit is apparent solution of the difficulty," and handing their lloyal host a stick'of. tobacco, said: , '"You takee tMe^felltt^;to-. bncco, go smokee. Wo go back 'ship now." Tho chief took the tobacco With what appeared expressions of goodwill and gratitude, the trio, feeling; greatly. relieved, rose to ro. Their liost,, with largo numbers of his loyal subjects, accoinpanicd the party to the 'beach and -, wading out into'the surf; assisted iq get, the boat off, vigorously -shouting. Whether those were affectionate farewells, good wishes, or disappointment at their guests declining that excellent' difih-made at so much trouble for their entertainment, we shall never' 'know.

This dusky Tikopeim potentate is probably etiil under tue impression he oil- *.~. torrained the big white cniof, the.Bishop ,". of Melanesia, iiis wile," and her maid'or!.- '■' honour, and is pitying thgir delicate stomachs and their decided lack of man- ' uere according to the Tikopeau code. Tikopeo ie a small lonely island over, ninety milee from' any other island. To it the traders in copra or Jabour never go, and it is only visited by the mission steamer. The mission has had a. . teacher hero for several years with very •■ varying success. On the occasion of tho recent trip the Bishop baptised the teaolier'e first child, the first baptism on tho island. Tho present teacher has now been about two years on this island. Shortly after, his arrival a Tikopoan lady put her arms round his neck and said '"Marry me." Such a sudden declaration.or' love being a surprise , to the teacher, although quite in accorik ance with tho Tikopean custom, ha,, ■ politely and firmly declined 'such an' honour, ller ladyship then declared her intention of .killing herself, but as the teacher supposed this to be a bit of./ 1 -' bluff, as ho had possibly read in some English love story ui regard to some'\. hidre civilised, but disappointed..swaio, :, ho replied: -'Well go and kill yourself.".'; , By and by, noting elaborate prepara-r , ; tions boing made for the happy - 51L5- ' patch of this rejected lover, and loam- V ing that it was tho invariable custom for Tikopean ladies to proposo marriage, and in event of rejection to kill them-: ■ 6olves in tho presence of thoir fellow's, ■ to save her life he rotated and agreed ' to marry her. This little romance turiiv ed out well, for s'he is making him a moet excellent wife'. She is still tea- ,'■ then, but their' first baby, has been" baptised, the father being a consistent Uhrietian.: .'■'/■ ■'."'/'■ ••." r-"-'/ Another small 'party from the ship , ".'■ 7 had an audience with the King,;' "by ' command." This was a State f miction. 1 ' : On being ushered into His Majesty's' ■' ' presence wo found him seated on the: Tikopean throne surrounded by the' v Ministers of State, six elderly men— ■ three on eaci whole forming a semi-circle. No difficulty was oxperi-. ■ enced in regard to conversation, as the mission scholar from Vureas was -pre- , . ''■. sent to interpret the Archdeacon's Motainto the language of ■ Tikopea,and to =■; translate the Royal and Ministerial ut" ' terances (for all spqko) into Mota'for us. r Food was produced, but for-the visitor* v only. The female attendant who served had to crawl along the ground with it,' : both as she brought it from behind the" '■• King and in returning.. She .would bej;'.' 1 guilty of death if such as ehe had pro. "''::■■ eumod.to stand in the Royal presence. : \ ■Although there were innumerable 7 mosquitoes, this'island is said to beireiv ': from malaria. This is justr'as well,-for ■' the mosquitoes there i''don'f j)lay thai \ game." .They make no humming noisa • as they fly, but lighting- silently thfl deed ia done before you are , aware of their presence. Flies, big, little, and medium-sized, wero in evidence everywhere in battalions and "iii brigadesAh old and,well-known friend, the Mua domestious (it ought to-be'called the cus; domesticuit" was 1 : numerous.. Then the creeping * things innumerable after their kind-showed'the visitors marked attention. \D'ou>btl ess on returning to their nests that night the ants had some wonderful tales" to relate. Tikopea was first seen-by v Quiros m 1606. but not seen again till 1798 * It .was here that d'Urville in 1828 obtaiaed! the first'clue to the fate of the Lai Perouse expedition; . The island forms a triangle aboutseven miles', in circumference. . The inhabitants, V yanously estimated-between 600 and 800; are diw tinctly Polynesian. . ..■