LIFE AT RAROTONGA.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5478, 23 September 1929, Page 2

LIFE AT RAROTONGA.

HIGH FINANCE ON THE ISLANDS

(By D. Brown, Rarotonga, for the “Hauraki Plains Gazette.”)

A special invitation to an uum-u-kai (native feast) induced the stores to close for the day. After all, what was an extra day’s holiday in Rarotonga, where business that is not done to-day is done to-morrow, next week, or maybe next month ! So “ariana,” or, as the New Zealand Maori says, “taihoa”—meaning any time will do. All the people on the island had been invited. For days past loads of “kai” (food) had been'carted to the village where the feast was to be held. Cartloads of kumeras, taro, yams, bananas, oranges, cocoanuts, arrowroot, hundreds of fowls, fish by the ton, some 40 or 50 pigs, and many ■other luscious delicacies to provide for the inner-man of the 1200 expected guests.

The road to the village was absolutely black with people heading thither on foot, on horseback, and in all sorts of conveyances, carts, motor trucks, and cycles, some even making their way by boat from the other side of the island.

Dressed in their gala clothes, from the finest of silks to the commonest of prints, according to the owner’s wealth, the whole moving mass of human beings made a never-to-be-for-gotten sight of many-hued brilliant colours. The men whose pockets could run to it were in silk shirts and blue trousers, the less fortunate in just parua or lava-lava. But everyone, male or female, aged or young, had perforce a wreath or garland of roses around their heads and necks. The reason for all this mighty preparation and the excited throng was nothing less than the fact that a native had just received a new motor truck from New Zealand by the last ship and, according to custom, was making the preliminary arrangements for having it christened and fed ! The truck that caused all the pother was decorated and smothered by *. reaths and garlands of flowers, and so far used only for the conveyance of the eight white guests arid principal natives to the scene of action.

On the arrival of the whites dancing started. Each settlement represented staged a special dance. Then in its turn came that wonderful soft modulated singing, peculiar to the South Seas, exquisitely harmonised, yet withal weirdly mournful, haunting, and beautiful.

Reverting again to dances, a series of descriptive cycles was given. First came one depicting the landing of the first Maoris at Rarotonga, followed by vivid presentations of Jheir trials with wind, storm, hunger, and thirst, the terpsichorean interpretation culminating in an expression of joy at landing in an earthly paradise. Then came the missionary dance, commemorating the landing of the first missionary.

The tribal dances that followed caused the most excitement. Each settlement had from 50 to 80 couples dancing at once. Rivalry gained a high pitch, and showed itself in the excited and lusty yells and shouts of both participants and onlookers. At noon the tables were laid, and what a sight they presented ! or, rather, what a sight it presented, for in reality only one table was laid, and that for the “puppas’ 1 (whites).. The natives, as was their want, merely squatted on the ground. The overwhelming quantity and variety of food forbids an adequate description of it. Suffice it to say that the table for the whites had a whole pig on each end, one in the centre, and at least 30 fowls ; dozens of plates of various vegetables, fruits, and nuts ; nut water, cocoanut cream, and cocoanut sauce by the gallon—enough to feed eight whites for eight months, let alone eight whites for one sitting. It is the idea of the native to give plenty, and well does he amplify it 1 Grace is pronounced, and then follows dead silence for a time, except for the sound of hundreds of pairs of jaws working in unison at top speed. Later on, when the place was cleared of remnants of food, more wreaths were placed on the heads and shoulders of the special guests. Then the real business started. One of the friends of the motor truck owner host intimated the idea of the vehicle ; the great benefit it wpuld be in bringing in fruit and conveying it to the wharf for shipment, and how fine it would be for taking picnic, wedding, and dancing parties round the island, instead of people having to rely on the old cart and waggon. • A huge basin was placed on the grass, and then came the donations following upon the eloquent address, one and all giving something in the shape of money. All afternoon this continued, enlivened with an odd dance or song now and again, until, eventually, everyone had contributed! something, in many cases again and again.

Afternoon tea of cakes, etc., for the whites and native food for the aboriginals completed the festivities of the afternoon.

A huge dance at night brought the day to a close, the latest two-steps, fox-trots, heebee jeebees, and jazz music indulged in proving a none too happy contrast with the native dances and music of the afternoon.

The truck-owner gets two-thirds of the cost of the lorry in money contributed. The food costs him nothing —everything is contributed by the natives, each one bringing what he can. The men and women do all the cooking for the mere joy of the prospective entertainment. So a man purchases a new truck and is really very little out of pocket in the process. But it works out in a circle. Everything is done on the communal system : “You help me to-day, I’ll do the same for you to-morrow.” It works out even in the end, for everyone is bound to have a christening, wedding, or death at some time in his family life, so his turn comes.