"THE VELE."
CURSE OF GUADALCANAR. VICTIMS NEVER RECOVER. IS IT MAX OK DF.VIL? ll rolll <l:;r l'\\:i Correspondent 1 M VA. A pi i] 1. Mr. ( 11. I.res. ;i sjnicr mi»sitin.ir\ who ha- -.eeii all soi t ~ ~f jjf,. ,5',,. inland oi I ,uadah anar in the Solomons Protectorate. i~ \i~itiuu Suva mi furlough. Among n:anv strange tales ]~• has to tell is that most weird stoiv the \ ele or the curse of (•uad.ica u.< r. In this century with mir ( bai b-st ~ns and other signs of tin do -ii-clc aitivings. one eaniiot credit the fait thai tieHorgias are being mit-Borgiad t •» 11 -i \* in the peaceful isTland of t, nada !i .• n.ii \it -•> it is. The murder of the poli.e foi.-e there recently cannot be bl.micd people. They ale tin- iim-l p ..• . 11:1 ■ >: all the people of tin- s,\ Hebrides or other i -Li »:<1 - . 1 • h> n-•! 1 li I Western I'aeilie. But a foolish ..Hi. il. M . i'mi.i j other foolish < •tli«-:.i! -. : i ■ - n! I ■ •■! th'ii ■ i-; | customs Jind the sii:i|'li' native i.nn be blamed if he protest, d a- he pi..p. il\ : did. The custom of having mm ir than, ••lie wife is ;i, old as Solomon and should be ack 'low ledgi'd and iv-pei t Ilowcvci. Mr. Lees s;i \ s he Las In, .1 there t,-r Is veal's and -prak- the language like a n.it i \ e and walked a lone all nni the |oii. mile long island and never had the slightest trouble v ith anvone. 1 lie natives |i::\e im arms. n,.t even lmus ami arrows like the | pie of Malaita. but onlv speai's to kill wild pig lor !o.«l. But there is a power to which they bow and which i~ almost unknown to even old white residents. It is the vele (each "e" being pronounced with an accent i. Xo n.it i \ c on the windward coast will travel alone through the bi|s]i: lie must have a companion even it only a babv . It is pathetic to sec a big -iim:': bov who has been told to cany a letter ii\c or ten miles pick up a little kiddy hardiv able to walk and perhaps have to iarr\ it all the way becau~c the \ ele will never harm anvone it accompanied b\ aunt In-;. A planter will s,-t a man to cut copra ill a distant paddock, and wiil be an::o\..l when he goes there to find two nan doing the work o; one. It i- claimed that no one lias ever seen the vele. Seine have only a dim confuted remembrance of seeing "something." As a man or woman is walking along the li-ual narrow bush path, an arm suddenly shoots out and shakes a sort of native made dilly bag in the face of the victim. It is said that there is always the sound as of a stone rattling m the bag. At once the victim sjnks jo the ground in a state of collapse. As he lies he is conscious of something binding over him and saying: "The vele has vele vmi. don't die here, gi. lionie and tell vmn friends the vele has vclcd \oit and inability name The man jjoca home.
•.-fn-, - f 1 i,i„l ,li,-. Mr. T.« . - ]...- ' i - <-\ ,■ j- known of :i v. In TV 1 in- \ •< 1 in; : i h:i» I i-«o\(•!'( (1. 7t-.n ill'- ili<*\ it .11 .h- li.il' A V "man. who h:i<l 1 m-•» 11 \rlcil i- h.'\<- I'mMlt I.im.lv < r<--Ill* <iir<l 111.1 l -111* ll.il! ! 1 111' 111:111 who 11. *< 1 \ i ]<••! I'rr niul ;:i\i- hi-. ii.iim*. 1 11.- ili-iii. t oii'.i t-r In .n<l "1 il :iiul I !m- ln;lll w;<- —T<-<] :ITl<l 1 : i'-il ::: I Tiihi.i and -••nt<'iic< .! ami ihily huri'. 1 . ■ ■ oili. i:,l- -ai.l: "Now ih.it— nl! i \:. v.. i 11. i\ •* lilii-inil wilh ii'V'." I*l.'. "In-o|.|H.-ii,. i- ihc <a Mir r..il:\c- loju'i •a.i- ioiir.l. liny *.1 : *\\ ■• wi-u* 1 j llolll'l I 111 ln-fon- win ill. I !V. 1 I' / W.I- | j 1 i';l 11 \ 1 O 1.,- l.'.ilitl l''ll now 1...V1'11V .1 1 - lh.it i- i 1.1 .il <1 '..i'' •! *!: It i w 0„.,i no w.. ,• 1..1..- 1 ! ;iiii i"ii> now .-1 >•1 -o i \ •!..!. y '' | I l. w,l : !i. •> v. >i • pi: -1 r j :*• ' j -i i,n<- Ih.• I !•: .ii Ii- j lh'*ir lull- -.imii:: ' < ' ii. it l- 1". tl.'-j \.*l.-, 1: '.■•II • - :r. i. ; Jit .»i.*l •.'•■l- j ]M i<-k'*.l X* i' h t ii-* 1 ho; 11- h.* w lil i.*" ) i.i' k." -o iii.- \.l.- tloiiri-ln - ;il;■ 1 1)• j wii.-l.- j-'i'iihit i"H i- ;• 1 —Ii 11 • i \ uiiil.T ii- j ~..w, ; \, x. i v ih.- \ I--, i: | I .ii-, lii \\ --1 Xii.'.i "ii.ii. lhr ■ x. !. 1" '!.I \ in «•i::i'J.« .ii.-' It i j j i hi- j- wfi .•! > i!.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 87, 13 April 1927, Page 9
Word Count
800"THE VELE." Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 87, 13 April 1927, Page 9
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