WAYS OF THE WILD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 209, 3 September 1932, Page 1 (Supplement)

WAYS OF THE WILD.

THE SANTA CRUZ GROUP. REEF ISLANDS VISITED. (By A. T. PYCROFT.) , The morning following the Southern Cross' arrival at Vanikoro was spent ashore collecting birds, butterflies, and fresh water shells. A large and handsome brown hawk with the underparts pure white was seen. This bird is about the size of our harrier, and a specimen was obtained at the Solomons. The vessel left Vanikoro on the afternoon of May 1 on the 91-mile run to the Reef Islands, part of the Santa Cruz group. About 20 miles to the west of Vanikoro we passed Utupua, or Edgecumbe Island, which is completely encircled by a coral reef which extends in some places to about two and a half miles from the shore. On the west side is an inlet from four to five miles in length which nearly divides the island. This inlet is known as Basilisk Harbour, named after H.M.s. Basilisk. There is deep water within the reef, and on one occasion the Southern Cross steamed inside the reef from Basilisk Harbour round the north coast of the island to the east coast. ...

Reef Islands. The .Reef Islands which lie north of Vanikoro are also known as the Swallow Islands, named after the vessel which discovered the group. The main islands are ten in number, and are of coral formation varying in height from 100 to 200 feet. Dangerous reefs stretch out considerable distances, especially from their westward or lee sides, the south-east trades being the prevailing wind.' It was a beautiful fine morning when we arrived, and, the tide being low, numbers of natives were seen wading in line on the reefs, a net strung on long bamboo being carried one in each hand. The fish in the shallow water were prevented from passing over the reef into deep water, and were gradually surrounded and meshed. These coral islands have been thrust up to their present heights by volcanic action, and in this damp, moiit climate are covered with dense vegetation. Owing to the porous and broken nature of the coral formation, fresh water was scarce in many places. In one of the islands, Nufiloli, there is no permanent water, the islanders depending entirely upon the rainfall. Malaria is present, but the islands are healthier than Ndeni, the main island of the Santa Cruz group.

Ship Surrounded by Canoes. . Immediately we anchored off the mission house a number of natives in their outrigger canoes came alongside. These canoes are hollowed out of logs from 15 to 18 inches-in diameter;' the outrigger is about six inches in diameter;. Amidships between the canoe and outrigger there is a , small platform about two feet by 18 : inches; on this a passenger can sit, but has- to maintain the correct balance. A variety of articles were saen on these platforms as the canoes came alongside, such as bags of a hard, triangular shaped nut, the fruit of a lofty tree, turtle backs, poultry, bananas, coconuts, pineapples, fancy baskets, shells, native-made fishing lines, and bows and arrows. Some of the men wove shell ornaments on their arms, or suspended: from cord round their necks: others wore nose ornaments made of the tailpiece, of a turtle ' shell; they were circular and about two inches in diameter, covering the lips. Most of them chewed betel nut, that is, the green fruit of the areca palm; the leaf of a species of- piper or pepper leaf was also eaten with it. Lime obtained by burning coral was powdered and chewed with the betel nut and pepper leaf;. The teeth are preserved, but become very discoloured. Betel nut chewing has a slight narcotic effect which is said to quiet hunger. Mixed Melanesian and Polynesian Types.

Some of the natives were typical Melanesians, others showed a. Polynesian origin. At one-of the islands, Pileni. the natives have large,, double canoes, in which they make long voyages, Tikopia, a Polynesian island 180 miles to the south-east being visited. This calls for careful navigation, as the island is a mere dot on the ocean, two milee by three. It was ascertained from some of the natives that the resident missionary, Mr. West, was away at another island attending to a sick white man. Further inquiry disclosed the fact that the white man, Mr. M. Sarich, had died an hour before our arrival. Mr. Sarich, with Mr. C. Cowan, of Auckland, were joint owners of the trading schooner Navanora, formerly the Saucy Elate, a vessel built in New Zealand 56 years ago, and for very many years a wellknown Auckland trading vessel. Mr. Cowan had died at Santa Cruz five weeks previously, and it was with the intention of attending to Mr. Cowan's interests that a fellow passenger, Mr. J. O'Neill, Mr. Cowan's cousin, made the trip. A Melanesian, who had been a aplice boy at Vanikoro, and who was a passenger on the Navanora, also died at the Reef Islands. There is no white man except the resident missionary residing at these islands. Mr. West nursed both Mr. Cowan and Mr. Sarich. Later in the day I accompanied Mr. O'Neill to the village off which the Navanora was anchored. On the way white herons and flying foxes were seen. I landed at Mohawk Bay, on Lomloin Island, where the mission building is, and secured a reef heron, snipe, pigeon, parrakeet and two cardinal birds, beside* native articles, one of which was a shell belt, formerly used as money. This shell money is made' by breaking a small shell, like a cockle, into suitablesizes, and piercing each piece with a drill, tipped with a piece of clam shell. Each piece, which ie about a quarter of an inch in diameter, is then smoothed on both sides by rubbing on a coral stone. water being used. The pieces of shell are then strung on a cord, and the edges smoothed by rubbing with a coral stone.

Some of the children, girls, were seen wearing one of these belts ae their only adornment. Although no clothing was worn the belt constituted the dress a la mode. The population of the group is estimated at 1500. I do not know what the recent decrease lias been, but at one island, Xukapu, where Bishop Patteson was killed in 1871, eight years later Bishop John Sehvyn found hardly ten people alive there. All had died o. disease. There was sufficient light at 8.20 p.m. for the captain to take .the vessel through the reef on her way to Paiima, on "San Christobel, 207 miles away. £&■