STONE GIANTS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 108, 9 May 1930, Page 10

STONE GIANTS

PACIFIC MYSTERY

EASTER ISLAND STATUES

A JOURNALIST'S TRIP

A journalistic life far from being devoid of adventure has been the lot of 'Mr. R. JCasey, of the "Chicago Daily News." He has managed to cram into tho last few years considerably more excitement than falls to the lot oE the average Wellington 'journalist, sceiug that his excursions have landed him I in, amongst other places, the deserts of Syria and the tropical jungles of Cambodia. His arrival in Wellington yesterday by the Marama from Tahiti marked a stage in another adventurous excursion, one which embraced a visit to Easter Island, that lone Pacific islet famed for its colossal statuary of unknown origin, an island which has been aptly named "Tho Riddle of the Pacific.''' To a fellow journalist from "The Post," Mr. Casey told something of what he learned of Easter ' Island's mysteries, and how his visit to New Zealand is connected with that trip, although he in no way seeks to give his views undue publicity or to pose as an authority'on a subject which lias puzzled the scientists of the world. Easter Island,'which lies some thousands of miles off the coast' of Chili, an isolated spot in the vast Pacific Ocean, is not on any regular steamer route. In fact, only ouce a year docs a steamer call regularly. Mr. Casey, therefore, decided to reach his objective from Tahiti, and for this purpose chartered a ,'SG-ton schooner. A half-casto boy was the navigator of this .little craft. "He must have inherited his ancestors' instinct for navigation," remarked Air. Casey when describing this part of his adventure, "for he seemed to sail the boat by instinct and without the aid of modern navigating instruments. A tornado immediately after we set out damped us considerably, but not our ardour. After 31 days of sailing the trackless ocean, tho boy. announced that on the following morning we would see Easter Island on the port bow, and, sure enough, when the .sun rose next day there was Easter Island as he had promised."

ENIGMA OF THE STATUES.

A landing was duly made, and Mr. Casey had his first introduction to the colossal stone sentinels- of Easter Island. Much, says Mr. Case.v, has been written about these statues and about the island by those who have little or no first-hand knowledge, but the views of these writers and others he was not going to presume to criticise. 110 readily admitted that the statues were an unsolved enigma. .They certainly were not, carved by the present inhabitants or their immediate ancestors; but tho' making of them had not been the stupendous task which, some would make out. Mr. Casey expressed tho opinion that a population of five thousand could have accomplished tho task of carving and erecting the statues. As the Island, which is some thirty thousand acres in extent, could support a population of seven thousand, it was unnecessary to postulate tho theory that the Easter Island statues were made at a period when that bit of land was part of a, larger continent. Soundings in the immediate vicinity of the island did not support the theory of a sunken continent, a depth all round, of some 12,000 feet showing Easter Island as an isolated peak. "However," remarked Mr. -Casey, "the sunken continent theory is one which cannot be disproved."

A remarkable feature about the Easter Island statues, particularly noted by Mr. Casey, is the fact that* no immature work is seen. Marks of the hand of the apprentice are entirely absent. The statues were obviously not the work of a primitive people experimenting in artistic expression. There was .no groping after a type: type was fixed and faithfully copied. The terraces on Easter Island had not attracteJ as. much attention as they deserved, thonght Mr. Casey. They were built of finely matched rock with exact fitting and watertight joints. . Of- the Easter Island scrip V a script which has puzzled the world, Mr. Casey saw a few examples. This script, he says, i,. extraordinarily similar to the script recently unearthed in Crete, but any connection between the two it is very difficult to imagine, lie say's.

WHERE THE MAORI COMES IN,

All that was to be scoi on Easter Island in the way of statues anc1 torraces Mr. Casey photographed and made notes of. Then he turned his attention towards seeking a solution of some of the problems presented by the statues. Was it coincidence, for instance, that' they wore similar to statues, found in the jungles ol Cambodia? Could thp same race, :in the course of - age-long migrations, have originated both? A clue, hethought + might possibly be found in tho'method'the carvers adopted to haul their colossal' masterpieces into position. Was it by means of grass ropes, the method used in the Solomon Islands for hauling heavy weights? Easter Island grew a suitable grass. "Hence," remarked Mr.; Casey, "theclue to the Easter Island carvers may-' be discovered in the Solomon Islands.' In the problem of tho Polynesian migrations the clue must be hidden somewhere. Did the migration start from the region of Cambodia, and did it extend to Easter Island via tho Solomons?" These and similar problems Mr. Casey is now studying, and into this study comes the Maori. Hence the present visit to New Zealand, with the spatial object of studying Maori carvings and the methods used by this branch of the Polynesian race when confronted by the problem of hauling big rockß or other heavy weights. ; After his New Zealand visit, Mr. Casey will prosecute his' researches.in the. Solomon Islands. NOT A HOLIDAY RESORT. "Easter Island is no tourist resort," remarked Mr. Casey, after leaving the subject of the mysterious statues. There are some 400 natives on the island 'at the present time, and a handful of white men. Curiously enough, on the ranch, the one industry of the island, were two New Zealanders, T. ti. Earle and S. T. Kinsmore. ' Thp officials on' the isknds were the Chilean prefect of police and the Chilean Governor. "Over the whole island there prevailed an atmosphere of distrust, noticeable as soon as one landed. A massacre of the few whites on the island is an ever-present possibility; and.they know it.'.' remarked Mr. Casey when eulogising the. pioneer spirit of the two white women' there. ' Once a year Chile sends a ship to collect Easter Island's'wool,, and this i^ the only regular steamer, communication that the islanders have. ' Ordering; stores is therefore an annual event and! one of supremo importance. Aniongafc tho provisions in his schooner Mr. Casey had a few tins of dried beanj:. These ho presented to his hostess oia Easter Island, and they proved to be such an appreciated luxury that she'determined to order some wore. TJic steamer, however, would noi, be calling for another nine months, aid it would be .1 year.after that before it returned, so it would be 21 months before t/lie lady got her beans. ;'

The climate of Easter Island Mr. Casey was not able to appreciate fully owing to a mistake at Tahiti"before the 36-ton schooner started. I'tTor

instead of his suitcaso there, was placed on board-an extra, tin case of films for his cinematograph. "I really had nothing much more than a; bathing suit to wear," said Mr. Casey, "and I was wet through and cold 'most of the time." . j '■ MEMORIES OF A GREAT MAN.

A chance of visiting K«v Zealand appeals to Mr. Casey for "quite another reason. New Zealanderfc the has met in all quarters of the globo^and has always liked. But he has a'very warm spot in his heart for thOjiate Mr. Massey, and the striking moiuument to his memory seen as the Mmaina sfearned iiito the harbour yesterday morning recalled memories of war. days. There was a. certain very sea-Sick trooper oil board the same boat as iKew Zealand's Premier happened to bo, and the kindly attention paid by the groat man to liis less-known fellow traveller across the stormy English ChaiyieJ. nas not been forgotten. "But thatis another story altogether," remarked Mr. Casey, "and nothing will please me, better .than to be able to lay personally a wreath of roses on that great,man'3 beautiful memorial." i

With that. Mr. Cascjy made ready to leave'his hotel. Weplington, he said, quite excited Mm, antrl Jie wanted to stroll about the streets, "for it is the first decently civilised city I have seen for many month?." ';.'.'