TAVITA'S RUSE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 20

TAVITA'S RUSE

HP'HE sun shone down from a blue sky on a still bluer sea as the last of the eight double-canoes glided into the water and, paddled by. Samoans who were taking a farewell look at the land of their jDirth, leapt forward through the reef. The remainder of the natives on the island^ of Manua watched the boats till they were out of sight and sadly turned back to their various-occupations. ■ \ ■ t The navigators paddled swiftly onwards, resting and eating at.intervals. Very soon night fell, but still they continued their voyage. On the sixth day a grey haze appeared on the horizon. This took a definite shape as they drew near until the native in--the foremost canoe cried: : •

"It is land! Fanua! Land!" With renewed vigour the warriors dipped their paddles with a will and each boat" shot forward. Now there was a competition to see which canoe could touch the shore first In about two hours' time the island was sufficiently close for them to find an inlet in which to land. They noticed a spiral of smoke ascending in the valley. So the newly-discovered island was inhabited! Landing without a sound, the men crept stealthily through the bush to a point about fifty yards from the village. There they separated in all directions, and soon had surprised and defeated the villagers. Upon examination they found that Vayau (as the islet was named) was exceptionally fertile. Some of the warriors married the maidens of the vanquished tribe, and life became so pleasant that the victors settled down, forgetting their former life. That was in.theyear-1050 A.D.

Three centuries later their descendants (who were called Tongans because Vavau is in the Tongan group) decided to invade the Samoans in Manua. One morning Tayita, a boy of -fifteen years, was sitting on the beach stringing shells when suddenly the methodical dip-dip of paddles aroused his attention. To his surprise and horrer he saw a hundred canoes containing hostile men in full war-dress. ' Breaking his reverie, he turned and ran swiftly to the village. Several minutes later he reappeared, followed by warriors fully armed. ■- The attacking natives appeared a little repelled by this defiance and camped on a small island just inside the reef. There they stayed for two days without giving any further sign of hostility. ■■:■ On the second night a tall, dark figure slipped from one of the huts in the village and made his way to the shore. ' As the moon shone down,

(A story written by "Lua Tusitala," 13, City.)

the face of Tavita, the chief's son, was revealed. Carrying a light canoe on his shoulder, he crept to the water's edge and launched histcraft. Then keeping in the shadows, he made his way towards the. islet. When he was about thirty yards from the .canoes of the enemy, he dropped his anchor. Then, carefully balancing his canoe, he stood up and swam the remaining distance. ... .Like, a fish the Samoan .boy. dived under the roremost boat, following the anchor line. He was able to stay" under water for two minutes, and by that time he had tied the two.nearest anchor ropes together with a length which lie had tied rbund his waist! Unseen, Tavita swam among the enemy canoes, joining as many as three or four together by twisting the anchors (which were large stones with natural holes or loops) and tying them. As swiftly as he had come Tavita returned to the village. At daybreak he asked his father: "Father, tell your men to take twenty canoes, and charge the attackers camp," and told him of his plan. The old chief admitted that the trick was worth attempting, and bade twenty skilled men do as the boy advised. When a native' of the enemy camp saw ten canoes approaching to attack a hundred of such, he gasped in surprise, but urged the Tongans to scatter the audacious Samoans.

The Tongans hastily drew up their anchors, only to find that they had pulled up their neighbours' too. Tavita had done his work only too well, for confusion was complete when four .canoes struggled to paddle against the foe. Each craft .was striking against the adjoining one. . ... Mercilessly, the Samoans' canoes swept in amongst the crippled boats whose owners were becoming very excited in their efforts to escape.

The Samoan axe-men cut down many of the invaders.. The rest fled in terror of-their lives. The leader of the new victorious side, beckoned to the village and fifty bonito canoes, each bearing three warriors, came swiftly across the lagoon.

Shouts of fear filled the air. The Tongans were completely overcome. Next, morning, only a few ashes were left of the camp on the island. The invaders had returned to their home much reduced in number and did not again dare to conquer the Samoans. When Tavita grew up, he was famous throughout Samoa for his deeds, and was King over a third of Upolu. ■' :- ■ -.' '■ ■~ ••, ;