A FISH DRIVE

Grey River Argus, 29 June 1914, Page 2

A FISH DRIVE

a day at nikau, rarotonga. :ue vtci:-regal part\ enter TAINED. RAROTOXGA, June 10 When the vice-regal party Teturnect to Raroto-nga from a visit to the outlying islands or the Cook groupj it was 'to enter* upon " another round of festivities On the day after the arnval of the Tutanekai a fish drive was held at a place called Nikau, a fe\V\ miles from Avaiu, and a most en_ jo\able dav was spent. f The party, which included' the commander and several officer"- €r&m H.M.S. Philomel, was entertained at luncheon and afternoon t&a W Mr \V. Brown, one -of the most progressive and successful planters on v the yhnd, and very coon ptete arrangement*- Verc made to ensure the success Of the day J s spoTt At a distance of two or three hundred \ar<ls from, the shore., the coral reef divided the .turbulent waters of Jie Pacific from thr^ tiuict, placid wipers nf the lagroop. At one end of the lagoon- wAs a deep rift in the iecfs v so thr* natives built- a little wall along it< "ourse, filling up the 1 holes between the blocks of coral with sand. This a sor* -r>f Jake was made md the fish inside it , were destined lo have an exciting if not a fatal dav 1 Before 'midday the natives began to 1 congregate in^uumbers^ most of th>3 l I men cjrrving^Sne&i'- f>nd some armed with bo^s ATiWarrpws.; When all was ready^mefr, ijjjmh&r arKLchUjdren enter cdl' the* wate#| bearing: r large l kits containing a peculiar browXt substance fma^e from the rfvit of trie utu tree. Thi? compound j. Kas ? the power of a .i/>ild HnaesthejLc7*and'^tupefies the fish making them] 1 'fcjower in .their movements than iVtheir \\ont The poison distributed, spear* other weapons were produced, anS the fun began Members of trie vice-rqgal party donntd ynimnrung or sleeping suits and, with speai? ;n hand,j waded out All the damage they did^ was not worth mentioning, although they lurled their spears with great vignur. The natives istoqd upon rjocks und waited.* In a little while the poi'on began to take 'effect on the fish, And thv'n one would see a native sudc^^nly pmse his spear and hurl it forward* with great 'force. Perhaps 't rr sse-J its mark. If so, the next rr.m nouW have a shot, and general y ? fish was put into a capacious oag slunjj about the fisher' s loins. The scene w.as a magnificent one. Dotted all oveV the blue l'ago*>n weic nearly a thousand mejTan-1 wjjmeri in all sorts of costumes* ,Mosj of the men wore pariu<? or loin clothen, the women wore any old ga/meitt of the u°ck-to-knee variety, whilp jri</St of 'he boys simply slipped off theij ttous«xs and Tested content .with slurbs. The tropical sun bathed lever/thug *n #old en sunlight, -.aTid there was a great panorama, hundreds of fish hunters, the men and boys vihi/zmg spears^pr arrows after fish, and <hf wumen duck ing down to feel m the crannies ot the nocks for whatf.vo": they could find. / l Xhe Governor and Dr Porr.are got .nto an outrigger crnoe and went up and down 'th<. ,7ago 0.1 enjoying the novel sight. The iocto-r -handled his paddle as if to the riamier born^ and the Governor followed the sport with keen interest. '' . ' Towards four* c' clock the bags began to get hcav^, and the Natives • sought the kindlr shelter of the bush fringing the lagoon on the landward side. Fires weie lighted, coral stones heated, the dressed fish drapped in * big leav.es, and soon the odour of bak>d fish was wafted on the breeze. A<-, evening fell., a start was made, or homo F,ew fish were left in the lagoon, and they fully deserved the *■ rcec'ori of the open sea. •.Fresh fish ormed the principal item of diet in * nany a home. If had been an enloyablc drive ; . the /only; people to nake complajnt were a few pakehas vho, im a momp/t^of enthusiasm, had jcen induced ta chaso frsh about a hallow lagoon studded with coral tl >f a rough and .jacr^red nature