THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6755, 7 November 1928, Page 2

THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

INTERESTING SIDELIGHTS ON MELANESIA, BY, REV. F. A, ORAWSHAW. . A narrative of travel -was given by tie Eev. F. A.Crawshaw at the Palmerston North Citizens' Luncheon Club yesterday, when" he touched upon the life and conditions of the natives' in Melanesia. Mr. J. E. Cunninghame presided. The Solomon Islands, said the speaker, were discovered by the Spaniards as far back as 15C7, when a sailor named Mendana had found them in his search for the mysterious source of the ancient wealth of Solomon. It was from this association that the islands received their name. Attempts to colonise Santa Cruz in 1595 had failed owing to the unhealthiness of the climate. The Melanesian islands were situated near the equator. St. Cristobal, one of the largest of the islands, being 1500 miles north of Australia. From certain booSs, one would gather the idea that Melanesia was composed of groups of coral islands. Such was not the case, as some of the mountains were over 8000 feet in height. Transport was by means of whale boats at an average speed of from two to three knots. There was plenty of good hard timber but it was too inaccesible for commercial purposes. Habits of the Natives. The Melanesians were different in many ways from „ the Polynesians. They had flattened noses, their hair was fuzzy and they wore little clothing. In the. interior ,they wore practically nothing but the loin cloth. They were fond of clbthes and cheerfully accepted any left off clothing from travellers or sailors. Naturally, the chief had first pick and he would consider himself very well dressed with a battered hat on his head. Those who thought that in order to be Christians, the natives should wear clothes, were mistaken. If the Melanesians. were given clothes they were more likely to be mad corpses than Christians, ps they had no idea of when to change, and would continue to wear a coat till it dropped off in sheer old age. The loin cloth was therefore more, suitable. . They were extremely fond of ornamentation. Eound the ankles were worn white shells, tied on with native string to ward off evil spirits. Armlets of shell arid twisted grass were also worn. In Malctta the men wore a round ornament made of shell on the chest and beads or shells were worn round the neck.

The ears of Children were pierced and the holes gradually made larger, in order that ornaments might be suspended from them. Through the ho'strils shell ornaments were suspended, some of the men wearing short, twisted sticks thrust right through the fleshy partition. Warriors made themselves more warlike by means of these sticks in the nostrils, by causing their hair to stand up on end and by daubing their chests with ochre.

The fuzzy hair yyaa the kit in which they carried their trifling needs. Ir asked for a match or a knife, a native would search in his hair and soon pro-* duce the article.. While travelling, a native carried a small kit bag slung over the shoulder containing a little box with lime, and also a pepper leafall the travelling requisites required. When a relative died, mourning would be indicated by dyeing the hair. The speaker had seen this at Santa Cruz where members of a tribe had bleached their hair in patches, like the strips of leather on a football. Until a youth was 14 his hair was shaved until there wore only three tufts left. At 16, the hair was let grow naturally.

There were numerous short and rapid -rivers in Melanesia, which abounded in crocodiles. These creatures were disliked by the natives though he had never heard of any native being caught by them. Bogs and pigs often foil victims to their ravenous jaws. The crocodiles were supposed to bo cowardly unless driven to bay, . Trials of a Missionary. The rainfall - was very heavy, being in the vicinity of'loo inches a year. Eight inches in six hours was a common occurrence during the rainy season. The climate thus resembled that of a summer house just after being watered on a hot day. The natives wore experts, in their canoes, which usually carried from ten to a dozen but the largest accommodated about 50. During the north-west monsoon, from January till the . end. of March, the 1 weather, yas very stormy. It was then that .the few launches owned by Europeans were, unsafe,, except in an anchorage not exposed .-to the sea. When" a missionary- travelled from island to island, or from point to point, ho usually Went in the small hours of the morning, starting his journey at three o'clock. The native boatmen would not work unless there was a shortage of tobacco, plug tobacco being the standard wage. For a journey of seven miles, six natives were required, four rowing at a time whilst the other two rested. For a ten mils mile journey, two complete relays were required. When the speaker a in Melanesia before the war, most of the natives were cannibals. Missionaries, though never certain of their fate, were usually unmolested but traders went ashore armed to the teeth. The only way to get on with these cannibals was to treat them with a smile and as if they

were children. To show fear was fatal, while trivial presents worked charms The Melanesians were mostly vegetarians. Their moat, which was pork, cost £9 a Carcase and was too dear except for special feasts. Yanis, kumeras, coeoanuts and bread-fruit were the stapje diet. Two meals sufficed tor the day, a snack in the morning and a heavier meal in tho evening. Breadfruit was sour and unpalatable, but together with the cocoanut was the only food available from January till the end of March. Native money consisted of shell money, feather money, and the eye tooth of dogs. These were removed from all the dogs at a certain age, the animals being buried up to the neck im sand whilst the dentistry was performed. The eye teeth of tho dog were worth 6d each in native money. Mr. D. W. Low suitably expressed the thanks of members for a most.intßrfi&tjng address.