Solomon’s Men

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 2, 4 January 1937, Page 9

Solomon’s Men

TVe sailed from Gavutu a little after 1 o’clock in the morning for Su’u Malaita Island, in the Solomons, writes Mason Warner, in the Chicago Tribune. There was a new moon in the sky—a thin, graceful crescent that lighted the swaying cocoanut palms along the beaches with a mellow glow of icalm and peaceful yellow-whitq. There was no temptation to sleep. Besting in a deck chair, with a cool and refreshing night breeze after the heat of tTie day, did more in the way of physical restoration and recreation than could slumber in a hot state room.

There was disorderly movement and a smashing disarray of colour in the clouds in the eastern horizon as the sun burst up from out of the sea into a sky of mottle brown and grey thao was quickly turned to red, orange, and green—a riot of lively hues. Just as the sun shot up the Malaita cast anchor in Manaba Harbour, the first stop on huge Malaita Island. We were scheduled to leave Manaba at 9 o’clock, but there was so much copra to load that we did not get away until 9.40, so arrived at Su’u, 1 miles up the Malaita coast, an hour later. The pier at Su’u was destroyed by a great earthquake in 1933; so our ship was anchored off shore. The earthquake caused a 40ft tidal wave that swept the surrounding islands and drowned hundreds of natives.

Malaita Island has 40,000 of the 90,000 native population of the British Solomon Islands, and from this island is recruited most of the native labour for the plantations throughout the Solomons. The ”Malaita boy” is exceptionally virile. He is a cheerful worker and a willing warrior. He is conservative, conventional, slow to change. Head-hunting is reported to continue a favourite sport in the interior. Cannibalism lingers up in the mountains. Widow-strangling has not gone out completely. Infanticide and abortion persist in spite of the efforts to abolish the practices. Malaita is one of the world’s few areas remaining to be explored. At Su’u I met Fakani, a native who proudly wears the medal of the Order of the British Empire, awarded to him for the part he played in the latest big massacre on Malaita. It took place in October, 1927, when District Office W. B. Bell, Cadet K. C. Lillies, and 13 native employees of the Government were murdered at Kwai’ambe, Sinarango, on the far side of the mountains.

The natives pay a head tax of five shillings annually to the Government—usually under protest. The head chief of the Sinarango district and his tribe refused to pay. Bell anld his staff went out to see about it. Bell was a giant physically, bluff and hearty in manner, full of courage, well liked by the natives for his fair and just administration. The Government men went out in an island schooner, with Fakani runninig the motor and steering. All landed except Fakani. A pow-wow was held while the payment of the tax was debated. The arguments lasted for hours. The members of Bell’s party fearlessly stacked their arms. The natives and the Government men mingled in friendly groups. As time passed Bell’s men were separated from each other, and each man became the centre of a cluster of natives. The chief finally agreed that the natives should pay the tax. Bell sat on a camp stool and opened his books for its collection. The native chief presented a tax receipt for the previous year for inspection. It had not been issued to him. Bell took it, bent forward to scan his books of stubs to trace its ownership. As he leaned forward the chief crashed out his brains with the sawedoff end of a rifle barrel, and the gangs of natives simultaneously speared, stabbed, and clubbed other Government men. Lillies’ body was shockingly mutilated.

Some ID or 12 of the survivors of the treacherous attack succeeded in escaping to the beach. Fakani did not flee. He kept the Government boat plying back and forth along shore until the last living Government man was taken on board. With one hand on the throttle and the other on the tiller he succeeded in dodging the volleys of spears and arrows aimed at him. One of the survivors, a native, had his skull laid open from forehead to crown, a spear thrust into his back, and a forearm almost severed when warding off a knifo thrust. It was all ho could do to swim a hundred yards to the schooner, but Fakani waited for him, and he is alive to-day. More than 200 natives participated in the massacre, and the Government immediately started to run them down. All were captured within three months. Some were freed, but 83 natives were indicated before the court. Seven were convicted and six of them were hanged* one was reprieved. Seven served various terms of imprisonment, and Fakani was given the medal.