AN UNKNOWN PEOPLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17828, 8 July 1921, Page 8

AN UNKNOWN PEOPLE.

CALL AT A PACIFIC ISLAND. CHAT WITH INHABITANTS. PERFECT POLYNESIAN TYPE. BY HAEHEERE. Far from the beaten track of ocean travel lies the island of Bellona. Awav to the west of Santa Cruz lies this dot in the Pacific, for though it is about the size of Rangitoto, it is small in comparison with most of the islands lying to j the west of it. I There was a stiff breeze blowing, j though the day was one of warm sunj shine, when our steamer cast anchor on I the west of the island. In appearance it | was as other islands in those tropic seas, clothed with trees of vivid green covered with massed creepers, extending unbroken to the beach's edge. As we looked there was not a person visible on the shox-e, nor, when we had launched our boat and pulled to the beach, did there seem to be any people tear. And yet we knew the island was inhabited, for our steamer, the only boat that had ever touched there before, had called on a former voyage and found people there, with whom, however, it had not been possible to converse, a£ no one knew their language. • Tie In viable Watchers. The westerly freeze made landing difficult, but this was finally accomplished with nothing more than a wetting, refreshing rather than otherwise on a warm day when ono's clothes consisted merely of pants that had once been white, and of an undershirt that had once been whole. But though we saw no one, _we ourselves were not unseen. From tlie shelter of the thick foliage tliere peered at us many alert but doubting eyes. Who were these people of another colour that liad arrived in such a wonderful manner ? These people so marvellously dressed (compared with, themselves, over-dressed) ? These people whose language conveyed no meaning to their ears, as they listened from their hiding place close by ? But the white visitors were unarmed, and did not seem on mischief bent. So one of the elder watching ones took heart of courage and stepped into view not many yards away. Some of us were from New Zealand, and as soon as we saw him we knew him as a close relation of our own New Zealand Maori. One of our number gave him the Maori salutation, little expecting he would understand. 1 "Tena-koe." "E koe," came at once the reply, a different form of the 6ame greeting. "Me hongi taua" (let us press noses) from the New Zealander. "Ae, me shongi taua" (yes, let us press noses), came the reply, and immediately he came forward and "hongied" in a most [ dignified manner, not only with the person that had addressed him, but with the others of the company also, nearly all of whose noses then for the first time passed through that operation. As this greeting was taking place the many eyes and ears within the shelter of the bush had been busily engaged, and now their owners all came running out, men, boys, women, and girls, and the greeting, "Tena koutou" and the salutation of the hongi was likewise extended to them. An Hour of Intense Interest. A knowledge of Maori was at once an introduction. There were, of course, many differences between the two dialects, but it was not difficult, given a little time, to discover what was meant. As is the case in sa» many Polynesian islands, the Maori "r" is with them an "1." Thus marama .{the moon) is with them malama. Ra (the sun) is la, and so on. Then, too, < they still retain the sibilant, which, though apparently still used slightly by the Maori in early European days, has now practically disappeared. (Old New Zealand maps have "Shokianga" for Hokian?a ' the chief Hongi was written |Shongi.) Thus with the "r" becoming "1" and "1" and a sibilant inserted, it was at first difficult in a sentence to recognise say, our simple friend " haere '* when he was turned into " shaele.' Again, many words were, of course, different or unknown. To them the question "What is the name of your motu' (island) V conveyed no meaning, but when "whenua" (land) was used, instead of " motu," tber answered at once: '" The name of our land is Moeke." And how shall one adequately describe the appearance and features of this interesting people'/ f In stature they were tall—the average of full-grown men being quite six feet. Very few of them were under that, but many of them over. They were lithe, clean-limbed, and splendidly proportioned. They looked a group of athletes. The skin was fairer than that of the Maori, hair straight, lips thinner, noses well foraied and regular. If the men were aristocrats, the women were -their fit partners. 'Hiey were not so tall as the men. Their features were refined and dignified. In their case there w@ s a slight suspicion of the almond-shaped eyes of Japan. The expression of all the people, in repose, was gentle and intelligent, but if aroused they quickly showed anger and. excitement. From Laughter to Threats. Two incidents occurred which revealed quickly they could pass from the laughing, inquisitive, child like temper to that of the passionate, angry savage. One of our number separated himself from us and strolled along the beach as if intending to go inland. This, as soon as they noticed him, immediately aroused their suspicions, and by . t angrv word and gesture, they made it very'plain they would not allow it. Needless to say, our pakeha friend quickly suppressed his desire to enter the bush 'to discover if their village was near, and if so, what it was like. He came back! 1

The other incident happened as we were preparing to leave. One of their young men, apparently about 18 years old, entered our boat that -was drawn up on tho beach, and lay down in her, mailing vain efforts to hide himp-elf—a hopeless task, because of the stature of the youth, [llus the small®ess of the boat. When we came to launch her our yonng friend refused to get out of the boat, obviously desiring to come away with us. Then we saw our second outburst, for severaj of the elder men gripped our wouid-be adventurer, gave him a cuff over the head with their -hands and some nasty blows with their clubs, and bumped him out heavily on to the beach.

We made efforts to take some photographs—one cf us haviag a camera. But during the sfnort time we stayed there was " not a hope," as the common expression has it. The camera was an object of so much curiosity Chat they would not cease crowd&g closely around it, peeking to handle it. and to become helpers in every movement the operator endeavoured to mdf;e. There was also another disadvantage the camera man suffered from, and that was a" shirt button! One dignified dusky gentleman, of about 6ft. 2in., spent nearlv all his time trying to insert that button into its hole near the neck of the owner. It was neeless the shirt wearer turning his back, for either he would immediately find himself again looking upon the bent head of the persevering buttoner, or from behind would come over his shoulders a long dark arm. and the man would continue his endeavours from there He was a most persistently persevering nerson, but it became monotonous for the owner of the shirt. However, looking at the club under the man's arm, and his spear on the ground, it seemed safer to bear the monotony than to use harsh methods to get rid of him. We were able to spend but m hour on the island, though had it be<n possible we would willingly have stayed weeks. As we rowed back to the steamer our almost nude friends stood on the beach as we Ji&d left, waving .weapons is

farewelL But quit© unintentionally wo gave them a great fright at the last. As the steamer got nnder weigh she biew her whistle to convey our farewell. It was immediately a case, as far as th ey were concerned, of " now you see aie, now vo 1 don't," for with one"frightened bound" at the awful sound they all disappeared into the bush. They had. never heard such a thing before! What an untouched mine for study there must be upon Bellona, or as they seem to call it, " Moeke." For those interested in things Polynesian how much informa tion could be obtained. How much ancient mythology, what genealogies, waiatas and. tarakias might here be collected! These people have no canoes by which they can go to sea, and no other land is visible from their island. No ships had called there beyond the one we were on. No other islanders have ever visited them ;k? far as we could ascertain. That other islands know little of them appears from the fact that all the information obtainable from native sources in the nearest islands was that an island existed in that direction all of whose people were women ' Thus these people have been cut off fro/a outside influences for possibly many generations. They obviously have never beoa contaminated by any infusion of Mela.i»fian blood, as they are one of tho most perfect Polynesian types existing. Many islands and peoples we have ourselves seen, but never a people that fired the imagination or won the admiration so much as the unknown, untouched, unstudied people of Moeke.