RAROTONGAN DAYS

Southland Times, Issue 21362, 7 April 1931, Page 4

RAROTONGAN DAYS

SOME EARLY HISTORY NUMBER IV. (By H.D.8.). The natives of Rarotonga are a happy unsophisticated people, their close relationship with the New Zealand Maoris being obvious, to even the most casual .observer. Rarotonga was the traditional starting place of the conquest of this country ana other islands and the ancestors of the Maori can still be clearly traced back through the Cook Islands to their Samoan or '1 ahitian forefathers. One of the most important places mentioned in the guide books is the village of Ngatangiia as it is said that from this sequestered little spot the canoes left on their 2000 miles’ voyage to the land of the long white cloud. Tradition tells an enthralling story of the discovery and settlement of Rarotonga. Karika, a famous Samoan warrior, while on a voyage of discovery—one of those amazing expeditions in an open canoe —met Tangiia, a notable Tahitian chief on a similar mission. Tangiia was something of a diplomat and suggested a compromise to Karika saying: “Here we are in the open sea with nobody to witness our prowess. Whoever gains the day will not get due credit for his victory when he returns. Let us join canoes' and proceed together awaiting a more favoured time.” This appealed to the doughty Samoan as good sense and they joined forces until they reached Rarotonga. In the meantime the two partners had become fast friends and Tangiia, the diplomat, had made his position secure by marrying Karika’s daughter. Together they conquered the island and divided it in this manner: The two canoes started from a fixed point on one side of the island and sailed in opposite directions until they met on the other side. A line joining the two points marked the boundary dividing the territory of the two parties. One can easily imagine the Karika chief exhorting his men to paddle as they had never done before and the Tangiia party striving their utmost to cover as great a distance as possible before the appearance of the rival canoe signalled the close of the contest. I doubt if the island has been so speedily encircled by canoes since that early date. To-day in Rarotonga still remain the descendents of Karika and Tangiia and their traditions are still regarded as sacred by the natives. The Karikas of to-day still retain their ancient prestige, one of the modern representatives being called Prince George by the European residents. George Karika is a fine type of man combining the industry of the better class of white with the many good qualities of the Polynesian. He and I became fast friends during my stay on the island and, on my departure, he and his family each had wreaths of flowers and chains of shells to drape around my neck. Prince George works industriously on his banana plantation and supplies firewood to several'of the European community. The life of ease and indolence of his ancestors has been exchanged for that of the ordinary working man, and the outward evidences of aristocracy have disappeared. Sic transit, gloria mundi. Little over a hundred years ago the natives of Rarotonga were living in a decidedly savage state. Old documents of the early missionaries who were sent out by the London Missionary ’Society early in the nineteenth century throw an interesting light on the conditions prevailing prior to and after 1820. In 1828 the natives appeared as naked savages, the men wearing a narrow belt of cloth round the loins, the women girded with a short petticoat, of tapa. All children from infancy up to ten or twelve years, walked about in a state of perfect nudity. The exposed parts of their person (i.e. all but the loins) were besmeared with oil and turmeric which they were most unwilling to wash off. Hence cutaneous and other diseases were . very prevalent and it. was no infrequent thing to see a native whose diseased limbs were black with the flies that had settled upon them. In 1828 their dwellings were mere wigwams. The whole clan lived and slept under one roof, ola and young, men and women, herding together on mats without even a screen to separate them. The door, about four feet square, served also for a window. . The missionary pioneers, fresh from the niceties and conventions of England must have indeed despaired of grafting European civilization on to the Cook Islanders. Perhaps it is a pity that they ever attempted the task.

To-day. after a century’s direct contact with civilization, the people are a clean and educated race but the population has been greatly decreased. Cannibalism has of course completely disappeared and is a relic of the dim past and it must be distinctly pleasing to the missionary’s eye to see the natives dressed in European garb. Most of the women favour the plain Mother Hubbard dress while the men generally wear trousers and shirts although the scarlet perau is not uncommon. When occasion demands most of the thrifty folk can cut quite a dash in pretty frocks and tropical suits, some even sacrificing comfort, to the doubtful advantages of stockings and The early missionaries must assuredly have had a hard row to hoe in Rarotonga. In May, 1827, the Rev. John Williams and the Rev. Charles Pitman had been landed there. No news was heard of them until the Rev. Aaron Buzacott and his wife reached Rarotonga in February, 1828. The captain in whose vessel the two missionaries had- sailed reported that Mr Williams on leaving his vessel in his own boat had remarked to him, “I do not like the appearance of things here. I do not how soon we will have to take to the boats. These words from the most courageous and intrepid of pioneers show that progress among the natives must have been extremely difficult. Mr Williams later met his death as a martyr on one of the northern islands. The following items from the missionary’s diary illustrate the complete isolation of their situation during those harrowing days:—

“The American whaler, the Trio, " touched here, the first since our arrival, now three years ago.” “A Sydney whaler called wanting supplies. The captain informed us of the death of George IV and of the accession of William to the throne.” But satisfying results rewarded the efforts of the missionaries. In February 1839 the Camden sighted Rarotonga bringing the Rev. J. Williams and a goodly band of men from different stations in the islands. One of the newcomers, the Rev. William Gill, had been appointed to Arorangi, one of the villages in Rarotonga. His words describe the change which eleven years’ toil had wrought at Avarua. “On landing in the midst of the people we were pleasingly struck with the mildness of their manners and general decorum of conduct as compared with what we had expected to see in a semi-heathen population.” . The close relationship between the Rarotongan and the Maori was brought home to me by the unconscious humour of the native, a humour similar to that exploited by the allegedly funny papers in New Zealand and Australia.' The quality of milk which we had been receiving from the daily supplier had not been of the best and even to the unscientific eye it was apparent that the tricks of the trade were not unknown to the native purveyor. My brother, considered that a word in time might save quite a few later. The following 0 conversation was overheard from the doorstep:— _ . , , Mildly sarcastic voice of aggrieved householder: “Wiremu, I don’t mind you watering the milk so much, but in future kindly see that you use clean water.” Righteous voice of milk boy: “Orright, I see to it.” , . It was noticed that the aqueous ingredient improved in quality after this mild rebuke.