Part 4 (1/2)
”Gidage, o?”
”Yes; I cannot now stay, Tae; how many moons until you return?”
”Taood-bye), Ta Ta crowd of natives
It was near here, a few years after, that a _beche-de-mer_ party of seven were murdered; and on the opposite side of the bay two cedar-seekers aylaid, and lost their lives We went into Sandbank Bay, and I landed at the village of Dorass, and I was led, after a good deal of talk, up to the village--only to see, at the other end, grass petticoats disappearing, the wearers hidden by the quantity of stuff they were carrying One poor woman, heavily laden with treasures, had perched above all her child, and away she, too, was flying Never had white man landed there before, and who knohat heincident illustrates the shocks a traveller -day at a village, far away fro my chart out on the middle of the floor in the s round, I was tracing our journey done, and the probable one to do, when strange drops were falling around, a few on the chart They ca up quickly, I discovered that they were grand dried
Our chart was placed on the fire, and the oas called lustily, who hurriedly entered and walked aith the parcel It was altogether a hurried ti convinced that a suitable locality for the settleerie Bay, I resolved on returning thither, and we anchored at Kuragori, on the east side of Dufaure Island, on April 25th, 1879 I went ashore, and found the people delighted tofellow The people are good-looking, clear-skinned, and very few suffering from skin disease
They were quite at ho trade winds, the vessel could lie under the lee of the ot on board, and stea off Bonabona
I went ashore, and was met on the beach by Meaudi, the chief He is the chief of four villages, soood size I visited all four They have good houses, and all looks clean I saw no es are on the beach, and I believe in good healthy positions We walked froe number of men, women, and children, ere much interested in my boots, clothes, and hat The chief lives in Gokora, and when on the platforave the present, and we exchanged na his name, it ive the by to coly she came, and stretched forth her arm to receive a present
I asked her to come nearer, which she did, when assured by the chief it was all right, and I put her present of beads round her neck Then all the people shouted, clapped their hands, and danced with delight After that, all the old women were produced We ell known by report to thereat _taubada_ (chief)
Dufaure is a fine island, quite equal to any I have seen in the South Pacific--plantations on all sides, right up to theof firear if there were birds on the island, they asked if I had a sling The people are a much finer race, and freer than any I have seen further east The two races seem to meet here--that from the Kerepunu side, and that from the east We are anchored some distance from the shore in three fathoms, and further out it is shallower The opposite shore on es on the island, five of which we have visited
After visiting the Keakaro and Aroht to a sudden terot halfway between the point next to McFarlane Harbour, and Mailu, where there is a boat entrance,the boat, and waved to theh for us to get on board The native of Hula, froot on board early in the day, leaving us to go on alone I called out to them to proceed to the boat entrance at Mailu Great numbers of natives ith us; , in the distance, nu on the beach, and ar us were armed When within two miles of where the boat was to await us, we came upon a crowd of men and women; the former carried spears, clubs, or pieces of hard wood, used in opening cocoa nuts; the women had clubs Some time before this, I said to the teacher and Loyalty islander, ”Keep a good look-out; I fear there is roup, I asked for a cocoanut in exchange for beads; theman stepped forward and sent hie, where the strangers froht help us
The teacher heard the as to the best place for the attack; and, not knowing that he knehat they said, he heard much that left no doubt in our minds that murder was meant I carried a satchel, which had beads and hoop-iron in it; they tried to get it I gave presents of beads; sonantly returned I was in front, between twome I was a bad man I held their hands, and kept them so that they could not use their clubs The Loyalty islander had a fowling-piece--thinking we ht have to shoot our dinners They tried hard to get him to fire it off, and twice tried to wrest it frouns are, and with reason They tried to trip us; they jostled us On ent
Two e wooden clubs, which were taken fros looked black, and each of us prayed in silence to Hi along, seized the club, and took it from the man on my left, and threw it in the sea He tried to do the saht a man, and did not succeed An old woman, when at the point, came out and asked the to thehts An old chief,on our way up, ca out, ”Mine is the peace! What have these foreigners done that you want to kill them?” He closed up to the teacher, and took hian to talk loudly a fault that we should have been allowed to get near the village, and others that there was yet tiot her nearer; and, when ready to ave hoop-iron to our friends the chiefs, and threw beads ast the crowd I shouted for Kapuh the crowd I gave him a piece of hoop-iron, and, with our friendly chiefs, he forced the crowd back, calling on us to be quick, and follow So into the water we got, the chiefs calling, ”Go quick; go quick!” We got on board; our Chinaot flustered, and very nearly let the boat drift broadside on the beach; ith poles and oars, got her round and off, sails set, and away for Kerepunu Before changing clothes, we thanked God our Father for His protection and care over us We felt He alone did all; unsettled their thoughts as to who first, where, and when; and it was He who gave us friends
Why should they want to kill us? It was surely never for the se So for food was done on board; thieving went on; food was sold twice; revolvers and rifles were brought out; the natives were fired on, several ounded, and very likely some were killed
Natives on the beach were fired upon, and so in the bush close by We land--the first foreigners to visit theed What a pity that the saners who fire on the natives do not return the folloeek, and so receive their deserts! The wretches steer clear of such parts I have asked the teacher to find out, if possible, why Aroma wished to kill Tamate and Taria
When in the boat, we asked the Hula boy why he left us and took to the boat He said he had heard some say we should be killed, and that ould make a fine feast He did not tell us, because he had not an opportunity, and was afraid the people ht hear him if he told, and so he would be killed
A week later a chief fronised him as the one who kept back the crowd the other day at Aroet into the water, and so into the boat He says, fro they had determined to kill us, but the suitable tie canoes froed by the Aroma people and those from the canoes that Aroet, and those from the canoes should have the bodies to eat He says they kept putting it off, until, finally, it was to be done ere at the boat, then they would have boat and all; but he and two other chiefs arrived just in ti to the Kerepunu chief, he said, ”You know Aroave him a present, and told him that I hoped to see hies are probably the aborigines, who have been driven back to the hills by the robuster race now occupying their plantations on the coast Their habits and custo They cook the heads of their slain enemies, to secure clean skulls to put on sacred places
They have one great spirit--Palaku Bara, ells in the mountains
They worshi+p him unitedly in one place Each fas to the spirits of deceased ancestors, whom they terribly fear Sickness in the family, death, famine, scarcity of fish, etc--these terrible spirits are at work and s are never killed but in the one place, and then they are offered to the spirit The blood is poured out there, and the carcase is then carried back to the village, to be divided, cooked, and eaten
Pigs' skulls are kept and hung up in the house Food for a feast, such as at house-building, is placed near the post where the skulls hang, and a prayer is said When the centre-post is put up, the spirits have wallaby, fish, and bananas presented to theht to keep that house always full of food, and that it reat spirit causes food to grow, and to him presentations of food are made