Mangaians Invade

Rarotonga.

Islands Cricket Interlude.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, July 5.

EARLY in the month a sensation was caused at Rarotonga by the news that a band of redoubtable Manga ians were about to cross the frontiers of the Rarotonga Sports Association; and that body immediately took steps to deal with the invasion. The Mangaians had, for some time, been carrying out very extensive tests with bowlers and bats men on a concrete pitch which they had laid down on their own island.

Mangaia is 110 miles from Rarotonga and is considered one of the most weird islands in the Pacific, geologically. Its contour has been likened to a huge pie, the crust of which has fallen in, leaving a high outer rim and a central elevation.

It has extensive cave systems, the great chambers of which contain the bones of its previous native inhabitants. Man gaia has great traditions and, on account of its more southerly position, its people are probably the most vigorous and in dustrious of the Cook Group.

Much fun is poked at the Mangaian by his friends at the other islands on account of his hardy, gruff ways; but he takes it with good humour, planting his sure foot on other islands of the Group, digging himself firmly into a job and hanging on to it like a leech. He is “Jock” of the Cook Islands.

The Mangaians, 25 in all, came in from their Marmio patches along the valleys, from their orange plantations and small jobs and, with many choice presents for the Rarotongan womenfolk, marched down from their battlemented island, took passage by the schooner “Tagua” and disembarked at Rarotonga on May 26.

Then a series of struggles took place, each celebrated afterwards with an “Umukai.” Test matches followed. The Mangaians, trained as they had been on the modern lines of a concrete pitch, be came hopelessly demoralised on the rugged strips of paddock on which the big fights took place. With the idea of evening things up, the Rarotongans bor rowed a coconut cricketing mat, and laid it down as a covering for the coral pro jections and crab holes; but the Man gaians regarded the matting sideways and its use was discontinued.

The teams fought out their five test matches on scraggy, knotty-surfaced pitches. Captain Toko, of the Mangaians, together with his men, did their best to lift the ball off the island; but suc ceeded only in compiling outstanding bowling averages for their opponents.

Captain Toko was defeated four times, out of the five battles.

The final action took place on June 26, and the Mangaians were finally and decisively routed. They escaped aboard the “Waihemo,” which called at Raro tonga on June 28, and succeeded in tak ing away with them the trunks of two large “Puka” trees, which the vessel towed in its wake. These tree-trunks, signalising as they did, defeat, will be hewn out, spliced end to end, and trimmed into a fine canoe. With that canoe they will shoot their produce across the dangerous reef to be picked up by the steamer; and thus, when the sinews of war are available again for another trip to Rarotonga, come back and lay the proud Rarotongans in the dust.