An Ancient Tribal

Drum

How It Passed Into The Possession Of a B.S.I. Missionary

■"PHE wooden drum (a hollow tree trunk) *• shown below is now at the Melanesian Mission’s Senior Boys’ School at Pawa, on the small is’and of Ugi, 8.5.1. How it became a school drum is interesting.

About 20 years ago Rev Dr C. E. Fox was working with the Melanesian Mission on the island of San Cristobai. While there,

he became friendly with) the chief of the district, Martin Takibaina. This friend ship grew to the extent of exchanging names; which was legally done. So “Charles Pox” became “Martin Takiba ina” and vice versa. Of course, with their names went their worldly possessions.

So it was that Dr. Pox (the mission ary) inherited ReM-ne-henua, the tribal drum. The drum is more than 200 years old, and was beaten only on special occasions, such as the death of a chief. i'or the visit of a very important person.

Shortly after the exchange of names “Charles Fox” (the Solomon Islander) died, and his grave is still to be seen at Heuru, inscribed, “Here lies Charles Fox ’ > Not often a man can go and look at his own grave!

Later Dr. Fox was transferred to the Boys’ School at Pawa; and when he went over there, Rel)i-ne-henua went with him.

It was a very stiff job getting) the drum, which must weigh nearly half a ton. up the hill on which the school stands. Now, the drum which was struck so rarely, is beaten several times every day! It can sometimes be heard even as far distant as Wano. 15 miles away on San Cristobal.

Dr. Fox is now a member of the Melan esian Mission’s Brotherhood, and is in charge of a school at Alankaula, Ugi, onltf a half hour’s walk from Pawa. where his big drum rests,

A Solomon Islander beating Dr. Fox’s drum at the Melanesian Mission’s Pawa School,