Nauru

Men Who Knew Yesterday

Robert Rosch, of Nauru How The Island Became German

THE only surviving European link with pre-civilization days on Nauru, Robert Rasch—who first arrived on the island in February, 1884. over 50 years ago—this year celebrated his 86th birthday.

Not many of the present day Europeans of Nauru had ever seen Herr Rasch. and few, indeed, knew of his existence on the island, prior to his birthday celebration a few weeks ago. For, except for an oc casional short evening outing along the road near his home in the car of his son-in-law, District Chief Amwano, the old man has not ventured far afield during the last few years.

A frail, blue-eyed, gently-speaking man, there is nothing about this oldest inhabit ant to suggest his connection with that

period of lawlessness and licence in the history of the island which preceded its official occupation by Germany in 1888.

Talking to him now, in his home beside the Catholic Mission station at Arubo— the very spot where he landed and built his first home 54 years ago—it is easy to

believe that Rasch had little in common with the European derelicts who lorded it over the little island in those times— men who found lucrative livelihood in the trading of firearms and square-faced gin for the copra and sharks’ fins of the island.

Indeed, Rasch’s coming marked the be ginning of the end of that tragic period in Nauruan history; for it was he who was mainly instrumental in securing the introduction of the Pax Germanica to the island.

Rasch’s story, like that of so many other European settlers in the South Seas in those early days, is an interesting one; though to the casual enquirer it may ap pear rather disappointing in its absence of personal high-lights.

Born at Konigsberg (East Prussia)—the home of the philosopher, Kant—in 1852, he emigrated to America as a young man, and found employment as a sailor on the schooners of Crawford of San Francisco, trading between the Pacific Coast and Samoa, Hawaii, the Gilberts, Ellice, Mar shall and Caroline Groups. In 1883, his schooner, the “Staghound”, became a total wreck on a reef near Kusaie, in the

Seated: Robert Rasch. Standing; Messrs. V.

Purcell (on left) and K. Tingman, the two Europeans who have been longest in the Nauruan service of the British Phosphate Commission.

Carolines, where he was later picked up with other survivors by another Ameri can schooner bound for Jaluit (Marshalls).

At Jaluit, Rasch decided to give up the roving life, with all its hardships and dangers and to settle down. A small, two masted sailing vessel, owned and manned by natives, being about to leave for Nauru (of which he had heard most enticing stories at Jaluit). Rasch secured passage; and he landed on the island some weeks later with a commission to purchase copra and to trade with the natives as agent for the well-known German South Seas firm of Hernsheim &' Co. (later Jaluit- Gesellschaft).

A Samoan-American, Halstead, accord ing to Rasch, was resident on the island at the time of his arrival, as well as a Nor wegian, Hansen; and Olsen, a Swede. The original William Harris, too, was well established as a trader, his station being in the Boe District, where numbers of his descent mav be found to-day. The names of all the above, except Hansen, are found in the census returns of the island to-day.

At the time of Rasch’s arrival, the nat ive wars, instigated by a few unscrupulous Europeans eager to find market for their firearms, were at their height. But Rasch found that the native showed no hostility whatever towards the decent white man or the ordinary trader.

Thirty-two years of age at the time of his arrival on the island, and with half a lifetime of adventure behind him, Rasch says smilingly that there was nothing he wanted to do at that time more than settle down to a quiet life. When, there fore, on the day after his arrival, the local Chief Denuwea brought along three comely native maidens for his selection of a wife, Rasch chose the youngest, a 15years-old girl called Ebagon, and settled down with her to build up his trading interests.

It is apparent, when one is talking with the old man now about his life, that a genuine attachment grew-up between him and Ebagon; for “I only ever had the one wife; and she a fine woman”, he says, with feeling. Indeed, the great tragedy of Rasch’s life was the fact that while he was home in Germany during the Great War, Ebagon died. There were four children of the marriage, including the wife of Chief Amwano: and a son, Gustav, who, with his family, resides with the old man and cares for him to day.

Rasch claims that, being a decent fel low. he could see the stupidity of the tribal-war situation on the island soon after his arrival. He therefore sent a com munication to the German Imperial Commissioners at Jaluit, suggesting that they arrange for the official occupation of the island by Germany.

Accordingly, in October, 1888. the Ger man man-o-war “Eber” arrived off the island, landed a party of marines, took possession of all firearms, and made Rasch the first representative of the German Government. It is with some pride that the old man speaks now of the German flag flying from his house; and the fact that passing vessels dipped their bunting in salute. His trading in terests, of course, gained a good deal as a result of his increased prestige in the eyes of the natives.

With the formal establishment of a German Bezirksamtmann (Government Resident) on the island some time later, Rasch’s official status disappeared. But his knowledge of the native people ana their customs, and the fact that he held their respect because of his record of just and decent dealings with them, were of great value to the early German Gov ernment officials, and had established

his own reputation on the little island.

Rasch was never an extravagant man, and although he says that he always felt satisfied to spend his life with his family on Nauru, in 1912 he went home to Ger many for a holiday. There he invested a good deal of his savings, his idea being to send one or more of his children to the Fatherland for education. His son, Gustav, with Ben Halstead and Edward Stephen, had been sent, in 1900, to the German Catholic Mission Training and Technical School at Jaluit. (These three are all employed as skilled artisans on Nauru to-day—Halstead with the Govern ment; Stephen, with the 8.P.C.; and Rasch, as a private carpenter). The outbreak of war broke into Rasch s plans, however, and kept him away from Nauru until 1924. when, after much trouble, he secured permission to rejoin his family on the island. Since his return, he has lived quietly with his family, smoking his pipe and keeping in touch with world affairs, but having little active interest in the industrialised and much changed Nauru of the present day.

The accompanying photograph was taken at the B.P.C. Messroom on the oc casion of his birthday, When he invited all Europeans who cared to come to be photographed with him. A large group photograph was taken also.

When I called upon him at his home on his birthday eve, I found him sitting quietly in a comfortable lounge chaii. in his own special room, while his num erous grandchildren played and chatted outside. Round the walls of the room were pictures of his German homeland

and members of his family; his shelves showed a good selection of reading matter.

And pride of place, above the writing table, was given to a framed portrait of Der Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, in whose ability to direct the destinies of the Fatherland, Herr Rasch has a firm belief. —Contributed.

Mr. Geoffrey Cook, eldest son of Mrs.

B. A. Cook and the late Mr. P. P. Cook of Melbourne, recently married Miss Lorna Reynolds, only daughter of Mrs. Neal and step-daughter of the Hon. Norman Neal, at St. Augustine’s Church, Wau, New Guinea.