Cinderella!

How Makateo Became Richest of All

MAKATEA, one of the north-western atolls of the Tuamotu or Low Archi pelago, is the nearest of them to Tahiti (120 miles) and stands somewhat apart from its neighbours. Of all the atolls of the Tuamotu Archipelago, it is the only one which rises more than 25 feet above the sea-level (excepting Oeno, at the far S.E. end of the chain).

It attains a height of 230 feet, being flattish on the top, but for one small knoll.

“Toau, Apataki, Kaukura and Arutu’a form the cluster called by Cook the ‘Palhser Islands’ in 1774; and probably include the same that Roggeveen sighted in 1722 and named Avonstondt, Meer dere Zorg, and Goede Verwachting, though it is possible this last was Ra’iroa His description of the next he fell in with, taken with its latitude, identifies it with Makatea; ‘with a shore reef of sharp white coral, but no lagoon, in lati tude 15 degrees 43 minutes’. He named it Van Verkwikking (refreshment or revival), because he obtained some purslain and scurvy-grass there.

“Ora’iroa is the Fliegen Eyland of Schouten, discovered by him in 1616. Com munication between it and Tahiti was maintained before Europeans visited these seas, the canoes often using Makatea as a port of call.

“It was reputed rich in pearls and dogs’ hair; but some of the fish in its lagoon were apt to be poisonous. It, too, was visited by Wilkes in 1839.’’ (B. G.

Corney.) The navigators who followed Rogge veen in these waters seemed to have missed Makatea. “Neither Byron and Mouat, Gumming, Wallis, Cateret, nor Cook sighted Makatea at any time.”

Don Joseph de Andia y Varela reports that on the outward voyage from El Cal lao to Tahiti, on the morning of Novem ber 6, 1774, he saw what he believed to be land which, “From the account of an Indian named Puhoro, one of those who are termed among these people ‘fatere’ (sic) meaning pilot, which he communi cated to us after our arrival in the Island of Amat (Tahiti), so I got to know that the land of which I have just been speak ing is the island of Mathea, of which the Indian in question was a native.”

A footnote explains—“ This refers to Makatea, pronounced by Tahitians Ma’atea.

“Andia could not have seen it, since by his own showing he was never nearer to it than 93 miles.”

During the following 130 years, Makatea, standing apart from its sister islands, was a veritable Cinderella.

Traders from Papeete called there; but the commerce of Makatea was meagre, compared with that of the neighbouring atolls —rich in pearls, pearl-shell and copra.

Abundant treasure—in the form of ad vances and supplies of every kind —were noured into these opulent islands by merchants competing for major favours from the proprietors of these coveted products. For Makatea, there were not even crumbs from this groaning table of plenty.

In consequence, there were no mort gages or liens against native property re posing in the strong boxes of Papeete merchants when, in 1908, a retired officer of the Navy of France, Captain Bonnet, discovered that Makatea was a vast treasure house. For nearly a century the feet of traders had been passing and re passing over one of the richest deposits of high-grade phosphate in the world.

To record the mental and verbal re actions of those traders who were still living when the discovery was announced, would require a pen dipped deeply in the subtleties of many tongues, and a parch ment fabricated of acid and fire-resist ing materials.

The phosphate deposits of Makatea analyse over 80 per cent, tricalcic phos phate.

The operating company, Compagnie Francaise des Phosphates de L’Oceanie, has been very successful from its begin ning. Ships of many nations come to Makatea to load heavy cargoes for their far-away lands, Cinderella, neglected and despised through the centuries, has come into her own and now reigns as queen over her once over-shadowing sisters.—A.C.R.

Mr. A. Sorrell, of Guinea Airways Ltd., Salamaua, New Guinea, married Miss Betty Baldie, of Lae, on March 11. They have made their home at Kela.

Rev. C. E. Fox, M.A., Litt. D., arrived in Sydney by the last “Malaita” from Alangaula, Ugi, 8.5.1., on long leave, which he will spend in New Zealand and England.