Tale Of Errant

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How the Good Ship "Maungoroa"

Came and Went

By Cloughogue

TOWARD the end of the year 1896, the Queen of Arorangi (in Rarotonga), Tinomana Mereana Ariki, prompted thereto by her husband, John Mortimer Salmon, a scion of the Jewish Salmons of Tahiti, induced her people to believe that honour and profit—especially the latter —would be theirs, if they procured for their district a schooner, to trade between the Islands, and to New Zealand occasion ally. It was th° fashion then, for each island to have its own schooner.

Communication through some friends of Salmon, in Tahiti, resulted in the purchase of a schooner there, of 70-80 tons, named the “Poe”, from its owner, Manoi. It arrived at Arorangi early in 1897, and was paid for by a £5 levy on Mataiapo and Rangatira, making with that of the Queen, 81 shareholders of £5 each in the venture —a total capital investment of £405.

The ship was hauled up and careened on the beach, where some busy weeks were spent by all hands scraping, caulk ing, painting and generally putting her into good condition.

She had been built by the late Ben Chapman, in Tahiti, and had most beautiful lines, resembling a yacht rather than a trading schooner, and, as proved later, was very fast in a fair wind. She was relaunched on rollers, into the small reef harbour of Vaitoka, where she righted herself and was then christened the “Arorangi”. A week or two more, and her sails and rigging having been attended to, she was ready for her profit-making voyages.

DURING this time of preparation, John Mortimer Salmon, the owner of an ancient sextant recovered from some wreck, and the peaked cap of a sea captain, had busied himself in the prac tice of “taking the sun” at such moments as the fancv moved him. There was a compass on the ship but no chronometer or charts.

John, considering his practice with the sextant, his uniform cap, and the loan of a book on navigation sufficient, awarded himself a master mariner’s ticket. And who could dispute his right?

Was he not the husband of the Queen and, as he styled himself, also her Prime Minister, So what was a mere captain of a schooner’s rank, in addition!

All set and ready, with John M.

Salmon self-appointed master. Rika (ever afterwards known as “Captain” Rikal as mate, one Turuea as supercargo, and four sailors and a cook, it was duly announced in the settlement church that the ship would mak* an early departure for the island of Mangaia, and passengers and cargo for that destination should get aboard without delay.

Passengers numbered 40 adults and 8 young children. Cargo was four ducks, twelve pigs and some ship’s stores. As usual with native deck passengers in the Islands, they took with them their own food for the trip, their sleeping mats and coverings.

Anticipating the usual couple of days for the short journey of 100 miles be tween the two islands, they had but a somewhat generous provision of taro, kumara, coconuts, and cooked fish wrap ped in leaves, sufficient for that time.

There was a plentiful supply of water aboard in casks.

ON Tuesday morning early, sail was set and off their ship went to the ac companiment of excited cheering from the beach crowd of joint owners. Full of pride and self-importance in his posi tion, responsibility and seamanship, the captain steered her N.E., to sail in majesty across the sea-face of Avarua District, that the envy of that people might be stirred. Mangaia lies to the S.E. of Rarotonga.

The expected two days, without sight of land, passed uneventfully. The ship’s discipline was firm. At nightfall, all hands gathered for religious service, including the man at the wheel. The wheel was firmly lashed in place for the night.

The service over, the entire ship’s company were ordered to bed, as on land, at 8 p m. No man of the crew might go on deck after that hour—the captain con sidered a watch at night superfluous—so that there should be no chance of moral laxity with female passengers. The law of the island was strict—loo Chile dollars fine if the woman were married (Section I). The captain’s rule was firm, that no scandal attach to his command.

Three days passed; no sight of Man gaia. Four days gone, still no signs.

Then said the captain, in response to enauiries: “T believe the sextant is not reliable. It does not read the same here as it did in Rarotonga. And I forgot to wind my watch the second night out, I was so busy. But, fear not. we shall get there. There Is one unfailing guide, the sea birds. Where there are birds there is land close by, and to it they fly each nightfall. We shall follow the birds, as Columbus did when he sought America.”

So, from then on, he followed the birds!

DAILY the air grew cooler; and, at the end of five days, the four ducks found final rest, nccnmnanied bv some rice from the ship’s stores. By the pnd of the second week, two of the nigs had followed them; and a further two, some days later.

Thev were two and a half weeks out, and the days had now grown perceptibly very cold to the Islanders. Food for the pigs was exhausted —eight remained, of which six belonged to the Queen. The captain refused absolutely to consider them as a possible future food supply.

The ship’s salt beef and rice were finished, and but a few tubers of taro and kumera remained amongst the passengers. Of the water, more than half was gone. It had been too liberally used through the first few days, when early arrival at Mangaia was anticipated.

The passengers became angry, and hard words passed, but no violence. The pigs were being kept alive by feeding to them the sleeping mats of pandanus leaf.

His mana gone. Captain Salmon was forced to turn the ship round and sail in a reverse direction. The birds had failed him.

Of the eight pigs left, rapidly slimming on the poor diet, two were available for food, but the six belonging to the Queen were not to be thought of, the captain said. He would, of course, be sorry if any one died; but how could he kill the pigs of his Queen ahd wife without her per mission; they were not his nor theirs.

During the week the two were killed and they, with equal small shares of the other food aboard, maintained life. Th? starving people began to mutter of a pos sible reversion to the “long pig” of their forefathers, with a mind on the captain.

But afraid, weak and tired, they lay about in seeming submission to fate, with true Polynesian apathy.

The fourth Sunday passed, and for the next three davs their only diet was the memory of their last meal and a few scanty drinks of sun-baked water. Matters looked hopeless. Two small taro tubers alone were left on the ship.

ON the morning of Friday, three weeks and four days from their departure life was stirred in the drooping figures, by a cry from the mast-head look out, “Tera te enua, tera te enua” (There is the land —there is the land).

The passengers sprang to the side, and eager eyes followed the direction of his pointing arm. There, far ofl ahead, emerg ing from the waters, was a mountain.

Now, like another party, of the name of Richard, the captain was himself again. His voice rang out with the note of a victor: “I told you I could get you to Mangaia. There it is. Now, who says I am not fit to be captain?”

Orders were given in a masterful way —until, fast drawing nearer, it began to dawn on all aboard that the local scen ery seemed familiar. A laugh went up as Maunga Roa and Raemaru mountains

were recognised.

They had arrived back from the south, after sailing to the north, at exactly the place they had left, three weeks and four days previously.

The day was Friday. By the afternoon.

all passengers had been put ashore at the manager, to make a bargain and con- Rutaki, the southern end of the Arorangi elude the sale.

District, while the ship made its way to Avarua, to tie up in .the harbour. There, Captain Salmon led ashore six stagger ing, framework pigs for his Queen and wife; nevermore to have faith in birds Great was the trouble when all had been learned from the miscarried pas sengers. Indignation meetings were held and, with a unanimous voice, John M.

Salmon was reduced in rank, no more to be entitled to the address of “captain”.

Now, what was to be done? No share holder was available and fit to command, and the engagement of one on wages was a thing not to be thought of. It was finally decided to sell the schooner to the Cook Islands Trading Company, and three of the co-operators (John Vairakau, Jack Imene and Willie Isaia) were ap pointed delegates to approach Mr. Sharpe,

npHESE worthies deserve a few words X to themselves. John Vairakau was the half-caste son of an American captain, and a woman of Hawaii. Arriving at early manhood, stirred by that “Viking of the Sunrise” blood inherited from his mother, he, like Ru Enua of Aitutaki, would journey and find himself a new homeland. Arriving at Rarotonga, he married Tapaerua, daughter of Isaia Papehia, a cousin of the Queen, and was invested with the title and lands of “Rangatira Matoi”—which rightfully be longed to an orphan infant son of a grand-daughter (named Matoi) of a pre vious Tinomana Rurutini, being daughter of that missionary Papehia who intro duced the Gospel to the island.

Willie Isaia was his brother-in-law, be ing a son of the same Isaia Papehia, the

local pastor. Willie was always energetic on his own behalf.

Jack Imene, of humble birth, was the Lepidus in the Triumvirate.

John Vairakau assumed duty as trea surer. Of the price received from the C.I.T. Co., which never was known gener ally, not one penny piece of the invest ment of £5 each ever came back to the share holders. John Vairakau soon after wards built himself a very fine house of dressed timber imported, and also im ported some good horses.

It was generally predicted that his death would soon ensue; and, strange to say, it did. The house still stands, a stranger to paint and repair, in a dilapidated condi tion. The title and lands renresent an unsettled dispute.

The C.I.T. Co. took the ship over. A man from Rurutu, Theodore Nagel (no relation to the Atiu Resident a gen ™ Nagel, who ended his own life) was en gaged as captain. Rika remained mate, and W. P. Browne became super-cargo.

Captain Nagel was the son of an Ameri can sea-captain.

The ship, now properly equipped, made a number of Islands trips. Then, as she was falling into bad condition, she was despatched to New Zealand for over haul and repair. She had been renamed the “Maungaroa” some time previously, in place of her former name, and as the “Maungaroa” she holds firm place in local memory.

About £l,OOO was expended in bringing her into first-class condition, and she made the return trip from New Zealand to Rarotonga in an unbroken record time (for a sailing craft) of seven days to sight of harbour. However, she was be calmed outside for two days, but dropped her anchor in Avarua harbour nine days out from Auckland—l,B6o miles.

After trading through the Islands for some time, it was decided to send her on another trip to Auckland.

Some interior impulse impelled Raki, the mate, and W. P. Browne, the super cargo, to resign. One Pakari, of Avarua, became mate, and the super-cargo’s place was taken by a young brother of Captain Nagel. The ship had been working the Islands for about five years when she left on this second trip to New Zealand. On the way she picked up some cargo at Niue, arriving safely at Auckland.

Loaded with return cargo for the Cook Islands, she sailed from Auckland some few days before the end of March, 1902 —to disappear from human ken. Nothing more was ever known of her fate.

The U.S.S. Co. “Hauroto” left some few days after her, and ran into a hurri cane of great violence. The captain of the steamer was of the opinion that if the “Maungaroa” met it, she could not possibly have lived through it. Her fate is recalled in a local chant, which some day may blossom into folklore. It begins: Tinomana Ariki e nga Mataiapo Kimi ia tetai ravenga Tarau ia ra Ngamaru ariki el Kimi i te pa’i tei ngaro Kare i roa atu a Maungaroa e Teia Kua tae mae nei.

Aue! Tura ia o Maungaroa e.

The translation is:— Royal Tinomana and the chiefs, Some plan discover, Hiring the (Atiu ship) Ngamaru Ariki, Go seek the ship that’s lost.

The Maungaroa not long away, This here has arrived.

Sorrow! The seeking of the Maungaroa.

Steamships Trading Co. Ltd., Papua, paid an ordinary and preference in terim, half-yearly dividend of 4 per cent, on May 1.