Is Chilean

Why Easter Is.

Interesting Story of Tahitian Pastoral Enterprise

By A. C. Rowland

DURING the seventh and eighth de cades of the last century, the ships of John Brander voyaged back and forth between Tahiti and Valparaiso, laying their course to raise the mountain tops of Faster Island over the horizon, as landmarks for the navigating officers.

Easter Island was then a no-man’s land. It had, indeed, been visited and claimed by explorers from many countries; first for Holland by its veritable dis coverer, Roggeveen, in 1722; then, 48 years later, for Spain; At that period “the paramount aim of the Spanish Government was to exclude every foreign power from acquiring a foothold at any point in or adjacent to those wide-spread dominions of His Catholic Majesty collectively known as the ‘lndies’. It was this policy that sup plied the motive for the despatch, in 1770, of the ship-of-war ‘San Lorenzo’ commanded by Dbn Felipe Gonzalez, and the frigate ‘Santa Rosalia’, commanded by Don Antonio Domonte, to search out and annex Easter Island”.

The expedition landed. No foreigners were found there. “The Islanders pro claimed our Sovereign as their own. Three crosses were erected on a lofty hill”— “which (the report adds) the natives were seen to pull down the very next day.”

Captain Cook called there in 1774 and La Ferouse in 1786. Both, undoubtedly, claimed the island for their respective countries. These were followed by other navigators.

All that these explorers found, however, was a rather bleak country-side, studded over with massive stone' terraces sup porting hundreds of stone images etern ally staring inland and, apparently, keep ing watch and ward over some central sacred object which had long since dis appeared. This was very interesting—and was destined to stir up scientists of a later age into frenzies of speculative theories, but to practical navigators it offered no prospect of material gains, either in treasure or commerce. Moreover the natives descended from an expedi tion led by a doughty old Polynesian warrior named Hotu Matua, who landed on Easter sometime in the 14th century— were truculent and hostile.

In consequence, the island was left to its own inhabitants, who amused them selves merrily with internecine warfare, that culminated in the throwing down of all the stone images they could move, until (about 1864) missionaries of the Roman Catholic Church landed there.

Sometime in the 1870 decade, John Brander, of Tahiti, conceived the idea of establishing a cattle and sheep ranch on Easter Island. A co-partnership was formed that included the Roman Catholic Mission, a French resident of Papeete, and John Brander. Cattle and sheep were transported to Easter and the Frenchman went there as resident man ager. This individual soon goaded the natives to fury by his autocratic and slave-driving methods, and they rose against him and slew him.

Later on, John Brander Junior—his father having died—bought the interest of his mother and went to Easter as dir ector of the enterprise.

All went smoothly between the Church interests and the Branders; but the widow of the murdered Frenchman was the fly in the ointment —a very rest

less and contentious fly indeed. On that account it was decided to dispose of the property; and negotiations towards that end were undertaken with a Chilean firm at Valparaiso.

By happy fortune the Chilean gun boat “Abtao” appeared at Papeete at that very time. Her commander, Captain Toro, courteously offered to take Mr.

Arthur Brander, as his guest, to Easter Island, where he could consult with his brother and then proceed to Valparaiso.

ON the voyage, it occurred to someone that, inasmuch as the property in terests were about to pass into Chilean hands, it would be expedient to place the island under the sovereignty of Chile. Mr. John Brander Junior —being the son of a Scotsman —had kept the British flag hoisted over his station dur ing the period of his residence —without, however, having taken formal possession in the name of Her Majesty. He could, therefore, offer no objection when Cap tain Toro landed and proclaimed the is land a part of the Chilean Republic.

Messrs. Arthur and John Brander were passengers on the “Abtao” to Val paraiso, where the Easter Island interests were taken over by the Chilean com pany, who subsequently disposed of them to Messrs. Balfour, Anderson and Com pany—a Scottish company at Valparaiso.

The Roman Catholic Mission and the

Branders were in harmonious accord in all matters concerning the liquidation of the co-partnership. The widow of the Frenchman was still the fly in the oint ment. Ten years of litigation were neces sary before the end of the matter was achieved.

Mr. Alan Ritchie, of the AWA staff at Rabaul, TNG, is at present in Australia undergoing treatment to his nose which was injured in a motor accident in New Guinea recently.

Archdeacon Gill, of the New Guinea Mission at Mamba, Papua, arrived in Sydney recently on furlough. He has visited Tasmania and Victoria and ex pects to be in Australia for some months.

Archdeacon Gill went to Papua from England more than 30 years ago as a pioneer of the Anglican Church; he is a practical carpenter, and has taught many natives a useful knowledge of building and furniture making.