Lost Century

When Tonga Built

Great Canoes

Interesting Link With Lost Century

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Nukualofa, Jan. 6.

AMONG old used papers in the registry of the Supreme Court, Nukualofa, ready for the fire, was found an interesting link with the picturesque period when Tongan adventurers, under the great Tongan warrior-chief, Henele Ma’afu, plundered and almost conquered the whole of Fiji. It was a copy of an old will, made some thirty years ago.

The will, dated June 12, 1918, is in Tongan, and this is a literal translation: “This is the will of Telusila Gauamo, widow of Manase Gauamo, domiciled in Nukualofa, Togatabu. 1 make this will concerning my piece of land in Fiji, known as Nalovo, on the main land of Cakaudrove. It is my desire to bequeath this land. ... I got this land from Tui Cakau Ratu Goleanavanua. My husband, Manase Gauamo, and I, were given this land as reward for the building of the vessel Ramarama. . . , The Fijian Chief Roko Tui Ratu Rabici is occupying and cultivating this land without my per mission. ...”

Manase Gauamo, the husband of the woman who made the will, was a skilful Tongan canoe-builder who, with a num ber of Tongans, built for Tui Cakau a big double-canoe called the Ramarama, whose keel was laid at Somosomo, Fiji, in 1873. Apparently it was for this ser vice that a piece of land at Cakaudrove was given by Tui Cakau to Manase Gauamo, as mentioned in the will.

The Ramarama is said to have been 99 feet long, and carried a crew of 50.

On one journey, between xaviuni and Bau, she accommodated an additional 200 warriors.

It took five years to build the Rama rama, and she was later given by Tui Cakau to Cakobau. She made three voy ages to Tonga, from Fiji, before she was finally broken up at Somosomo. Her masthead, and several of her steer oars (which are 34 feet in length) are in the Suva Museum.

The Tongans were expert builders of big ocean-going double-canoes; but, ow ing to lack of good, hard, buuuing woods in Tonga, woods had to be brought from Fiji; and, often Tongans had to go and build their canoes in Fiji, which is rich in the Vesi, an excellent hardwood for canoe building. These canoes were con structed of planks, sewn together with coconut sennet; the lower part of the hulls generally carved from a single tree.

In these great ocean-going, double canoes Tongans made voyages to Fiji, Samoa, Uvea, Kotuma, Futuna and other far-distant Island groups of the Pacific.

Traces of these voyages may be seen to day in Tongan colonies, like the inhabi tants of Lua Niua in the Solomons, des cendants of those early, daring Tongan voyagers, scattered throughout the Pacific.

When King George Tubou I, of Tonga ?oi? a v isit .to King Cakobau, of Fiji, in 18bo, he sailed with his warriors in a fleet of 30 big double-canoes, and, after participating in the attack and capture of the great fortress of Kaba, returned safely to Tonga with the whole of his fleet.

Rev. G. H. D. Voss, who is on extended leave in Australia from the Melanesian Mission station on the south coast of New Britain, TNG, has been appointed acting-rector of Holy Trinity, Ingham, Queensland.