Palynesia

The Salmon Family Of

History Puzzle is Solved

Letter to the Editor I AM indebted to my friend, Mr. W. W.

Bolton, of Papeete, for some infor mation he gathered from Mr. Arthur Brander, a nephew of the late Queen Marau, in connection with recent inquiries in your journal concerning the relation ship, if any, that existed between Alexander Salmon, the Anglo-Jewish founder of that family in Tahiti, and J.

M. Salmon, the husband of Tinomana, of Arorangi, Rarotonga.

This is a matter that has intrigued students of the Pacific for some time. Ac cording to Mr. Arthur Brander (who, of course, is Alexander Salmon’s grandson) the suspected relationship is quite de finitely established.

Mr. Bolton writes:—“Marau always spoke of her father (Alexander Salmon)

and his brother as the sons of an Eng hsh banker - Alexander and his brother left England as young men, and arrived eventually in California. Alexander headed on west, to Tahiti. His story is now known. (He married Arii-taimai. the high chieftainess of Papara, head of the Teva clan, and foster-sister to Queen Pomare IV.) “Alexander’s brother remained in Cali fornia, married, and had issue. Two of his sons, their education finished, were sent to join their uncle, Alexander Sal mon, in Tahiti. They arrived when Arthur Brander and his brothers were at school in Scotland. When Arthur Brander returned home, John M. Salmon had already left for Rarotonga, but his brother, William Salmon, remained, lived, and died in Tahiti, and was well known to his second cousin, Arthur Brander, throughout his life, “John Salmon, of Rarotonga, was therefore first cousin to Marau and the latter’s brother Tati (II) of Papara. If John Salmon returned to Tahiti, it must

have been during the long absences of Arthur Brander in other lands; it is not at all unlikely, though Mr. Brander can not recall it as a fact.”

We are grateful to Mr. Bolton for ob taining this information first-hand from Mr. Brander, now one of the few re maining sources who have knowledge of that colourful period in Tahitian history.

I am, etc.,

Eric Ramsden.

Pacific Islands Society, Box 2434 MM, G.P.0., Sydney. 30/4/194L The Rarotonga Child Welfare Asso ciation, which has done such excellent work under the direction of Dr. and Mrs.

E. P. Ellison, has now launched out with a new club-house. An unused house on the waterfront has been rented for the purpose and necessary repairs are being carried out. “Te Aroa Club” is to be chiefly a meeting place for young mem bers of the Association, where they will learn and practise nursing and other

womanly accomplishments—undoubtedly

including gossiping.

Rev. W. T. and Mrs. Taylor, who were well-known at Boianai, Papua, as workers for the New Guinea Mission, have re signed owing to ill-health. They are now in Adelaide.