Happy Days Again In French

Oceania

Raiatea is Joyous Without the Aid of Alcohol

Papeete, July 11.

rE recent Raiatea festival at Papeete is the most heartening indication this writer has seen in years, of the wisdom of the French policy of closing Polynesian islands against visitor settlement from abroad.

Left to themselves, Polynesians turn naturally to the healthy, communal social life (followed by their forebears during more than a century), centred in the district church and community meetinghouses.

The rigid exclusion of any form of alcoholic beverage from this Raiatea occasion, has proven to the Polynesians themselves, and to everyone else, that a week-long festival on Tahiti need not follow the pattern of clowndom and the honky-tonk, in order to be animated and joyous.

Raiatea Nui (The Sacred Isle) from time immemorial the centre of Polynesia and, now, the centre of the Leeward Group of the Society Archipelago, has colonies of its sons and daughters in many islands about the Pacific.

The largest of these colonies is on Tahiti. There are several such colonies in and about Papeete—from Rurutu and Rimatara, of the Austral Archipelago; from the Cook Islands; from the Tuamotu atolls. The religious and social centre of each of these communities is the Fareputunutaraa, or chapel meeting-house, which—although subordinate to the main Protestant Church of the district—is the property of the Colony, and is presided over by a deacon from among their own congregation S__ T .. „. . , OME years ago the Raiatea Colony resolved to erect a new Fareputuputuraa to the glory of God and to the memory of that venerated and beloved patriarch and aristocrat, Punuarii Taie, who had been father and counsellor of the community for nearly 40 years.

The whole of the Leeward Group of the Society Islands have combined their resources in the erection of this edifice, The achievement of this labour of love —the devotion of sound workmanship on fine and lasting materials—is a well-pro-

portioned, solid building; the most impos mg of its kind in all Polynesia. The building—6o feet long by 30 in width — is constructed of solid masonry, overlaid with cement. The woodwork is of inn perishable iron-wood, and of red-wood seasoned for over 80 years in the old Martigny mansion—recently demolished, Set in stone-work over the main door way is the name “Galilea,” ornamented with a grape-vine—its fruit and leaves accurate in every detail—all fashioned from mother-of-pearl-shell; as fine an example of native craftsmanship this writer has seen in the Islands, One should explain that all church buildings in Oceania have Biblical names, “Galilea” (Galilee) has been that adopted by the Raiatea colony with the erection of its first meeting-house, nearly 40 years ago.

Those who could remember the earlier years of “Galilea”—(as they viewed the handsome edifice, witnessed the stately ceremony of dedication, and listened to the joyous festival of old Tahitian “himene” by massed choirs, which con tinued until the dawn of the following day), felt sad regret that the venerable Punuarii Taie and his gracious lady— who. with him. had been beloved guide, teacher and cherished friend to all of Raiatea—Teriitauatea-i-Faaaha, were not there to witness this flowering of years of devoted service, . , , dedication took place on June 30, A ln , the , presence of the Governor (Colonel Orselli), Monsieur Poroi (Mayor of Papeete) and an assembly of more than 4.000 from every island of the Society Archipelago.

During the week which followed, the festival was not confined to Papeete. One night, the assembly were at Outu Aiai (hallowed by memories of the great Henry Nott), the guests of the Arue Dis trict; the following night, at Pirae; then, at Papara and at Punaauia.

The occasion was the largest, most representative festival—conducted accord ing to the finest traditions of ancient custom—seen in these islands since very many years.