He Who “Crawls Ashore

From The Sea"

By A. C. Rowland

WHEN the Tahitians, in the year 1767, greeted the first tourist ship with a shower of stones they bestowed a descriptive name on the passengers which was prophectic.

This name, “Papaa,” which, in various dialect forms, has become the designation for members of the white race through out the South Pacific, means literally “crabs —crawling ashore from the sea.”

This, to us, is clearly more poetic and descriptive than is the? Chinese term.

“Hairy Foreign Devil.”

Moreover, “Papaa” is not a term of abuse, but a classification after the manner of our use of the word “crus tacean.”

There are many sub-varieties—for example, the Aveu, which climbs coconut trees and cracks the nuts with its pre datory claw; the Tupa, which burrows about the roots of coconut trees, and re quires cyanide gas to clear it out; the U’a, which destroys the Maava and takes up its abode in the victim’s shell; and those which haunt water-front offal heaps.

Notwithstanding this classification, the white man actually achieved considerable prestige in the South Pacific, which en dured long after the publication of the Darwinian theory had shattered European pre-eminence beyond all hope of salvage, in the several countries of the Orient.

The scientists had neglected to trans late Darwin into the languages of Poly nesia.

The tourists, and knowledge of Barbary Ape ancestor, came to the South Sea Islands at the same period.

The modern Tahitian, when he holds in esteem an European because of his personal qualities, addresses him as “Popaa”—which means precisely nothing.

The Polynesian has no equivalent of the Malay “Tuan” or the Hindu “Sahib.”

By using the pronunciation “Popaa,” the Tahitian is merely disguising the fact that his European friend is just another crab that has crawled ashore, over the barrier reef, from the sea.

News of the death of Mr. Albert Hill in Sydney in April was received with regret by his many friends in Fiji. He was born on the island of Rabi (now taken over by the Ocean Islanders) 75 years ago, and was the fourth son of the late Captain John Hill. Until his retire ment 15 years ago, he was on the staff of the CSR Co., mostly at Labasa. He is survived by a wife, one son, and two daughters—Arthur, of the CSR Co., Ba; Nell, wife of A. R. Rourke, manager of the CSR* Co., Ba; and Gwen, wife of T.

Alley, of 1 the CSR Co. In Queensland.

Mr. C. B. Hill, of Labasa, and Mr. G. D.

Hill, of Suva, are brothers.