On Ra'iatea 40 Years Ago
p. 20 · Read in the full issue
Prom Our Own Correspondent
Papeete, Oct. 27.
THE most authoritative and, in our opinion, the most charming book on Polynesian life, was published in 1902. The title of the book is “Ra’iatea la Sacree”; its author, M. Paul Huguenin.
Monsieur Huguenin—during the closing year of the past century—was Director of Schools in the Leeward Group of the Society Archipelago. He was, likewise, a most talented artist. Reproductions, in colour of many of his paintings of the islands add charm and value to the volume.
Moreover, M. Huguenin, was learned in the native language. This knowledge makes his book unique in that it is the only South Sea Island volume of recent authorship, in which words and phrases, in the Tahitian tongue, are properly used and accurately translated.
M. Huguenin—a true and sympathetic observer— does not embellish his tale with fairy stories born in his own imagi nation, With his pen and brush, he has given us a fascinating picture of an un spoiled Polynesian island, as it actually was at the beginning of this century.
Shortly after the publication of M.
Huguenin’s book, the writer passed several months on Ra’iatea where he met the people and observed the quaint, simple island life, so charmingly de«cribed in this volume.
“Ra’iatea La Sacree” was issued in a very limited edition. Consequently, few examples are available, outside of the major public libraries.
This has enabled certain latter-day writers of South Sea tales to help them selves liberally from M. Huguenin’s work, without troubling to mention whence their material has come.
One United States author, whose book was long regarded as the most authora tive volume on South Sea life, has lifted a whole chapter from “Ra’iatea La Sac ree,” translated it word for word into English, and has passed it as of his own authorship.
Progress has not overlooked Ra’iatea.
We are told that the island has all the gadgets and is now quite as modern as Papeete. We have never voyaged thither to verify these reports. We wish, rather, to remember the Ra’iatea we knew forty years ago.