Argument- in Favour of Pre-Christian Asiatic Visits

ONE who follows all discussion relat ing to Pacific Islands’ migrations with keenest interest is Mr. A. J.

Vogan, 80-year-old writer and scientist, who now lives quietly in Sydney.

Mr. Vogan argues that certain in scriptions, etc., which he examined in Fiji a dozen years ago, are Asiatic in origin. He claims also that ships launched by the now extinct civilisa tions of South-western Asia came through the Pacific more than 2,000 years ago, and left their marks upon the sandstones of Eastern Australia.

Here is his argument;

fN the long ago, an old family friend, Sir John Lubbock, famous entomo logist and banker (Lord Avebury, later) used to say: “All civilisation orig inated in that part of Asia between the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.”

Since those days, archaeology, and numerous writers—H. D. Daunt, Elizabeth Goldsmith, W. N. Sullivan, and that won derful 17-page article on Persia in the Encyclopaedia Brittanica—have shown that what Western Europe gained from the Phoenicians of the Palestine portion of this “Centre of Asia Culture,” the NW Pacific coastal countries had supplied to

them in like matter; by the trading and exploring populations of this now almost forgotten source of the ancient expand ing civilisation, whose early days are lost in the mists of antiquity.

Professor Pietschmann, of Gottingen, explained to us how closely the Phoenici ans and the Persians were connected, and how their combined fleets were defeated by the Greeks 500 BC. So we can under stand what other writers tell us about these energetic, exploring, penetrating sailor-folk—how they had boats that could carry 500 persons; how they traded and “slaved” along the Indian coasts and down that of eastern Africa—where they picked up sailor-slaves who, being occa sionally wrecked upon the shores of Viti Levu, apparently left an interesting im press upon the natiye tongue of those lovely islands.

In 1885, I met Dr. Tenison Woods, Victorian Government geologist, who in troduced me to that interesting geological formation, known in eastern New South Wales as the Hawkesbury Sandstone. Here I first saw those mis named “native carvings,” which had evidently been inscribed with the aid of iron tools, which, of course, the abo rigines did not possess. Dr. Woods agreed with me that the engraved stones probably were the work of Asiatics who, passing that way, had been forced to remain, by ship-wreck, or for some other reason.

A RCHAEOLOGY is the hand-maid of J\ History, just as geology is help-meet of the field engineer; and, as I visited all parts of Australasia upon mining business, I found what I believe to be evidence that innumerable Asiatics in the past had visited these lands. But I never quite understood from what part of the great Asiatic Fatherland of ail civilisa tion they had come, until on the advice of the late Mrs. Routledge, the Easter Island authority, I spent some time in the Fiji group. I claimed that I had already traced the Mq-Oris of New Zea land, to Asia —to Northern India, in fact; and that authority upon Asian languages, Colonel R. G. Burton, had written to me on the subject of their language being derived from the ancient tongue, San scrit. Thus evidence once more pointed towards the same mysterious Centre of all beginnings of language, writing and cul ture. The Sepoys of India (properly "Sipihi,” or soldier) in fact spoke a half Ma-Ori tongue as recently as Mutiny time. On one occasion, at the Siege of Delhi, when a British officer had done some particularly brave act, his orderly Sepoy exclaimed, “Achcha, achcha Kia

kaha!”—which cry you can still hear in NZ on any football held.

The value of all such inquiries, ir which archaeology takes so prominent a part, lies in the facts that Mankind has derived its nature, apparently, from one central sphere; and that what has happened in the past will eventuate again and again in the future.

There was that vast conglomeration of active and powerfully intelligent nations —Media, Parthia, Assyria, Meso potamia, Syria, etc.—whose populations termed the great Empire of Persia, dom inating not only Asia, but the islands adjacent to that continent. And, to-day, it has no political significance—it is little more than a name to the peoples of the Western world. The warning is similar to that presented by the formerly great Indian empire, under Chandragupta, and the Empires of Egypt, Greece, Rome, France, etc.

Apparently, when a community is “ripe unto bearing,” and is under direction of a few of its ablest individuals, it rises into prominence, strength and ability.

But, when that selected guidance has de parted, and there is only mob-rule, that nation or empire goes onto the down grade; it becomes one of the world’s audience, instead of occupying a posi tion on the stage. 1 CLAIM that in Fiji I found archaeo logical evidence that wandering Asiatics reached right across the Pacific. At Woy Woy, over 20 miles north of Sydney, is a carving of nine hares, en graved on a rock opposite the railway station. This must have been executed hundreds of years ago by sun-worshippers, for hares were not introduced into Aus tralia until about 1832. Our “Man-in the Moon,” is termed the “hare” by sun worshippers; and is sacred to maternity, as the moon’s period is the same.

This scientifically valuable piece of ancient carving should be preserved. But our Shire Councils, all too accurately, represent our present public, and the majority of folk care little, or nothing, about such matters —although their im mediate ancestors, who made the country, were supporters of all branches of scientific’ research.

The Woy Woy hares, and the archae logical evidence at the Yasawas (Fiji) show a connection, I think, as both were made by sun-worshippers from Asia.

Many of our coastal carvings, and some of those on the various Islands between Papua and Fiji, show an affinity to those of the Persian Gulf, and right along to Indo-China.

As has been shown long since, the first gold obtained in Papua was won by Asiatics, some 1,500 years ago, when the great Persian community-of-nations was reaching forth its inquisitive tentacles of trade and treasure-seeking over the Pacific —just as its western (Phoenician) representatives were introducing those “stepping-stones to culture,” iron, a writ ten-language, music, and picture-making, to ignorant Europe.

Mr. and Mrs. S. S. Boye of Vanikoro,] Santa Cruz Group, BSI reached home after leave in Australia, in March, 1947.

Although Vanikoro is nearer than Rabaul' to Australia, it took the Boves many? months travelling to get their holiday.!

The forward journey was made via Fiji; I the return trip was by steamer to the New Hebrides where, after a wait of six': weeks, they were picked up by Mr. F. L.

Jones of Vanikoro in his boat. Mr. Boye is manager of the Kauri Timber Co. Pty., Ltd., which has an extensive establish- ; merit on the island. The Boyes stayed on Vanikoro during the Pacific war when Mrs. Boye maintained radio contact with Allied headquarters. For her services she* was decorated.