“Turoua” Will Return
p. 50 · Read in the full issue
If N. Zealand Officialdom Permits
From Our Correspondent in Mangaia, Cook Is.
NEARLY 70 years ago, when this island of Mangaia had no Resident Agent and Mr. C. F. Procter, an old-time trader, officiated as Postmaster, the Rev.
C. Harris was stationed here as local minister for the LMS —the change to all native pastors had not then been made by the London Missionary Society.
The Rev. Mr. Harris did yeoman service in civilising and educating the islanders in that far-off day; one of his children, born upon the island, was given the name of “Turoua,” after the Governor of Tava enga district, by whom the white child was adopted, under native custom, as an “in goa” or name-child. This confers upon the adoptee Polynesian rights.
“Toroua-iti,” or Mr. F. W. Harris of the Bank of England to-day, is about to re tire and desires to revisit, and possibly settle on, the island where he was born.
Connections with the Royal and other chiefly native families continue, although the persons-who knew the white “name child” and his missionary father have all passed on.
But Mr. Harris has not found it possible to obtain from NZ officialdom accurate information re passage from England to the Cl, let alone permission to reside there. The subject of the Pacific Islands appears to be taboo-ed by NZ House.
Although Mr. Harris is independent, and had intended to purchase a yacht and sail on his own initiative to the South Seas, with members of his grown-up family, officialdom declines even to dis cuss the possibilities.
An interesting point of right is raised by the fact that Mr. Harris has a seventy years-old “stake” in Mangaia Island, where his arrival would be greeted with enthusiasm by the native aristocracy with whom he is connected, and who receive gifts from him from time to time.
The adoption of white children by Man gaian families is taken quite seriously, and Mr. Harris would certainly be permitted to hold land if he settled here —it is. in fact, next to marriage with a Mangaian the only way in which a non-islander can do so.
With fourteen thousand miles of ocean, plus an intransigent officialdom, between “Turoua” and his island, it would appear that Mr. Harris’s only recourse is to buy his yacht and set sail; for if he awaits the smoothing of his path by depart mental clerks in London he is likely to be kept waiting a very long time.