Rabaul, 68 Years Ago

By F. T. Goedicke Van Asten

When I arrived in New Britain In 1884, by S.M.S. Albatross, (Com mander Count von Baudisin) as an assistant to Mr. von Ortzen the Imperial German Commissioner for the Bismarck Archipelago, there were only 18 Europeans and 7 Samoan half-castes in the whole of New Britain and New Ireland.

In Mioko, in the Duke of York group, there was the German firm DHPG, with a manager, a clerk, a captain and an elderly man who was carpenter, boatbuilder and yardsman.

In the Duke of York islands there was Rev. Dr. George Brown.

On the Gazelle Peninsula, starting from the coast of the St.

George Channel, were three stations —Mouten, a Belgian; Dupre, a Frenchman and Behrens, a Ger man. All three had been members of the ill-fated “Marquis de Ray” expedition.

A few miles further on was Ralum, a trading station run by

Mrs. Farrell, formerly Mrs. For sayth, nee Emma Coe; she was called “Queen Emma’’ many years later, when she married Captain Kolbe.

When Farrell left New Britain to live m Sydney, Emma sent for her three sisters, Emy, Lily and Essy and her two brothers, Jerry and William. She also sent for Mr.

Richard Parkinson (who was married to her sister Phoebe) to be her manager. It was Parkinson (the writer of “Thirty Years in the South Seas”) who laid the founda tion of Emma’s wealth. He bought hundreds of acres of land from the natives for a mere song and planted coconuts, cotton, broom corn.

There was no trading station, nor any elaborate bungalow at Ralum at that time; but Emma and her family held open house for every visitor. They were enter tained by Emma’s sisters, fa’a Samoa dances, songs and the making of Kava.

Close to Ralum was Tobeliro, and a mile further on was Raluana where Rev. Rickards and his wife resided. Further on was Kinigunan, station kept by Mr. Robson; and in Matupi was the firm of Herscheim and Co.—with a manager, a clerk, a captain and a yardsman.

Beyond the Mother and Daughter volcanoes was Fatavul, where Bruno Rau kept a station, A few miles further was Kabakuda, and Charley Cook, one time proprietor of the International Hotel in Apia, Samoa.

Close by was the Catholic Mission, presided over by Father Gramalge.

In Kabaira, the German Firm’s best station was closed, as just prior to my arrival, Rob. Foelme had been killed by the natives of Kabaira.

There were no Europeans in New Ireland in 1884-1885. There had been a Tongan halfcaste, Jerry Nolans, trading in Nusa, New Han over for a Captain Levinson.

Nolans killed Captain Levinson. A German warship took Nolans to Nukualofa and handed him over to the Tonga Government, which exiled him to Nomuka-Eiki, a small island in Haapai.

The British Consul in Tonga made inquiries and found that the killing of Captain Levinson had been an accident, in self defence, and that the blame rested with Captain Levinson. The Tonga.

Government then released Nolans, who went to Nukualofa and became a first-class carpenter. It was Nolans who built the first hotel in the Tongan Islands, on the recom mendation of Mr. Charley Baker.

Premier of Tonga. It was a large two-storey house, and was a white elephant from the day it was built

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until it was torn down.

If I was 68 years younger I should like to take a trip to New Britain, and see all the changes made in those 68 years.

At that time there was no cash in circulation among the natives only Diwara, a shell-money. The natives of New Britain were still cannibals and had no use for kero sene, matches, salmon, corn beef, biscuits, sugar or drapery. The principal articles they required were twist tobacco, clay pipes, small mirrors, jews-harps, knives and axes.

Emma Farrell’s brothers and sisters were all the children of Jonas M. Coe, American Consul in Apia, but by different mothers.

Parkinson told me that Coe had been a great “Faith Healer” and believer in Brigham Young, the Mormon. I lived at that time at Tobeliro, next to Parkinson and Emma Farrell, and I was almost a daily visitor, playing cards for twist tobacco with the Coe family.