a Row-Boat

The Story of Three Boys and a Row-Boat

As Told To Langofufu

One day in October, 1951, three Polynesian lads were cast up on the ocean reef at the southern end of Funafuti in the Ellice Islands. The eldest was 18 and the youngest 15.

They had travelled nearly 700 miles in six weeks—from Swains Is. (or Olosenga).

Swains, geographically, comes at the edge of the Tokelau Group and, with it, was administered until 1925 as part of the Gilbert nd Ellice Is.

Colony. But in that year, Swains was annexed by the US (and ad ministered from America Samoa) and the rest of the Tokelau Group was transferred to the administra tion of New Zealand and came under the supervision of the Western Samoa Administrator. A year or so ago, the Tokelaus became NZ Terri tory.

Even more so than with Euro pean youth, the Polynesian youngster falls victim of wanderlust and when bitten by the idea of run ning away to sea, very often carries it out. Too bad that Eli should lose his new row-boat, but this is the story of the adventure seen through the eyes of one of the adventurers.

It is told in his own words and if any Papua-New Guinea reader should imagine that this is a type

of Polynesian Pidgin we hasten to assure him that it is nothing of the sort. Pidgin English is something reserved exclusively for the Slave and-Master territories of Melanesia.

In the rest of the Pacific they speak in the vernacular or in English.

You may call this English QUAINT, if you wish; hut you must NOT call it Pidgin.

YOU know my old man, Vakai?

He got tatoo Samoa style.

Vakai, he born in Tokelau and he come Funafuti, oh, long time before and he marriage my mother.

Vakai, he Olosenga man in Tokelau.

One time when me just a kid the war come. Plenty American come Funafuti: many ship. Oh, too many aeroplane. Then my friend, he American officer, he say, “Sammy, you like come for trip?” I tell my friend, he my very good friend, I say, “Okay.” My old man Vakai, you know him, eh? he tell me I go All mens get on big ship. We say Tofa!” all Funafuti girl. My friend, he tell me ship name YMS but I no care, for she go very fast. More faster than trade ship.

Few day all finish we see island I remember what my old man say.

Vakai, he say, “Good thing you go

see my island.” I see that place now.

Ship go very close.

I say my friend: “W hat place this?”

My friend,, he say: “Oh, this Olosenga” —so I know I see my father island.

All canoe come out ship. Oh, plenty girl. I tell one man in canoe, “W hat name you?” and he speak he my uncle.

I stay Olosenga.

Ship go away, maybe Samoa.

I stay Olosenga long time.

You know Poni, Aokuso? Those boy my friend.

One time Poni say: “Samu, what you think we go Samoa, eh?”

But I say, “Poni, you plurry fool, we no got boat.”

Aokuso, he say

he want go Atafu see his family, but we no hear. Atafu, no good, too small, more better we go big place Samoa.

Poni say, “We wait. Maybe ship come sometime.” Plenty mens go Samoa. I like to see Samoa girl.”

You know Tokelau custom? You never see Tokelau? I tell you: Church finish Sunday all peoples sit in big house all same Funafuti maneapa. Boss-man, he speak, he tell peoples what work for this week. Poni, me, Aokuso, we hide in cookhouse. We no want work.

Tokelau no good, too much work all time. All day make taro, go fish, fix house, go store with copra—too much all time.

Poni say, “You know boat belong Eli?”

Eli boat very small. Who Eli? Oh, I tell you. Eli man in store. Plenty money. That time Governor come from Samoa, Eli shake him hand, tell him all about Olosenga. Last week Eli make new boat for fish.

Maybe two fathom long and little bit.

I tell Poni: “You know way Samoa?”

Poni, he say: “You bet.”

Aokuso, he say he want see Atafu.

We tell Aokuso we go Atafu all same, but we make him fool, see?

Eli boat on beach. All peoples in big house and boss man he talk, talk all time. No peoples see.

Aokuso, he just a kid, he get plenty coconuts—maybe 30, eh? Poni, he very clever, he take tarpaulin but him old man no see. I look oar— I see under Eli -store. Then I lucky, I see pin for oar. Aokuso too slow get coconuts. I think peoples finish talk in big house come see but no peoples come. We go that time.

LITTLE time rain come and Olosenga all gone. Aokuso, he cry, say he want go back but too late now. Me, Poni, we pull oar all night. Too much work. We go sleep but no good because some water in boat, eh?

You know like two seats in boat?

I make bed with rope—I tie from one seat other seat many times with rope—l make good bed. Aokuso, he cry all time. Plenty wave come.

Ram come all time, oh, too cold sometime.

Poni, he say: “We see Samoa to morrow.”

Aokuso, he say: “We no go Atafu?”

Poni, he say: “You just a kid. Me captain this boat.”

I speak Poni he no good be cap tain; he stay all time Olosenga, never see other island. Me, I go for trip on big ship from Funafuti.

Me, I know all about make big ship go. Poni want fight.

You know big shark? Shark plenty time. More big than shark you see Funafuti. He go round boat, he never stop. I very fright

Samu, who told the story.

all time. One time shark make boat shake Poni, he say shark turn boat over get big feed Y Aokuso cry all time I get mad, I speak Aokuso he shut his mouth. If no shut mouth shark get him for feed.

Aokuso stop make cry.

Oh, long time! Me, Poni, too much tire pull oar. Coconuts all finish up. When rain come we catch in tarpaulin. I think Poni plenty brain bring tarpaulin. No tarpaulin I think we die for thirsty.

Me, I want feed all time.

One time I see turtle on sea. Poni, he say. “That not turtle, that other thing.” Aokuso, he no see, he sleep like he dead. Wave make thing come close. I think it man in sea. I tell Poni we pull oar go look. Oh, boat too much heavy.

We see man in sea. He black, what you say? he brown all same me. He no clothes. He lie in sea like he sleep on belly. Hair? What s^mi^t ar \n a sam^^aii’ t^oni 11 ][^

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he fall off ship, but we no see ship before that time. I think he not too dead. Maybe dead little time.

Aokuso, he no good. Sleep all time. All same Poni. Me, I think I sleep plenty. All time I think feed. I wish I stay Olosenga eat

taro, fish. Eli, he got many foods his store. All time I see foods.

Poni, he say he thinks Samoa go past, maybe America come. Aokuso, oh, he cry all time all same kid.

I get plenty mad, but too much tire make Aokuso shut mouth. /"\H, long time! Plenty day finish, mav be plenty week One time j wake j see island. I tell Poni, “Hey Poni you see Island?” but Poni ’ he say , “What for you wake me up 9 No island you all same ma d ” j think maybe I make big mistake but I keep look. Rain come an d i think no island, but big cloud a n bi a ck. Rain all finish, sun come ve ry hot. i see white cloud up in sky but he not white, he like green. My old man, he tell me before, “When peoples go for trip in canoe they S ee cloud like green they know P underneath -” ...

gr Uf

Say: “ H ° W j tell Poni wha t my old man say and Poni he sav ‘Wour old man all

?ight ”

Poni, he tell me he see tree, coconuts tree. I see him. Aokuso make look, he say, “Atafu”; but Poni, he say, “Samoa.”

All time that day island come big.

I try pull oar but boat too much heavy. I think island go past when night come but we lucky. Plenty big wave and much wind, Aokuso, he cry, he say we get killed when boat smash up on reef but he kid, know nothing, Then big bang. Boat smash on reef, all board in bottom all bust, Wave come all time. I think maybe Aokuso gone for good. I no see that boy.

Then Poni, he yell out, he say: “We swim for beach.”

I see Aokuso and he long way to beach. So we get on beach, I think I see this place before. I speak Poni we come Funafuti, Then kid come, maybe four five kid. One kid say, “Where you come?” He speak little bit funny, different Tokelau, but we know what he say.

T WP rnrnP what place this? Kid all say this’Funa -1 knOW 1 C °™ baCk thiS Then many peoples come. All make £alk all , Aokuso ’ hf sa y hun S r y for feed > we g° village with peoples. Peoples say: “We go big village, Fongafale, to morrow, eh?”

So we get in Funafuti boat. All day we go on lagoon, then we see

big vma ge. s ° me peoples, he say: •Oh, you ( Samu. We know, you I tell one man, “How my old man?” and peoples say: “Oh, he He very surprise see Then Aokuso, he say he got family Funafuti and peoples sly: “Who your family?”

Aokuso, he say, Tafata sister his uncle, and peoples say she okay. too.

Peoples say; “Poni, you got family this place. Funafuti?” .and Poni say he no know. Then he find his ' family but he think family because of marriage long time before but no sure. So we all find family Funafuti, and all peoples make big feast, eh?

MAN come, he policeman he sav: “Commissioner want sneak vou boy?’ P Y I verv' fright hut wp ™ p n m missioner office* You see big house like that, all same two houses, one on top.

Commissioner sit in ton hnnsp He say "When you come Olosenea what place' voueo’’’ uiosenga Aokuso, he say we go Atafu Poni he say we go Samoa Me I sav we steer F?nafuti s?e my old man. J one°boat SS three cantata Hp U 3- : one ooar, mree captain. He say.

“When you boys leave Olosenga?”

Then he look at book, he say, “More I think" long time, eh? Commissioner put hand on big paper, he say hundred mile. Oh, He give me letter tell me take letter doctorfor sel okav no S I look e ipr I Lv Doctor Samoa man \ tel? hfm ■' h at th “ word c’astawlv ComwritP?” castaway Com- Doctor make laugh- “Oh castawav all samp wash nn in sen no know S? - P ° T w i iat place he IS ' 1 think Commissioner know I lie that time I speak I steer boat for Funafuti.

Funafuti good place, but I want go see plenty other island. Poni, he s P. eak me he stop Funafuti, he get girl. You know Sepola? She Pretty gh-l, eh? Aokuso stop Funafutl ’ h e just a kid. Me, I want go see plenty other island. r LP 1 ' . E - Beebe, Director of Education in New Zealand, visited ■. Samoa, . duiing September- October to study educational pronrFnLr^o 0 ° fficially opened, on Octobei 2, the new Samoa College, which actually has been in use since February.