A Tribute To Mautake

‘He Grimble’S Friend’

By Mary Farrell

•fT'UREITTS Gran is in that book, l\. madam. He Grimble’s friend, so he tell story about Gran.

He help Grimble when there was plenty trouble here. He shame men that come to kill him.”

Our cook-boy, an old King George the Fifth School boy, is an intelligent lad who had his hopes of becoming a native Scribe nipped in the bud when the Japanese in

vaded Tarawa. He has knowled of our language and is interested what we read.

“Mautake, he Chief all that Head Man of villages Tarawa lagoon, when Grimble w here for Government. But Grinu go away some time. Then the villa people here on Betio want to fig about land. Not listen to Gover ment. Gran’s father tell lies, ma

Ilenty trouble. Gran patrol plenty lays all islands round here.”

A sweep of his arm had encircled he lagoon. “Lagoon,” to me, always eems somewhat of a misnomer, leldom are its waters calm —crossig it in uncomfortable little lunches, can be a two hours’ rdeal. The surrounding islands re but dark palm green smudges, jparated from the intense blue aters by a glistening line of silver md. Indeed a large territory for le man to cover!

“And many men say they kill im; friend of white man. They ant to take land from other llage. But he say ‘No’. He say rait for Grimble’ all the time, sople get very angry. Say they me kill him he not stop Patrol r Government.”

“Kureiti’s Gran, he brave man. e go sleep in Maneaba, all the me Gilbertese meeting-house in llage . . . wait for men come to 11 him because it ‘Shame’ if he Dp Patrol. Men come with lives. Moon belong Mautake’s use, shine on them, show them i good to kill Mautake. Men go ray. Not fight now . . . wait for •imble come back to tell about nds Commission.”

So “Mautake’s Patrol” was un ded by our boy; and Pattern of ands, as woven by Sir Arthur imble, sprang from an absorbing ■lection of tales, some knitted in is very setting, on this small *al stripe, Betio, before its beauty s shattered by war.

OGETHER, we pored over the reading of “Mautake’s Patrol,” here in the picturesque Gil •tese dwelling-house built on the lan beach. To me, a story had :ome reality. How proud they re to learn Grimble had written Gran as “his great friend.” utake had never boasted.

Cureiti, our boy’s wife, pro ves her name “Grace” and is utake’s eldest son’s daughter e ‘“old man,” a respectful term d by these people who honour ir aged, was living with his nd-daughter, then, on Betio. ) old now for work, he had re

id from life-long Government

v \9 e many years after bravely etmg the threat of death at the ids of his doubting countrymen.

Later, Mautake not Chief übere. He go work Lands Com mon many years. Work on •awa, Ocean Island, Beru and them Gilberts,” our boy con ned, reeling off names of officials ler whom he had served. |ther European friendships he i won, the last having left this ony quite recently. So it is btful, m a changing administra i, whether more than one or two

at Headquarters were aware that this loyal old man was waiting now for a peaceful end, on the adjoining island.

On the island’s roadway he who still remembered Mautake would shout a greeting in passing the younger son’s dwelling. Hidden from sight by a thick curtain of palms, in a green forest of whisper ing fronds, the old man’s voice would make reply—his only contact now with the outer world.

“When Bryant Resident Com missioner (following the Gilbertese custom, it is not disrespectful to drop prefixes) he pin medal on Gran. I think MBE or something (ike that. He have it from the King for long-time with Government.

Bryant give it to him over at Abakoro. That seat Native Govern ment for Tarawa. He get it after war finished.

“Before war, he go with Maude up to Phoenix before anyone live there. See it alright to move Gilbertese there. First cocounts grow there, they plant.

“They go up in Nimanoa. The old one that was sail and engine.

Afterward Captain sank ship, so Japanese not take it when they have Betio. That when I run away other island up there,” indicating distant shores of the lagoon.

“Sailors make song about Nimanoa

Irst take Gilbertese up Phoenix.

Ve sing it still.

“When I boy King George school . . it at Bairiki then. The teacher sk Government let Mautake teach oys old Gilbertese dance and song.

Vo years he teach that. Old man now all old customs and story.

Fow we forget.

“He have fallen teeth, too. When e too old, we take them away *om Gran. They frighten Teresa” their toddler who “helps” with leir house-work, greeting us Kona -morning,” a quaint mixture I two tongues). “They bite Gran’s illen teeth, snap, with fingers, [ake fun Teresa.”

Naturally, Mautake’s great •and-daughter cared not for such acabre fun.

“Where did come teeth from?” queried, knowing Mautake had wer left the Colony.

“District Officer he take rubber se—send for teeth.”

Clever dentistry! And how apt a scription—“Fallen teeth!” rou who like ourselves are domiciled awhile among these friendly Pacific Islanders will ,ve read Grimble’s vivid tales, told th depth of understanding. Is it f fitting, now r , to record that lautake’s Patrol” was not tional?

Mautake, humble hero of this try, with none but his own around n, died on Sunday, October 3. >4. By his family’s reckoning he uld have numbered 70 years. ‘The old man know land Lmdaries best. He keep Diary, >■ Sometime when he live with we sit around to have smoke d he tell story.”

Pales of land feuds, ever a bone dissension, and of age-old itom recorded in his treasured iry when their islands were in 5 settled times, he had passed to them.

When he know he too old to ; more long, he go to Teaoraereke . stay his son’s house.” /lautake’s last crossing of rawa lagoon, to a part of the rol ground he had so faithfully )t, many years before, was to )ther islet of the atoll, seat of Caltholic Mission. There, beside younger son, he waited for ith.

He tell Kureiti to bring him k to Betio. Bury here where he 3ng. But his son is Catholic cher. Say he belong Catholic letery over there,” our boy told he last wish of this brave old a was a sacrifice to fidelity. He i been a faithful servant to “The fernment” for many years; true lis people; always honoured and 'Py .to guide them; true to the holic faith he had adopted so t he might face death, in the of Grimble’s story, lautake, then, had been prepared

to save his people from violence, to lose his life in a final endeavour Hoping to save his departing spirit from the Net of Nakaa, should his body be cast to sharks, he changed his religion for other beliefs of eternity. A strong racial faith in the moon, his ancestor, remained.

And the moon, miraculously, had saved him.

Pathos of the aged was his, on recent days of Royal celebrations.

When we, the Queen’s subjects, so

remote from her, were gathered on Bairiki (the Colony Head quarters) to commemorate Her Coronation, our boy remarked: “It’s sad day for old Gran. He too old come now to Residency Parade like old times.”

Perhaps in snirit he will visit his island again, should a film of Pattern of Islands give a tribute to the loyal Gilbertese, with whom we are proud to share one beloved Queen.