Young Fijians Make Daring

Lure of the Band

Voyage To Achieve Ambition

THE Nelson spirit, or its Fijian equivalent, inspired three young boys of Moce, in the Lau Group, to sail a 12 ft outrigger canoe across 40 miles of stormy sea to Lakeba in the hope of hearing the Fijian Regimental Band.

It all happened in August, when the Band (a prized possession of the Fijian people) was visiting Lau Provincial headquarters.

A village radio in Moce gave the announcement that the Band was to play at Lakeba, and Veikauyaki (aged 10), Titoko (12) and Suka (15), none of whom had ever seen the Band’s glittering pageantry, made plans accordingly.

The fact that a storm had just smashed the topmast of the Govern ment schooner Adi Maopa and had ripped the mainsails of another vessel in the neighbourhood did nothing to dampen the spirit of adventure.

Secretly the boys prepared a small plaited sail and rigging for their frail craft. Into a small suitcase went, first, a Fijian Bible and then a change of clothes. There was no room for anything else.

At an opportune moment they pushed the canoe into the sea and set sail.

LAKEBA is not visible from low lying Moce, The boys made for Komo, an island about eight miles away. They skimmed over 8 ft crests and manoeuvred desperately when the canoe was sucked into troughs.

With one handling the sweep, another baling and the third balancing the outrigger, their pro gress was breathlessly swift —until the flimsy rigging parted, the mast snapped and the sail collapsed.

High winds and current sets carried them past Komo, and it was only after fierce paddling that they were able, by nightfall, to beach the canoe at Olorua, an uninhabited island 16 miles from Moce.

The wind and cold and driving rain forced the voyagers to spend the night crouched in the shelter of pandanus roots, with their sail wrapped about them, but with the first gleam of dawn they pushed into the tangled jungle-growth to find and tear out vines for new canoe-rigging.

But now they could see Lakeba, and, with the storm showing signs of abating, they set out again.

THERE was consternation when the little case containing the Bible and clothing was washed overboard. The canoe was swung round smartly, but a large shark effectively prevented any diving, and the case sank into the depths.

The boys knew there was a reef passage into the lagoon, but they were too weary and hungry to search for it. They lowered the sail, approached the reef gingerly,

set the canoe at a giant comber about to break, and shot into calm water with the verve of surfboard riders.

Oh, yes—they achieved their ambition.

They saw the Bandsmen in their scarlet tunics and white sulus, and they heard the music.

What was more, after their story had become known, they received the promise of a new Bible and, to end the record, they were permitted to beat the big drum. (Written by Rob Wright, Suva, whose photograph of the three voyagers and their canoe is repro duced on the cover ),