By Rock and Pool on an Austral Shore - George Lewis Becke (mystery books to read txt) 📗

of a competent interpreter should be secured--a man who thoroughly understands the Samoan customs as well as the language. Plenty of reliable half-castes can always be found, any one of whom would be glad to engage for a very moderate payment. Too often the pleasures of such a trip as I have described have been marred by the interpreter's lack of tact and knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of the inhabitants of the various districts and villages. The mere fact of a man being able to speak the language fairly well is not the all in all; for the Samoans are a highly sensitive people, and the omission by the interpreter of a chief's titles, &c., when the guests are responding through him to an address of welcome, would be considered "shockingly bad form."

But the reader must not imagine that the Samoan Group is the only one in the South Pacific where an enjoyable holiday may be spent. The French possession of the Society Islands, of which the pretty town Papeite, in the noble island of Tahiti, is the capital, rivals, if not exceeds, Samoa in the magnificence of its scenery, and the natives are a highly intelligent race of Malayo-Polynesians who, despite their being citizens of the French Republic, never forget that they were redeemed from savagery by Englishmen, and a taata Peretane (Englishman) is an ever-welcome guest to them. The facilities for visiting the different islands of the Society Group are very good, for there is quite a fleet of native and European-owned vessels constantly cruising throughout the archipelago. To cross the island of Tahiti from its south-east to its north-west point is one of the most delightful trips imaginable. Then again, the Hervey or Cook's Group, which consist of the fertile islands of Mangaia, Rarotonga, Atui, Aitutaki, and Mauki, are well worth visiting. The people speak a language similar to that of Tahiti, and they are a fine, hospitable race, albeit a little over-civilised. Both of these groups can be reached from Auckland by sailing vessels, but not direct from Sydney. As for the lonely islands of the North Pacific, they are too far afield for any one to visit but the trader or the traveller to whom time is nothing.

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FOOTNOTES:

1: Literally, "clear crony."

2: Port.

3: Happiness.

4: A libertine, profligate.

5: My love to you, Pakia; are you well?

6: White foreigners.

7: Frank.

8: Small-pox.

9: An accordion.

10: Idler, gad about--a Samoan expression.

11: German.

12: The Tokelau and Ellice Islanders are much amused at the white man's
method of hauling in a heavy fish hand _over_ hand. This to them is
"_faka fafine_"--i.e., like a woman.

13: Cayse.

14: NOTE BY THE PUBLISHER.--This incident is related by the author in
"By Reef and Palm" under the title of "The Rangers of the Tia Kau."

15: PUBLISHER'S NOTE.--This Alan Strickland is the "Allan" who has so
frequently figured in the author's other tales of South Sea life,
notably in the works entitled "By Reef and Palm" and "The Ebbing of
the Tide."

16: Councillors.

17: _Apo! lima_! "Be quick with your hand!" The passage is narrow and
dangerous, even for canoes, and the steersman, as he watches the
rolling surf, calls out _Apo, lau lima_! to his crew--an expression
synonymous to our nautical, "Pull like the devil!"

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Publication Date: 08-10-2010

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