# Savage Island

SAVAGE ISLAND
AN ACCOUNT OF A SOJOURN
IN NIUÉ AND TONGA
BY BASIL C. THOMSON
LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
1902
PREFACE
NIUÉ, more commonly known as Savage Island, lies 1,000 miles N.N.E. of New Zealand, and 300 miles S.S.E. of Samoa, in the loneliest spot in that part of the Pacific. Its iron-bound coasts tempt no vessels to call for supplies. At rare intervals great four- masted timber-ships pass in the offing; more rarely still schooners call to replenish the stock of the traders and to carry away their copra.
I went to the Niuéans in the name of the Queen and Empress whom the world is still lamenting, and I do not like to think of what our loss means to the people in these remote outposts of her Empire. The oldest native in the South Seas remembers no sovereign's name but hers. She was a real person to them all; a lady who had made them her especial care, had sent the gospel to them, and had bade them lay aside their clubs, and live in peace, order, and equity. Vika, as they called her ​affectionately—Vika, after whom they named their girl-children—was the benign, all-powerful chief, whose house was built upon the coral strand of Lonitoni (London), opposite the landing-place, where her men-o'-war were moored stem and stern in rows before her door. She read their letters with her own eyes, and had her captains to sit before her on the floor-mats while she gave them messages for the brown folk in far islands. And now Vika, the well-beloved, has left them, mourned by the empire of which they were but the tiniest part. It was hers, and she never saw it; but we, who have seen it—who have, in the humblest way, helped in the making of it—think with heavy hearts of how much hangs upon a name, and of how hard it will be to reassure them, when, as they say of their own dead kings, "kuo hala 'ae langi"—"the heaven has fallen."
CONTENTS
* CHAPTER I
* PAGE
* The Island and its People................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
* CHAPTER II
* Affairs of State................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................23
* CHAPTER III
* The King of all Niué................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34
* CHAPTER IV
* A Trip Through the Island................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................49
* CHAPTER V
* Some Historical Records................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................69
* CHAPTER VI
* The Ancient Faith................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................84
* CHAPTER VII
* The Tribunals of Arcadia................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................103
* CHAPTER VIII
* A Native Entertainment................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................117
* CHAPTER IX
* Byways of Custom................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................133
* CHAPTER X
* Westward Ho!................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................141
* CHAPTER XI
* Tonga Revisited................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................152
* CHAPTER XII
* The King and his Ministers................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................167
* CHAPTER XIII
* Vavau................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................182
* CHAPTER XIV
* Between the acts................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................194
* CHAPTER XV
* Farewell................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................211
* APPENDIX
* Tongan Music................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................218
* Index................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................229
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
* FACE PAGE
* "Ship Ahoy!"................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
* The Church at Alofi................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14
* A Street in Alofi................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14
* The Royal Procession................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................26
* King Tongia................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................38
* Hoisting the Union Jack over Savage Island................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................40
* The Queen of Niué................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................46
* "Decently clothed from head to foot"................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................78
* The King and Queen take their Seats................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................118
* A Grave in Tonga................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................134
* Uiliame Tungi, the blind Chief of Hahake................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................164
* George Tubou II., King of Tonga................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................170
* A Tongan Girl................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................178
* The Church built by King George I. and the Government Offices wrecked by the Cyclone................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................186
* The Land-locked Harbour of Vavau................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................192
* The Colony of Flying Foxes at Kolovai................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................202
* J. Mateialona, Cousin of the King and Governor of Haapai................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................212
* The Otuhaka................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................222
* Map of Niué................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................At the end
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1939, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 84 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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