Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-08-21
A Floating Island.

Naga-quele. W in Nanua Ieyu, South
Pacific, is known to very few, probably
besides those natives who reside in OIL
near the district of Nadogo, TO the
northeast of the province of Macuata
No visit previous TO ours, so far as we
are informed, has been paid to the place
by amy European. A short account,
therefore, of what we saw may not be
without some interest. We had slept
on the island of Kavewa, and in the
morning sailed to the mainland opposite
and entered the river Malaqio, near 10
the town of Nubu. The river is of con-
siderable size, and might be navigable
for five or six miles in a ten-ton cutter.
On our arrival at the lake. whittier the
most of the natives had preceded us,
the scene that presented itself was at
once most lively and most dreary. Very
dreary because, as far as the eye could
reach, there lay barren waste. We
stood in the center of a vast moorland,
and the lake had dwindled during five
months drought to swamp. There
was no sign of life but what we ourselves
had brought. We were lively enough,
however, as you may imagine. The
''taukei'' had clambered up a tree on
the island (or tall bush called naiata) g,
and was adjTring the island-gods to
move; the girls were on the opposite
side of the mere, in the full flow of Il
meke; about half a dozen natives were
polling about smallisland in the high
est glee, and number both of men and
women were on the la. ge island with
the taukei. NhO seemed TO be the genius
loci, helping him with stout pOles) 10
move the mass. Every one was in the
highest spirits. One chief told us that
the Waga-qule had sailed across the
mere that morning. which we had great
pleasure in believing, as the wind was
from that quarter, but II was lying on
the lee side now, and sWayed about
without progressing much. A light
spring of three or four feet landed us on
the island. which without doubt is afloat
and moved fathom or two wheu We
were on it. Had the wind changed. |
feel sure that we should have been
ferried over the water in the "Waga-
qule." Ii is fifty PAGES in length and
about twenty in breadth, and is COM
posed entirely of firm turf, in some
places quite dry, being thickly covered
with tall bushes (kuts), besides several
nalata bushes fifteen 10 twenty feet high.
There are four islands in all. Three are
of the size and appearance of that on
which we stood. One has three balawa
trees on it. and appears to have been
more recent letache from its mOoring.
The fourth island is smaller. being only
about fifteen feet in length, and on il
was the scene ofmost uprOarious mirth.
At one time we counted ten men on il,
Dne of whom was a very reverend
bull, i. e., head teacher of
our party, who, being now convinced
hat there was nothing in The kaci
<aei, was giving his mind entirely to
the scientific side ofthe question. The
aggregate weight of the ten people must
have been about l 800 pounds, aud the !
sland sank several inches, and canted |
until relieved of part of its !
burden. The men, one by one. teacher /
md all, plunged into the water and |
'wam about, regardless of the grim
of the old man up the tree that
hey would be seized by unseen hands |
below. We were not slow 10 follow |
he example OF the natives, and jumped |
n also. The banks are covered with |
pushes, and are level with the water. /
They do not shelve at all, but 90 down |
heer. Where we bathed there was no |
'ortom for at least two TO three fathoms
{ the very margin OF the moss. In
many places the water had sapped the
oose soil under the turf TO a considcra-
lie distance. At the time of our visit
he size of the mere was about $50 yards
y $50, but probably after much rain
t is three times that size, We had no
means of judging the depth other than
" swimming, and we can only say that
We found il to be more than two fathoms
n the middle, but how much more we
annot say, and where the island had
lrifted il was two fa;homs. The water
: stagnant, but not impure; it is not
'leasant to the taste. but there is hardly
suspicion of boggy flavor The sun
VT haf of el all
ess walk we arrived in a sinmering
and the water felt cool and
efreshing. Weswam the entire length
nd back again without finding any
nags, or any leaves or sticks of any kind
Is may be supposed, the place is haunt
d by ghosts of old superstitions, and
much of the interest of orr visit was
with the legends told TO US.
he natives were very cage TO tell us
hat since they had become ''lotu" they
lad ceased to believe in the god; but
he very eagerness with which they
poke, and an entreaty that they had
made to US on the day previous that We
hould not approach the island without
he .'tauLei'' were significant of the
trength of their old habits of thought.
Besides the man up the tree, to whose
'kaci. kaci" we have called attention
here was another .'taukei" present
woman tall and handsome, though no
onger young. She had most COM
appearance, andas she stood on
he island and gave her orders, faded
of what we had read of the
ybils of old were revived, and we could
'elieve in her as the last representative
f an expiring faith. She told us stories
# the island god, in what she has since
'een taught to call ''devil times" ina
,auna vaka tevora), but always added,
since put on my sulu | do not be lieve
n him any longer" His name was
)ro Walavala Dro meaning Mr.. We
,egged of her not to call him teyoro,
nut kolon as of old. He had power in
he district, and was much feared,
heugh not an unkindly god when re-
pectfully treated. Offerings were