New-York tribune., 1899-07-09
A PORPOISE MYTH.
A FRIENDLY ISLANDS STORY TOLD ID
FRANK r. BULLEN
From The Spectator.

FKANh l. IOI'l'TIt'
From The Spectator.
The great game Of the pigs that we nave
lust seen brings back To my memory an 'iu
story which is still toll among our people Dut
one which we are trying hard To forget WIN dIi
the others, because they are of the eFli udyS
and stir up in our children those feelings that we
have fought so long to bury beyond resuiteE
ticn. This story. however, Is harmless enough
although should neither tell 1t to OF listen 10 1t
from one Of mine own people. Long dSo' ""eH
we wOrshipped the old cruel gods, ana my an
cestors were chief priests of that worship. hoid-
ing all the people under their rule IN uttef yer
ror and subjecton. our chief, yes. our ohly' pusi
ness besides religion was war. our WoHh''" VIZ
slaves. who were only born for our service anu
it is not easy to understand what our feel
ings then were toward the sex 10 "nOH we al =
now 50 tender. our only talk was 81 service 81
the gods and war which indeed was Geheraily
Undertaken for some religious reason more ollfn
than not to provide human victims Tor SdcrlH.F'
In one Of these constantly recurring wars I",.
men Of Tonga -tabu-Of course each group vi
these islands was then independent Of the oth-
ers-made a grand raid upon Hapai. Ihry were
helped by some strangers, VINO had peeh "a9leu
ashore from some other Islands 10 the hpt'h-
ward, 70 build bigger ana better war cdloT'
than had eyer before been seen, IDr ouI PrVPl'
We're never famous for canOe-bulldlng. Ihey
kept their plans secret that Wheh az la3 .
break 1ne morning the news ran aroun1 hdpii
that a whole fleet Of war canoes We're hearlHE
the shore our people were like school of ny
ing-nsh into the midst If which some d0lpnlhS
have suddenly burst. one ot my ancestors -
called The Bone Breaker from his great strength
and courage met the invaders with mere
ha.ifu II his followers and delayed their iahd-
ing for hours until he and all his warriors were
killed
By this time fresh bands were continually ar
riv.ug. 50 that the warriors from Tonga must
needs tight every inch Of their way through inc
stands And as they destroyed band after Dahu
their war hunger became greater their rage
rose and they determined To leave none Ot US
-ttfi hoy hAU
their a!tars at home. Day by day the slaughter
went On. eyer more feeble grew the dei Cs'
until warriors who had never refused - Dalte
hid themselves like the pecA IN holes OF the
rocks Behind us about two miles inland, there
Is A high hill with q Hat top and steep sides. 10
this as a shelter fed all the unmarried girls u
our people. fearing 70 be carried away as sia'es
to Tonga. but never dreaming Ot peluS sam Il
tn, ir hiding place found. Here they re-
mained unseen for seven days until. TaVenouS
with hunger they were forced to leave their
hiding place and come down. But they hoped
that. although no tidings had reached them from
outside their enemies had departed. -Four nun
dred Of them reached the plain over when We
passed Just now. weak with fasting. with no
man To lead them. trembling at every rust!ns
branch in the forest around. All appeared as II
does to-day. the islands seemed slumberlng III
serene peace, although they knew that every
spot whore their people had lived was now de-
filed by the recent dead.
While they paused budding together irreso-
lutely there suddenly burst upon their ears a
TEMPEST Of eXutant yellS ana from DOtn sues
Of the hill they had lately left the whole force oi
Torgans rushed after them They fed as HES
the BOBBY before the frigate- bird. and with as
little hone of escape Before them spread TINS
same bright sea smiling up at them as II IN
welcome. You know how our people love the
sea love 70 cradle ourselves on its caresslng
waves from the day when, newly born, our
mothers lay us in its refreshing waters until
even it's life giving touch can no longer reani-
mate our withered bodies. SO who can wonder
that the madens fled to it for refuge? over this
shining sand they rushed. plunSing in ranks
from yOnder reef edge into the quiet blue be-
yOnd. Hard behind them came the hunters. sure
Of their prey. They reached the reef ana stared
with utter dread and amaZement upon the pretty
play Of great school Of porposes that in just
such graceful evOlutions We have now seen.
manifested their full enjoyment Of life. Terror
seized upon those blood-lusting TOngans their
muscles shrank and their weapons fell. Had
there been one hundred Hapaian warriors left
alive they might have destroyed the whole Ton
gan host. for il was become as a band OF lost
and terrified children, dreading at every step 20
meet the vengeance Of the gods. But there were
none TO hinder them. they fed in safety 10
their own shores never to invade Hapai again.
And when. after many years, the few survivors
Of that week of death had repeOpled Hapal. the
story # the four hundred maidens befriended by
the saa gods in their time of need was the most
porpoise taboo" although We know now that
this legend. we'll as all the others which have
been 50 carefully preserved among us IS only
the ina aginatiOn Of our fOrefathers hearts. Yet
| often wish that We knew some Of them were
true
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