The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-07-09
Quotes Old Time Ballad,
Natives Don't Know
Difference.
BY JAMES NORMAN HALL:

could recite, off-hand. the eleventh
chapter of the Book of Leviticus.
1t Is even possible that men. passing
as Intelligent, well-informed mem
hers of society, might be found who
could not say with any assurance
who or what Leviticus Is or was.
Imagine then, landing at one of
the loneliest islands in all the
South Pacific Ocean, to find the
brown-skinned savages of the place
gathered in the shade. quoting from
memory. one after the other. this
fragment of Old Testament history
And not only the eleventh chapter.
but the entire twenty-seven; and
going or with increasing zest
through Numbers, Deuteronomy
Judges. Kings. l confess that I was
more than mildly surprised at hav-
ing just this experience.
1t happened at the Island of Reka
Reka. where SIMPSONS battle with
the Philistines is still a fresh topic
OF conversation. and the geneal-
ogies of Shem. Ham and Japhetn.
sons of Noah. the familiar nursery
rhymes of children in arms.
First Sees Reka Reka
l had never heard of Reka Reka
until the day when l first saw it.
low fringe of land rising out OF the
sea about eight miles to leeward
OF the trading schooner on which
was travelling. We were on our
way to the southland then. but being
so close to the island the captain
altered the course.
Well go have a look at it," he
said. but I'm not sure that il will
be safe TO send a boat ashore"
/ felt a pleasant thrill of excite
ment at this. for l was new to the
Islands then. and had more or less
conventional ideas about their I'M
civilized inhabitants. 1 asked the
captain whether ii would not be
well to take my revolver ashore in
case l should be wandering about
aloIe.
Lord. mani" he said. ITS not the
natives yon need worry about. It's
the reef. There is no boat passage
into the lagoon, and If you land
you will have to ride the surf over
one of the worst reefs in the seven
ty-two islands. However, it may
be possible on the lee side. I'll have
to stay with the schooner, but you
ard Willie can go. and If you man
age the landing it will be worth
your while. It's a curious place.
Reka Reka. AS for the natives,
you will be as safe with them as
you would be in a church. En-.
Willie?"
Willie Is Super-Cargo.
Willie. the super-cargo, a wealth
er-mellowed little Scotchman of so,
agreed gravely that this was true
places, these islands, but not so
queer as the ideas folks at home
have about them. l suppose that
a good many still think the natives
are pure heather, and like enough
they are, in some ways. But man!
1t would astonish you to hear them
quoting scripture. You see, they
have but the one book, the Bible.
1t was translated into their Ian
guage a matter of fifty years, maybe
longer than that. And they've read
it and studied it and learned it by
heart. For downright knowledge
Of it they haven't their equals any
where. not even in Scotland"
l was much intere sted. had
often-who has not?-discussed
with friends the choice of the book
to be taken il one were to be ma
rooned for life on a lonely island
and could have but one volume.
There is always a wide variety of
opinion. ranging from Shakespeare,
complete, to the New York city di-
rectory or Montgomery Ward
catalogue. Here was an island
where the matter had been put to
the test. The people of Reka had
chosen the Bible-or it had been
chosen for them-and if Willie were
to be believed-but having heard
others of Willie's stories, 1 decided
to reserve Judgment until 1 could
see for myself.
Caught by COmber.
When we were close in-shore the
schooner's whaleboat was lowered.
and with Willie at the steering oar
and four Polynesian sailors pulling
like mad. We were caught by a
tremendous comber and carried over
the reef and far up the beach. No
one met US there, the village being
a mile and a half distant toward
the windward side of the atoll.
Leaving the sailors with the boat,
Willie and 1 set out for the settle
ment. The land itself was a mere
fringe of coral gravel, not more
than a quarter of a mile across,
well planted with cocoanut palms
and completely encircling the
lagoon. A few chickens, startled at
our approach, took the air with a
whir of wings like so many part
ridges. and circling high overhead
settled at length in the tops of the
trees.
1t seemed odd to see once domes-
ticated fowl so far from even the
semblance of a barnyard; but it was
no more curious, 1 suppose, than
that people should be living on
these fragments of land, thousands
OF miles from anv continent. The
chickens, of course, had been
brought there, but the people them
selves, how had they come in the
first instance? And what was the
land of their origin? And how
lonely the life of their descend
ants, looking out at dawn over the
same empty sea, watching, at night.
the Frightening consultations of
the same wide and starry sky,
There were but thirty of them.
Willie said, belonging for the most
part to three families who had
lived on the island time out of
mind.
Approach Village.
We approached the village. a
cluster of a dozen matched huts,