1888 - Pompallier, J. Early History of the Catholic Church in Oceania - CHAPTER V

[Image of page 28]

CHAPTER V.

WE set sail for the island of Futuna on the 8th November. Tungahala had asked me to take on board two or three native families whom he held in regard; I very willingly consented to his request. I owed him much gratitude, and I admired also that Providence which, in the service I was rendering him, gave me an excellent opportunity of being well received by the people of Futuna. These families I was taking consisted of ten or twelve people, and nearly all belonged to the nobility. Although Futuna is an island entirely independent of the King of Wallis, one can say, nevertheless, that the two peoples form but one, on account of the frequent visits they pay each other, the friendship that exists between them, and the intermarriages they contract. One could scarcely, therefore, secure the conversion of one island without, at the same time, calling the other to the Kingdom of God.

In quitting the island of Wallis I rejoiced before the Lord in the hopes of salvation which He had given, in the very fact of the dangers and difficulties He had raised up in the founding of the mission. From the sea I blessed this new land and placed it under the special protection of Mary.

After twenty-two hours' sail the island of Futuna appeared before our eyes. We cast anchor in a small, handy little bay. This island has two rather large territories separated from each other by a small arm of the sea, thus forming two islands. One only of them is inhabited and contains about a thousand souls. On the other nothing is to be seen but some plantations of cocoanut and banana trees; all the rest of the land discloses to the view a mountain desert without cultivation and covered with trees and brushwood. The inhabited island has the same produce as that of Wallis; the valleys round the bays only are cultivated. The interior consists of a range of mountains covered with woods. Several signs of extinct volcanoes are noticeable. The people of Futuna, like those of Wallis, are half dressed, and of the same colour, that is to say, copper coloured. They have a peaceable and affable mien. I had received excellent accounts of their natural gifts as savages.

We were received by the people with demonstrations of joy and gratitude for the visit we were paying them, and for the service we were rendering them in bringing with us their relatives and friends. Several chiefs came on board immediately on our arrival. By means of the interpreter I was able to converse with them. After we had exchanged visits, and held conversations with them for about a day and a-half, they appeared to have conceived an affection for us and to be desirous that we should stay in their country.

One of the principal chiefs, whose name was Sam, came to visit me on board; he wished to speak to me privately, and I at once yielded to his desire. He seemed very rational and had even an air of civilization, which showed that he had been for sometime in the company of Europeans. In fact, I learned that he had worked for five years

[Image of page 29]

on board a whaler belonging to New Holland, and luckily he had learned nothing but what was good from the sailors, and none of the evil which is too often found amongst them. I could understand this chief without the aid of an interpreter as he spoke passable English. This is what he said to me in private, "I know, sir, who you are; you are a great minister of the true God; love us, remain on this island and instruct us, we will listen to you and cherish you." I said to him that I would comply with his desires after having seriously examined them and consulted the true God, and that I would endeavour in the voyages I had to make to provide for the people of Futuna. In short, I added that the next morning I would give him a definite answer, and in the meantime would consider his request.

During the day on which we had held this conversation, I held a conference with my pro-vicar M. Chanel and M. Servant; we recommended the matter to God, and the next day I decided to go at once and establish a missionary station on this island, which I would leave in charge of M. Chanel himself, assisted by Brother Marie-Nisier, a catechist, and I bade them hope that in six months another priest would come and join them. After that, we did nothing but busy ourselves in secretly preparing in the hold of the vessel the furniture needful for this new station.

While this work was being done, I went, accompanied by M. Chanel and the chief Sam (to whom I had given the answer he wished for) to the house of the greatest chief in the island, whose name was Niuriki. There was no one in the house but the women and children and some other natives belonging to the court. As for himself he was away; but we were well received. A person of the household was quickly sent to a neighbouring village after him, to inform him that strangers wished to see him. He was not long in coming to us. Niuriki had an air of affability, was passably dressed and dignified. His welcome was most friendly; he made me sit in a place of distinction at his side, and ordered the celebration of a "kavas;" during that time we conversed. Several of the native nobles of the neighbourhood came to swell the numbers of our company, and to listen to all we had to say, I made Niuriki and all these people, the same propositions I had made to the King of Wallis. Niuriki, who had already learned the conduct of that king towards me, received all my propositions with gratitude. The members of his family and all the natives of the company, far from offering any signs of opposition, displayed satisfaction and joy. Not only did they want us to drink "kava," but wished us to accept a banquet in celebration of our visit to the principal king of the island. They hastened to slaughter pigs, which they baked in holes in the ground. They served them up afterwards with yams and bananas. It made a capital supper for us, as we were very hungry; the day was advanced and we had left our boat at eight o'clock in the morning after breakfast. At supper they gave us kava to drink several times, and gave themselves over to a peaceable gaiety. As I wished to take leave of the king and go to sleep on board the schooner, I offered, through my interpreter, several friendly presents to his majesty, who received them with much pleasure, but he observed that we could not start so early as the tide covered the shore over which we must pass to reach the schooner. So we were obliged to remain with him. All the natives also seemed very anxious to keep us amongst them.

It was already night, and we waited more than two hours for the tide to run out enough to permit us to go on our road. During that time I continued to converse with the king and his family. His majesty discreetly asked my interpreter whether I should be offended if he caused one of the dances of his country to be celebrated in my honour, alleging as a motive that he was desirous that the king of my country should learn how much he honoured and esteemed the subjects belonging to him. As I, for my part, wanted to study their habits, I replied to the king that I was very sensible of the honour he was pleased to render me, and, trusting that there was nothing indecent in their festival, I would gladly witness their enjoyment. The signal being given, the natives at once commenced the festival. Several of them formed a group by themselves, seated on the ground, beating time with sticks on the mats which served as flooring to the hut, and singing well together. In the centre, on one side, were the men and boys, and on

[Image of page 30]

the other side the women and girls. Thus apart, they executed a dance which seemed to have nothing immodest in it. So I was far from saying anything unpleasant to the king about the fete with which he was honouring us. These people only hold these sort of rejoicings when they wish to show their affection for travellers whom they esteem.

The tide, however, after the fete had lasted several hours, not having yet left the road dry, they became tired of the dancing, sat on the mats, conversed a little while, and finished by sleeping in the king's hut. We were equally tired and stretched ourselves out in our places close to the king, who speedily followed our example. So the deepest silence followed the talking, and singing, and games. Some of the natives had received orders from the king to awaken us when the tide should have run out enough to permit us to proceed.

Scarcely had we commenced to sleep when we heard the noise of oars in a boat of Europeans, and the sound of voices, talking. The natives got up and ran to the shore, which was a little distance from us, to see what was the matter. The boat grounded; it contained six Europeans from the schooner who had come to look for us. Four of them landed; the other two remained in the boat which they pushed off a little way from the shore. The leader of the company came to me and said, quite low, and in tones of alarm, "Monseigneur, I am sent by the captain to inform you of the danger you run, and to deliver you from it by means of a prompt flight in the boat which I have brought, and in which are guns and swords in case they should be necessary." I asked this man what motives for fear they had on board the schooner. Then he told me the following story: "There are in this island two kings, one called the powerful king, with whom you are now, and the other the feeble king, who lives at the extremity of the opposite end of this island. This one has grown jealous of the other on account of the very visit you are now making him. A native of the bay in which the schooner is anchored, came and divulged a plot that the people of the feeble king had planned against you and your companions. They had resolved to murder you all this very night; and the well-disposed native who had discovered the plot expressed himself after the following fashion to several of the members on board: 'Alas! those strangers whom we love, will never again see the sun rise.'" It must be noted, however, that the informer was so tipsy that be fell down several times. Then I told the man who had told me all this that we could not place much reliance on the testimony of a drunken native, and advised him not to let the king or any of the natives with whom we then were, know anything about it, so that he should not be worried and no cause of strife should arise between his followers and those of the feeble king. At the same time, prudence indicated plainly enough that I ought to return in the boat which had been brought for me, instead of making the journey by land, where evil-disposed natives were reputed to be lying in wait to slaughter myself and my companions.

I stayed a little while longer with the king, then we bade him farewell, and directed our steps towards the shore where the boat lay. The natives accompanied us. The king asked to come with me in the boat to pay me a visit on board. This proposal rather embarrassed me; I did not wish him to see the arms that the Europeans had brought from on board with them, and above all I did not wish him to learn the motives that had induced the captain to send for me. That would, in fact, be to tell him of the suspicions we entertained of the feeble king's party. This could not have failed to sow the seeds of war in the island. So I strove to find several plausible reasons for not returning on board in the boat but of going by land. Four of the crew, well armed, took the boat back to the schooner. The two others remained with me, and I started with my companions along the sea beach, where the tide now left us a free passage. The king and all the natives seemed satisfied with what I had determined on. His majesty accompanied me for a considerable distance, then about forty natives of his tribe followed me as far as the bay, where my schooner was at anchor, which was about three hours' walk from the powerful king's house. The tribes belonging to this bay were under the feeble king. While we were walking, the troop of natives who accompanied us continued to divert us with songs, exceedingly well executed, which they improvised,

[Image of page 31]

and caused the neighbouring mountains to echo again in the silence of the night. I bid them farewell when we reached the bay. They remained on shore to sleep, and I, with my followers, went on board to seek some repose.

When I arrived on the deck the captain came to receive me. He took me by the hand and saluted me. He seemed still quite alarmed and was surprised to see me alive. In fact, a sort of panic of terror had seized upon him and all on board, after having heard from the drunken native that the sun was not to rise on us again. He had immediately armed with guns and swords all the men on board, who numbered twenty-two, that is to say, seven of the crew and fourteen shipwrecked men whom we had picked up on this island, and who, in the name of humanity, had begged for a passage to the island of Ratuma, which is only about a hundred and twenty leagues from Futuna. When the report was spread in the bay where the schooner was that I was to be murdered on shore at the house of the powerful king, the captain armed a boat in which were ten men, to whom he distributed packets of cartridges. He ordered them to go on shore and march in a body to find me and to use force to whoever opposed their passage. Although these men were of English nationality, and of the Protestant religion, they showed great devotion under the circumstances in coming to deliver from danger a Bishop and a French Catholic priest. They did not hesitate to execute the captain's orders with great resolution. Seated in the ship's boat and armed to the teeth, they crossed the bay and landed in the midst of a crowd of natives who were gathered on the beach. The cause of their meeting, so I was told next day, was a feast of merry-making. Was this false? Was the report of the drunken native true? This has always remained a mystery to us. In any case this numerous gathering of natives on the shores of the bay which I had to pass in returning from the powerful king's to reach the schooner--this gathering, I say, added to the alarming news which preceded it, and caused the captain and all the crew the greatest fears for our lives. When the armed men landed from the boat, they went into the middle of the crowd with a resolute air and ready to fight. Some of them fired off their guns in the air in order to frighten the savages and thus break up the crowd. It is possible that these natives had no evil intentions in gathering together in a crowd at this bay. They did not appear frightened, and showed no signs of fear either at our armed men or at the shots they fired. It was a Providence that nothing disastrous occurred under the circumstances, for in many other places the people would not have been so peaceable; a fight might have taken place and much blood have been spilled. But, thanks be to God, who watched over our safety and our lives, no accident happened. No other evil ensued than the fear which had seized upon the captain and his crew. The men who had landed all armed, and who saw the peaceful state of the people gathered there, and the utter impossibility, owing to the tide covering the beach, of making a three hours' journey along the shore to come and join me, set out again in the boat to reach me by sea.

Next day I received several chiefs on board. Amongst them was Sam. I learned from them that we were much beloved on the island, and that they were most anxious to have us, and that, above all, the powerful king counted on my word to leave with him two friends from my company. I did not fail on my side to entertain the good proposals they made me. I let Niuriki know that my two companions were getting their luggage ready to come and live with him, and I sent to the feeble king to let him know that I would endeavour to visit him before leaving the island. Everything was reassuring and peaceful, both on the island and on board, so two days afterwards, when the furniture for the station was ready, I sent, unknown to the natives, M. Chanel and the catechist Marie-Nisier, with all their belongings, to the powerful king, who was to build a house for their use whilst staying on the island. Before they left me I gave them my blessing and received their farewells, giving them as well as the people the hope of a future visit from me, and the addition of another priest.

Although the bay in which we lay had good anchorage, yet it became dangerous

[Image of page 32]

when westerly, or above all, South winds prevailed, which was not long in happening during our stay. The captain urged me to leave in order to escape being shipwrecked in port. Foreseeing that I should be unable to pay the visit I had promised to the feeble king, I gave some little presents to M. Chanel, which I charged him to give him. I made the chief Sam, who was his son, understand the danger the vessel would be in if I did not promptly quit the island, and I sent by the same chief expressions of good-will and friendship to his father, with the hope that I should see him hereafter. All my words were well received by the chiefs who were listening to me. They bade me farewell with affection, expressed their desire for my return, embarked in their canoes, and returned on shore. The captain hove up the anchor, and we set sail for the island of Rotuma. Before we got very far from Futuna, I gazed on it, blessing the Lord for having laid open to it the entrance to the kingdom of heaven, and for having delivered us from so many alarming perils. I gave my blessing to this island which held out such happy hopes of salvation. Futuna and Wallis, without knowing it, had received the ministers of the true religion, and had thereby been snatched from the fanaticism of Wesleyan heresy, which coveted them as well as Vavau and the neighbouring islands.

The two missionary stations which I had just founded at Wallis and Futuna, fulfilled several of the ends which I had in view, namely, the saving of these two islands from heresy, and the facility for learning the language of the Friendly Islands in countries which were entirely infidel, and into which the Protestant missionaries had not as yet penetrated. But from these two spots, it was impossible for the Vicar Apostolic to hold frequent and regular communication with the other islands and with Europe. In order to do that, it would be necessary to have a schooner belonging to the mission, and also that the two islands should be completely converted to the faith and the natives have corrected their habits, their cupidity, their cruelty, and their cannibalism. Cannibalism existed, it is true, only at Futuna. But in both islands the inhabitants were given to murdering strangers to enable them to plunder them at their ease. Prudence exacts that no traveller should land too many things, and should not even allow them to see what is on board. So it was of no use for me to think of establishing a store and a place of temporal administration for all our missions among these people until they had become really converted to the faith and entirely changed.

Nevertheless, a store and place of administration were indispensable to the success of the work in Oceania; it had to be, if not at one of the missionary stations, at least at some civilised place, and close to the limits of my jurisdiction. I cast my eyes, then, on either Sydney, in New Holland, where there was an English colony, a large city, and a Bishop Vicar Apostolic; or, on the Bay of Islands in New Zealand, which was one of the largest islands in my mission, and which already had frequent communication with Europe by means of vessels from New Holland, and by French and American whalers which often anchored in that port. Such was the information I received about these countries. Besides, I had learnt that the large archipelago of New Zealand was already infested in several places by various Protestant sects, who were spreading further and further, so that if I did not hasten to establish a mission, I should run the risk later on of not being able to penetrate there at all, owing to the Protestant and civil intolerance obtaining in those seas. I determined, therefore to go there and found the mission myself and attend personally to the working of it. But I wished on my way to call at Rotuma, an island of about five or six thousand souls, a people who as natives were very interesting; then I purposed making a short stay at Sydney so that I might better settle my plans for the establishment of a store, and also to make the acquaintance there of Monseigneur Polding, who was the Bishop Vicar Apostolic of New Holland, and whose mission adjoined mine.