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Niuē-fekai (or Savage) Island and its People

Ko Vai-Matagi mo Vai-Fualolo

Ko Vai-Matagi mo Vai-Fualolo

27. Ko Vai-Matagi, mo Vai-Fualolo, ko e tau tagata tokoua ia ne nofo i Hiola, ko e tahi he fāhi uta i Motu ne hele ai e tau vai mai i loto he maka; ko e Vai-Matagi ne mua ni he humelie, to magalo, pete ni he hoko hake e peau ke ufia e vai; ka oti, kua liu e tahi, ti inu ni, nakai kona; ko e kakano ia he vai inu mau he tau magaaho oti ke hoko mai he aho nai.

28. Ko Vai-Fualoto ne pihia; ka e nakai pihia mau. Ka hoko hake e peau, ti ufia ni; to tote e hoko he tahi, ti magalo, ka e tote hana a magalo, nakai tuga mo e Vai-Matagi. Ko e taha vai tote ne toka i loto he vaha loto i a laua, ko e higoa ai nai ko e Vai-maga-ua, ko e vai ia ke inu ai e fanau. Ne ui ai e tau higoa e Vai-Matagi mo Vai-Fualolo, ne inu kehekehe a laua ke he tau vai ua na, ti tapu e laua nakai felaka aki e laua.

29. Kua nonofo a laua i Kula-na-hau mo Kaupa ia, ne ta ai e Faletapu mua, he ta e Paulo, e akoako mai Samoa, ne hau ki Mutalau. Kua o fenoga a laua, ko Vai-Matagi mo Vai-Fualolo ke kitekite ke he tau motu kehekehe. Ne hoko e fenoga ke he taha motu kua higoa ko

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which were greasy, with the fat of the coco-nut, and they said to the chief. “We possess nothing like this at our island.”

33. When the feast was over, they gossiped about various things. Then the chief gave them two coco-nuts; first he gave a niu-kula to Leve-i-Matagi, and afterwards a niu-hina to Levei-Fualolo, and said, “Ko e niuē!* These coco-nuts are for you two. Take them with you; dig in the soil of your island and bury them, but guard them carefully till they grow; then tend them until they fruit, for they will be useful to your bodies and for your children—and they will grow for all generations for you.”

34. The coco-nut remains as a great treasure; when thirsty, the milk is drank, or when hungry the flesh is eaten. The fibre is twisted and (used in) lashing up the houses, the fibrous wrapping of the leaves are prepared as food—i.e., for straining the arrowroot, and to strain the fai-kai; and the ribs of the leaf are used as brooms for the houses. The leaves are also woven (into baskets) in which things are placed when people go on journeys, and into mats to lie on, and are used in thatching the houses. They are also woven into fans to cool the face when hot, and are used (as torches) by people travelling in the dark. They are now used to obtain much money to procure useful things for the body and for all things.

35. Those two kinds of coco-nuts have grown in the island down to the present day. The niu-tea, and the white one are the coco-nuts of Fualolo; these are they that grow but few in the island; they are used as medicine for the sick, and young children are bathed in their milk. The spring of Fualolo is often swamped by the sea at Hiola, and they have to wait till it is low water to drink. It is very beneficial to sick persons.

36. The niu-kula is the coco-nut of Vai-Matagi—one of whose name was Levei-Matagi. They do not cease to drink of this at any time; it is the coco-nut in greatest number on the surface of the earth down to this day. It is the coco-nut that all men drink constantly.

37. It was this family of two that named the island Niuē-fekai—which was the third naming of the island, thus: Huanaki gave it four names Nuku-tu-taha, Motu-tē-fua, Fakahoa-motu, and Nuku-tuluea; Levei-Matagi, and Levei-Fualolo named it Niuē-fekai, whilst Captain Cook called it Savage Island.

38. Captain Cook landed near Alofi, at the reef-opening of Opāhi, the village near the point Halagigie. The chiefs of Niuē

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Tutu-ila. Ko e Patu-iki he motu ia ko e Moa hana higoa, ko e iki ia; nakai haga ki luga e tau mata hana. Ka haga atu ke he akau, ti mate e akau ia; pihia ke he tau mena oti he fuga he kelekele; ti pihia ke he tau manu-totolo, to pihia ke he tagata. Ko e tukutuku hifo ni e tau mata ke he kelekele, nakai fuluhi e ia neke malaia e motu mo e tau mena kua tutupu ki ai.

30. Kua hoko e fenoga a Leve-i-Matagi mo Leve-i-Fualolo. ati huhū ai e iki na ki a laua, “Ko e tau tagata ne o mai i fe a mua? Ke fakailoa e mua he higoa he motu ha mua, po ko hai? Ko e heigoa ne tokai ke kai e mua?”

31. Kua vagahau e laua mo e tala age ke he iki ko Moa. “Ne o mai e fenoga ha maua i Nuku-tu-taha, he Motu-tē-fua, he Faka-hoamotu, he Nuku-tuluea. Ko e mena mitaki e tau vai ne inu ai a maua, ti kai ai he falu a fua akau ikiiki mai he kelekele. Kuenaia!”

32. Kua ta aga he iki e galue ke kai e fenoga ia. Kua kai e laua e tau mena lolo, mo e humelie ke he tau gutu ha laua. Ati nava ai a laua mo e amoamo e tau gutu, mo e lolo he tau lima, kua huni he gako niu, ti pehe a laua ke he iki. “Nakai fai mena pihia he motu ha maua”

33. Kua oti e kai e galue, ha ne fakatutala a lautolu. Ati tă mai he iki e ua e fua-niu; ti age mua e fua-niu-kula ki a Leve-i-Matagi, ka e age fakamui e fua-niu-hina ki a Leve-i-Fualolo—ti pehe atu e iki, “Ko e niu ē! ma mua. Ti uta e mua; ke keli e kelekele he motu ha mua, ti tanu hifo ai, ka e leveki e mua ka tupu, ti leoleo mitaki a mua ki ai ato fua, mo e aoga ai ke he tau tino ha mua, mo e tau fanau—ke tupu ai mai i a mutolu he tau hau oti ni.”

34. Kua toka ai he niu e koloa lahi mahaki. Kua hoge ke he fiainu, ti inu e vai mai i a ia. Kua hoge ke he fia-kai, ti kai, ti kai e kakano mai i a ia. Ko e tau pulu ke fili ke falō ai e tau fale; ko e tau lau kakā ke taute ai e tau mena kai—e tau pia, mo e tu-hoi, mo e tatau ai e fai-kai: ti taute e tau kaniu mo tafitafi e fale. To lalaga foki e tau lau ke tuku ai e tau mena ke uta he tau fenoga he tau tagata. To lalaga foki e tau lau ke faliki ai e tino; to lalaga foki ke ato e tau fale. Ti lalaga e tau lau ke iliili ai e fofoga ka afuafu mo e vevela. To huhu ai foki e tau fenoga ka pouli he po. Kua eke tuai ai nai ke moua ai e tupe lahi ke aoga ai e tino oti mo e tau mena oti kana.

35. Ko e ua e niu na kua tupu he motu ke hoko mai he aho nai, Ko e niutea mo e mea; ko e niu a Fualolo ia; ko e niu ia ne tupu tote he motu, ko e niu ia ne eke kafo he tau tagata gagao, ti koukou ai e tau tama ikiiki. Ko e fa lofia he tahi e vai hana i Hiola, ti leo ni ato pakupaku e tahi to inu. Kua aoga lahi he tau gagao ke malolo.

36. Ko e niu-kula, ko e niu a Vai-matagi ia—taha higoa hana ko Levei-Matagi. Kua nakai okioki he inu tote e magaaho ne leo ai

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painted their lips, teeth, and cheeks with the red joice of the banana called hulahula, and spread out their arms, and showed their teeth to frighten Captain Cook to depart, and not come to their island. Their teeth were dyed red (to make believe) it was man-eating—it was deceit; and so he named the island thus (Savage Island). It is right that the three names of Huanaki and that of Captain Cook should be left, but that of Levei-Matagi and Levei-Fualolo be retained, Niuē-fekai.

* Hence the name of Savage Island, Niuē.