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Polynesian Voyagers. The Maori as a Deep-sea Navigator, Explorer, and Colonizer

Drift Voyages

Drift Voyages.

We will now proceed to scan some of the very numerous cases of drift voyages that have been recorded, as evidence of how many isles were discovered and populated. These movements of peoples must have been going on in the Pacific for long centuries, ever since the Polynesians entered that area, and long before.

The Rev. William Gill mentions the case of sixty natives who, in 1862, drifted from Fakaofo to Samoa, a distance of three hundred miles. The Rev. Mr. Gill was one of the early missionaries at the Cook Group, and has put on record much native lore of that region.

In 1696 a party of twenty-nine natives landed at Samal whose craft had been drifting for seventy days before easterly winds. This drift was from the Caroline Islands to the Philippine Group. These folk had supported life by means of rain-water and fish caught in a funnel-shaped net.

In Callander's Voyages is given an account of the arrival at Guam, in the Ladrones, of two drift canoes in the year 1721. These vessels contained thirty men, women, and children, who had suffered much from hunger and thirst during a twenty-days drift. These craft are said to have drifted from Farroilep, or Faraulep (Gardner Island), of the Caroline Group.

The “Bounty” seems to have been the first European vessel seen by the Rarotongans, but prior to that time they had heard page 24 of them. Soon after Cook's visit to Tahiti a woman of that isle reached Rarotonga in some unexplained manner and told of the wonders of the strange visitors, their vessels, and belongings. Some time after this occurrence a party of Talitians drifted to Rarotonga, bringing further information concerning the amazing white strangers who sailed the broad scas in huge single canoes without outriggers, and which, marvellous to relate, did not capsize.

In 1817 Kotzebue found a native of Ulea, one of the Caroline Isles, on an island in the Radack Chain, to which, with three companions, he had drifted in a canoe a distance of fifteen hundred miles due east.

Cook, in the account of his third voyage, speaks of finding castaways from Tahiti on Atiu, in the Cook Group. Some years previous to that time about twenty natives had left Tahiti to go to Raiatea Isle, but their canoe was caught in a storm and carried westward. Having so drifted for many days, provisions became exhausted, and one by one the ocean waifs perished until only four survived. When near Atiu the canoe capsized, the four natives clinging to it until rescued by the inhabitants of that isle. This drift occurred prior to Wallis's visit to Tahiti in 1767, of which the castaways knew nothing. Cook saw three of these men (one having died), and obtained their story from Omai, his Tahitian interpreter. He remarks thereon: “The application of the above narrative is obvious. It will serve to explain, better than a thousand conjectures of speculative reasoners, how the detached parts of the earth, and in particular how the islands of the South Seas, may have been first peopled, especially those that lie remote from any inhabited continent or from each other.”

While at the Friendly Islands Cook heard of the Fiji Group, and saw some of the natives thereof, who had come over in a canoe.

Missionary Williams states that he drifted twelve hundred miles in his boat, from Rarotonga to Tongatapu, through the influence of the trade-winds, and on another occasion from Tahiti to Aitutaki. He also states that one of his boats that left Tahiti for Raiatea was driven about the ocean for six weeks, when it made Atiu, in the Cook Group.

When at Vanikoro, in the Santa Cruz Group, Dillon learned that, about the time of the wreck of the ships of La Perouse, a canoe from Tongatapu, with about fifty men on board, after a long drift, made Combermere Island. Here most of the crew were slain, the fifteen survivors putting to sea again in their craft. In this drift of about fifteen hundred miles this party of Polynesians entered far into the Melanesian area; and such an occurrence may tend to explain the isolated colonies of Polynesians found in both Melanesia and Micronesia.

Dillon also mentions the case of a canoe, containing four men, that, about the year 1800, drifted from Rotuma to Tikopia, about five hundred miles—another invasion of Melanesia, though the latter isle is inhabited by a Polynesian people. This writer also states that the natives of Rotuma, an adventurous folk, page 25 are not infrequently so carried to Tikopia, the Fiji Isles and, the Navigators, lying to the west, south, and east of their own island. Early in the last century these Rotuma men were much in demand as sailors on European vessels.

At Manua, in the Samoan Group, Williams found, in 1832, a native of one of the Austral Isles, which lie south of the Society Group. Having left Tubuai with others to return to an adjacent isle, the party was driven to sea, and drifted about for some three months, during which time about twenty of them perished.

In such cases as this we can but marvel at the endurance of the sufferers. We are told that fish were often caught at sea by such waifs, and rain-water collected, but the sufferings endured in many cases must have been appalling. In this way many thousands of human beings must have perished on the vast Pacific Ocean in past centuries. We know by native tradition that canoes were swept away from the coast of New Zealand and the Chatham Isles in former times, as when fishingparticles were out some distance from land, but know of only two cases in which tradition states that the waifs reached isles to the far north and afterwards returned to their homes. In the vast expanse of landless ocean many parties must have perished in the waste of waters.

Another case is that of some natives of Aitutaki, Cook Group, who drifted to Proby's Isle, a thousand miles to the westward. Again, two Americans and a party of natives left Rurutu, Austral Group, for Raiatea, in a decked boat, got into difficulties, and drifted for six weeks ere they reached Manihiki. Here three of the party were slain by the natives, the others proceeding to Rakahanga.

Captain Beechey tells us of a case in which three double canoes left Chain Island for Tahiti, three hundred miles distant. Two of these craft were never again heard of. Of their start from Chain Island Beechey says that the canoes were placed with scrupulous exactness in the proper direction, which was indicated by certain marks upon land. Before reaching Maitea Isle a strong westerly wind rose and drove the vessels in an easterly direction, scattering them. One canoe, after a long easterly drift, experienced a calm, in which her hapless crew suffered severely. Food and water became exhausted; some drank sea-water, others merely bathed in the sea; seventeen died. At last they experienced a rain-storm, caught some water, and managed to secure a shark. The survivors recovered sufficient strength to take to their paddles again. Reaching an uninhabited islet, they secured some coconuts, but, being too weak to climb the trees therefor, they had to cut them down. Here the castaways stayed thirteen months, then again put to sea; reached in two days another uninhabited isle, and stayed three days; then reached another such in a day and a night, but sadly injured their canoe in landing. A stay of eight months was made here in order to mend the vessel and collect and preserve food for further voyaging, but they were found by Beechey ere they started. This latter place was Byam Martin's page 26 Isle, and Beechey estimated the drift as one of six hundred miles.

Back in the “forties” of last century Angas wrote: “At the present day migrations in the Pacific are very common. Canoes containing frequently a dozen to twenty natives have been met with at sea more than a thousand miles from the islands to which they belong. Others, driven by the wind out of sight of land, are frequently carried along at the mercy of the waves, and their crews drifted upon the first shores that may fall in their way. Not long since the brig “Clarence,” of Sydney, fall in with a canoe from the Kingsmill Group containing a number of natives who had been twenty-four days at sea.”

A report from Missionaries Threkeld and Williams states that, on the 8th March, 1821, a canoe reached Raiatea from the Austral Group that had been drifting about the ocean for three weeks, latterly without food or fresh water. Williams remarks that the Lord protected these waifs; this may be so, but it is painful to think of the numbers who are not so protected.

The Rev. W. Gill, long resident in Polynesia, wrote as follows: “Guided by the stars only, these islanders have found their way from island to island from time immemorial. Occasionally, however, they are driven out of their course, and are either lost at sea or fetch up on some distant isle. It is in this way that the multitudinous isles of the Pacific have been populated.” The same authority, in writing of Niutao Isle, seven hundred and fifty miles north-west of Samoa, says: “It was their custom, in seasons of scarcity, to make war on certain families. The conquered men, women, and children were either slain or cruelly driven to sea in canoes, without food or water.” At the islands of Funafuti, Nuku-fetau, and Manumanga criminals were banished, being set adrift in canoes.

Pylstaart Island was settled by drift voyagers from the Tongan Group. The Tyerman-Bennett journal tells us of a canoe that left Raiatea bound for Tahiti, with a crew of five natives. Caught in a fog, succeeded by a storm, this craft drifted for six weeks ere reaching Atiu in the Cook Group.

There is much confusion of the names “Cook Isles” and “Hervey Isles.” Some writers, including Hale, apply the latter name to the whole of the Cook Group, whereas it properly belongs only to the two islets of Manuae and Te Au-o-tu, sixty miles from Aitutaki. They contain, together, only about 1.500 acres, and are enclosed within one reef. They were discovered by Cook in 1773, who applied the name of “Hervey Island” to the twin islets.

In the United Empire Magazine of September, 1918, appeared an account of a drift voyage of ninety days from Tarawa, in the Gilbert Group, to the Northern Carolines. In this boat drift of thirteen hundred miles two native lads managed to survive for that period, during which they caught rain-water in a bucket and also six birds and a small shark.

Native traditions assert that Rotuma was peopled by drift voyagers from Samoa; that Samoans have drifted to the Fiji page 27 Group; and that a tribe at Kandavu, Fiji, is descended from castaways from Tongatapu.

In 1862 a number of natives of Atafu. Union Group, drifted three hundred miles to Samoa. In 1863 a large double canoe bound from Vavau to Samoa was driven by a storm to Fiji; and about five years before that two others from Tongatapu, with nearly two hundred people on board, were blown out to sea and to a reef south of Fiji—this was a 350-mile drift. The party landed on a sandbank on the Mikaeloff reef, repaired the vessel. and reached Fiji. Of this incident Pritchard writes: “Had there been land enough to support them, these two hundred people would probably have remained there, and in due course a people speaking the Tongan dialect, and cherishing Tongan traditions, would have been discovered southward of Fiji on the highway to New Zealand.” (This is probably the drift referred to in a previous paragraph.)

Missionary Turner tells us the story of fifty Tongans who drifted to one of the New Hebrides in 1845 and held their own by force of arms.

A drift voyage of forty days made by some natives of the Gilberts in the early “nineties” of last century is mentioned by the Rev. S. Ella: “In April the American mission vessel conveyed to their homes at Drummond Island, in the Gilbert Group, a family of natives of that island who had been carried away during a gale. They had gone out one night in a small canoe to fish; the wind came on to blow hard, and the canoe drifted out of sight of the island. They had neither food nor water in the frail canoe, while for forty days they drifted over the wild ocean. One of the four perished. At the expiration of those terrible forty days the canoe reached Ocean Island.”

In his work Through Atolls and Islands in the Great South Sea F. J. Moss tells us of a Penrhyn native who, in 1883, with five other, left that island in a boat for Manihiki, about 180 miles distant, a trip that had been done by others in two days. They missed Manihiki, and were eight days at sea before they found it. The same writer states that Penrhyn Island was settled by natives of Manihiki. So innumerable have been the settlements and of Pacific isles that we cannot say who the original settlers were on any of them, though theories are advanced by some writers.

Again, Moss mentions a very old native of Manihiki, named Toka, who was in the habit of making trips to Fanning Isle, eight hundred miles distant, in trading-vessels, in order to see his relatives at that place. “In his early days this man was a great traveller in his canoe. He went to Swain's Island, six hundred miles distant, and returned to Manihiki safely. Again he went to Swain's Island, taking relations with him, who settled on it…. Their love of travel is innate; they are born sailors, and have invaded and conquered in many directions…. These islanders are born sailors and rovers—the sea is their home.”

Moss tells us that a native of Penrhyn Island on board his vessel was able to converse with a native of Nukuoro or Monteverde page 28 Isle (Caroline Group) whom he met at Penape. A distance of about 50° separates these two isles. Can one imagine such a state of things in the Old World in the neolithic era? So much for water communication.

The crew of the barque “Diana.” wrecked at Starbuck Island, endeavoured to reach Maldon Island by boat, but were compelled to make for Manihiki owing to baffling wind and current. They were nineteen days out, and voyaged some six hundred miles.

Concerning the natives of the Union Group, the Rev. J. E. Newall informs us that traditions refer the original settlers to Samoa. These natives were ocean navigators in former times. The natives of the Ellice Group are of Samoan and Tongan origin. Tongans formerly raided this group.

During Captain Erskine's cruise in the “Havannah” a party of natives made a voyage of some fourteen hundred miles from the Kingsmill Group to the Navigators.

Prior to his death the chief Kamehameha, of the Hawaiian Isles, had collected a vast number of large double canoes, and purchased a brig and several schooners, in order to sail southwards and conquer the Tongan and Society Isles.

The following extract from Pritchard's Polynesian Reminiscences throws some light on the subject of drift voyages: “In most of these instances of involuntary migrations many of the people died from starvation before reaching land. Those who survived the hardships of these perilous voyages, chiefly by feeding on old coconuts, which are always carried upon every expedition, and on sharks, which the natives are all very expert at catching, quickly recovered their strength, and readily assimilated themselves to the people around them, and they invariably preserved correctly the direction of their lost homes, the tradewinds and the rising and setting of the sun and moon being their unerring indicators.”

It is probable that almost every inhabited isle of Polynesia has been at least partially settled by castaways. Thus we have the evidence of Maori tradition to show that the earliest settlers in New Zealand were drift voyagers, and that other drift vessels have reached these shores in later times. We are told that a vessel arrived at Whare-kahika, near East Cape, in the long ago, having on board one Hinerakai, who was seeking her brother, Tu-te-amokura, whose vessel had been carried out to sea by a storm from one of the isles of Polynesia. These folk settled here, and their descendants are among the Wahine-iti and Paretao clans.

We have collected many more illustrations of such drift voyages showing how isles were discovered and populated, how man became distributed through the great Pacific area; but to give more would but weary our readers. Enough have been given to show that such involuntary voyages took place in practically all directions. Moreover, the Polynesia, as a voluntary voyager, could reach any land he wanted to, as also return from it, if given time enough—and time was of no object to him. Disaster seemed to have no terrors for him; though many stalwart sea-rovers had gone down to death, yet page 29 did the follow in the same path, care-free and resolute, trusting to his gods and his own knowledge of navigation and sealore. As Toi of old said, when he swung the prow of his vessel south-west of Rarotonga to cross sixteen hundred miles of sullen seas to New Zealand, “I will cross the dark ocean to the land of Aotea-roa, or disappear into the maw of Hine-moana” (personified form of the ocean).

It was a pleasing trait in the character of the Polynesian voyager to perform many tasks that have been deemed impossible, By divers writers in various works it has been conclusively shown that the hapless Polynesian could not possibly have come from the west—that he could not reach New Zealand; or, if he were so contumacious as to do so, then he could not possibly leave it again. He could not construct a seagoing vessel, and could not navigate one if he had it. He could not carry food plants, or sufficient sea stores to retain life in these “frail canoes” that he never owned, nor could he populate the far - spread island system without the assistance of a lost continent or a special creation of man for each lone atoll. Of a verity there are few things left that our unfortunate and hapless Polynesian could do, save and except the one thing that he did, and that was to perform all these utterly impossible tasks! Because we ourselves would shrink appalled from the task of placing our families, a pet pig, some coconuts, and a few other trifles in a “frail canoe” and paddling forth upon the salt seas in order to settle a lone islet beyond the red sunrise—then we like to think that it was impossible for any other person to do it. “There is,” quoth the late Mr. Billings, “a great deal of human natur' in man.”