572 
PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 
Tradition . — Their story is that a Samoan named Raho was badly 
treated in Samoa, Having consulted his god, he determined to leave 
his home. His god having told him to collect two baskets of sand, 
lie put them on board his canoe, together with a quantity of food; and 
taking his wife and six other men and women, they set sail. Having 
sailed and paddled their canoe for days towards the west, they grew 
wearv; and their god 1 old them to throw the sand overboard. Having 
<lone so, immediately there grew up from the ocean an island. This 
made the sea so rough that they were in great danger of being 
swamned. When the sea became sufficiently calm, they approached 
the island, and found on it a great number of vegetables growing. 
This they called Rotuma. Here they settled, and, because they could 
not agree long together, they separated, thus forming the seven tribes 
into which the people are divided. 
Physical Development . — As a race they are equal to the white 
man in physical development, having well-developed muscles. They 
are shrewd and adventurous, ready to learn anything from the white 
man, and to engage in any occupation, provided they are sufficiently 
paid. The Rotumans are said to make splendid seamen. Before 
annexation the island was regularly visited by numbers of whaling ships 
that came for the purpose of getting supplies of native food, and 
repairing and repainting the ships. The natives went on board those 
whalers out of curiosity at first, but afterwards great numbers shipped 
as sailors. By this means they have cultivated a strong liking for a 
seafaring life, and now every ship that touches at Rotuma finds young 
men desirous of visiting the world beyond their island home. Not 
only are the Rotuman sailors found in various parts of the Pacific, 
but some have reached Australia, America, and England. Nearly 200 
young Rotumans are said to he occupied as divers, &c.. iu connection 
with the Torres Straits pearl-fishery. 
Sons Pnconrayed to yo Abroad .— Instead of parents trying to 
keep their sons at home, as with us, they do their utmost to induce 
them to go abroad to see the white man’s land, and learn his language. 
There is scarcely a young man on the island, that is physically strong, 
who lias not spent some months away from his island home. Of 
course, many who go away uever return. The consequence is that 
there is a great preponderance of females over males on the island, and 
the natural growth of population is not only checked but the number 
on the island is getting less year by year ; and unless some change 
takes place, in a few years they will cease to exist as a people. 
One of the first things that strikes a stranger visiting Rotuma is 
the number of its graveyards. Wherever you walk, along the beach 
or inland, you will cojie across innumerable graves. It is the custom for 
every man to build his house on an elevated foundation, varying from 
two feet to six feet high. In every town that is now occupied, there 
are to be found many of these empty foundations, which tell too plainly 
of the shrinkage of population. 'Formerly there were several large 
towns inland; but they have disappeared, the population having died 
or left for the towns on the beach. During the last fourteen years I 
reckon the population of Rotuma has decreased by about 300. Some 
of the old men there say that many of the towns have not now one- 
half the population they had when they were young men. Formerly 
