TOKENS OF THE COMING DAY.
By Iva F. Cady
If there is any part of the world where the people have enjoyed “peace and safety,” it seems that those of these islands have. While we have read of earthquakes, tidal waves, cyclones, droughts, and numerous other disasters in other parts of the world, we have been comparatively free. A few years ago, when the coconut trees were injured by some sort of a blight, and many of them died, while the others did not recover and get to bearing again for some two years, the people here thought it a very sore trial, because it cut off most of their income. But we know that this was only a small portion of what we may expect here in the “troublous times” which must come to all the world before that “great and dreadful day of the Lord.” During the past year, we have been made to feel more intensely the disturbances which are taking place in nature; first by the destruction of St. Pierre on the island of Martinique. Martinique is also a French colony, and the French people of Tahiti sympathized deeply with them. And one of the officials here was a native of Martinique, and lost his wife and all his property in the city of St. Pierre on that fatal day. Now, it has come nearer home, and several of the Tuamotu Islands have been devastated by a hurricane which, it seems, raised the sea so it flooded the islands. It may be remembered that the Tuamotu Islands are of coral formation and nearly all are low and level, very little higher than the sea itself. There are a large number of these islands, and we have not heard from many yet, but the storm did more or less damage in the six which have been heard from. We were at Raiatea at the time, and had some indications there that something unusual was happening. The sea rose several feet higher than the people had ever known it to rise before, and was quite rough. The village of Uturoa is built right along on the beach for a mile or so, many of the houses standing on posts in the water, and the floors at high tide being only a foot or so above the water. It seems that the people have never felt that there might be any danger from the sea, and they love to live as near it as possible. At this time the sea came right into some of the houses. Many small buildings were broken down or moved from the foundation. Wharfs and bridges were destroyed, and the road filled with debris. Everybody was talking about it and wondering what could be the cause, as the wind was not very strong. But soon afterward, we heard of the Tuamotus. The island of which we have heard the most is Hikueru, and lies about four hundred miles north-east of Tahiti. Pearl-diving was going on there at the time and so many from the other islands were congregated there. The wind had been blowing hard for a day before, but became much stronger the evening of this eventful night. About 11:00 P.M., the sea began to rise very rapidly. When it drove them out of their homes, they fled for refuge to higher and more protected points of land. Many climbed coconut trees. But as the wind grew stronger, and they saw these trees being broken off and those clinging to them killed or drowned in the angry waters, some moved away from them and stood up to their waists in the water, tied together with ropes. When the storm was at its height, they dared not try to walk about, for if one lost his balance in the water, the wind immediately carried him away, and he would be dashed against the rocks and killed. Tho the natives are strong swimmers, and accustomed to the water, they could do nothing in such a sea. About four hundred lives were destroyed, tho it is said that some of the children died in the arms of their parents as a result of the exposure, and not from the drowning. As they stood there in the water for twelve hours, with but little clothing on, and nothing to shelter them from the fierce wind, they suffered terribly with the cold. Many were not fully recovered from the13measles, and were ill prepared to bear the exposure. The next day the sea went down, and it was perfectly calm. But buildings and everything had been washed away. Only a few coconuts were left to furnish food and drink for the eight hundred souls remaining. The island has no hills and so no running streams of fresh water, and the few pools of stagnant water were now filled with salt water. The tanks for rain-water were all gone with the buildings. In two days the coconuts had all been used, and they suffered much with hunger and thirst for a few days until the arrival of the little steamer “Excelsior,” which was taking its usual trip among the islands. It returned to Papeete immediately, bringing as many people as could be accommodated on board, and as soon as possible several steamers carried food and water to the unfortunate people. We hear that the people are to remain there and continue diving. Their food has always been fish, coconuts, and preserved foods, as the islands had not enough soil for growing fruits and vegetables, with the exception of the coconut, so it will not be much change to them from what it was before. As the people talk to us about this occurrence, it gives us an opportunity to remind them that it is one of the tokens of the last days, and that we should make it our first business to prepare for the judgment. One sad thing is that these people had to die without learning of the present truth, and now we feel that we must hasten to warn those that are left. Papeete, Tahiti. Iva F. Cady.