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Toberua Island – History behind the song

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O Toberua e dua na yanuyanu lailai ka volekati Kaba point. Nai tukuni ni yanuyanu oqo ni a ciri mai kina e dua na marama mai na Yatu Lau ko Adi Asinate Lagi. Ena dua na siga ni a qarava tiko na nodratou yaba (ibe) vakavuvale a mani moce lotu. Qai mani vukataki ena cagi na ibe kece ka vakavuna me rau cudruvi koya na nonai tubutubu.

Sa mani vesuvesuka o vuni marama vata e vica na niu ka vakaciriciri me drotaka na cudru nei rau na nona qase. Ma ni laki takasa sara ena dua na yanuyanu volekati Bau na marama qo.

Me tomani vakavavalagi:

Two passing fishermen from Bau while looking for turtle eggs noticed foot prints in the sand and followed them to the hiding place of the young girl. One of the fishermen, said to be the son of a chief took a strong liking to her and kept her supplied with fish from his daily catch. Soon his father became suspicious and angry that his sons catch was becoming very small each day.

He was of course spending his fishing time with the young girl, the girl with two pigtails. The wearing of two pigtails denoted a virgin in Fiji in those days. Hence the name of the island Toberua.

Tailevu chief s gave Sir Arthur Gordon the island of Toberua as a gift probably because of his work in protecting land ownership by indigenous Fijians. In fact one of his successors Governor Everard im Thurn attempted to sell off native land for a short while but this was stopped by the colonial Office which was still under influence of Sir Arthur.

 

Photo from www.Toberua.com

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