A LOOK AT THE LIFE OF

TENCH ISLAND.
Content
Tench Island, also known as Nusi Island, is a small (55 ha), low-lying
(17 m maximum height above sea level), coral island in the St Matthias
Islands group in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea.
Administratively, it is part of New Ireland Province and lies about 100
km north of Kavieng, the provincial capital.

The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by

BirdLife International because it supports breeding populations of brown
noddies (80,000 individuals) and black noddies (20,000 individuals),
based on 1973 estimates.

BACKGROUND HISTORY
The island was named after British marine officer Watkin Tench in 1790
by Lieutenant Philip Gidley King.

This is a recount story his voyage.

Voyage to Batavia and Voyage from Batavia to England
April 1790 to December 1790
Lieutenant King sails for Batavia. — Meets with a dangerous shoal.
— Discovers Tench’s-Island. — A description of the inhabitants. —
Prince William-Henry’s Island described. — Touches at Kercolang.
— A description of the inhabitants, their cloathing and utensils. —
Passes through the Streights of Salayer. — Arrival at Batavia. —
Interview with the governor. — Batavia described. — Situation and
extent. — Manners and customs of the inhabitants. — Government
and police. — Annual exports. — Departure from Batavia. —
Mortality amongst the sailors. — Arrival at the Isle of France. — An
account of that island. — Sails from the Isle of France. — Arrival in
the English Channel.

HAVING received the dispatches for his Majesty’s principal Secretary

of State, and for the Secretary of the Admiralty, from Governor Phillip,
together with his order for me to go on board the Supply, and to proced in
her to Batavia, and from thence, to make the best of my way to England,
with the above dispatches, and Lieutenant Ball having also received his
orders, I took my leave of the governor, and at noon on the 17th of April,
we set sail; carrying with us the fervent prayers of those we left behind,
for our safety. From this time till the 22d, we had variable weather, the
wind in general from the south-east. Lieutenant Ball was directed to call
at Norfolk-Island, if it did not occasion him too much loss of time; but, as
the winds seemed to hang to the eastward, there was every probability of
losing at least a fortnight; and, as the Supply did not carry any thing
which could be of the least assistance to those on the island, he thought
proper to proceed on the voyage, and accordingly bore up in order to go
to the westward of the shoal seen by the Golden-Grove, in latitude 29°
25' south, and 159° 59' east longitude: Lieutenant Shortland also saw
another shoal, as hath already been mentioned, which may probably be
the same, if they exist: this, however, seems to be a matter of doubt, as
Lieutenant Ball, in July, 1789, cruized in these and the adjacent latitudes
and longitudes for a fortnight, and could not see the least appearance
either of an island or shoals; although Mr. Blackburn, the master of the
Supply, who was at that time on board the Golden-Grove, is very
confident that a shoal was seen in that vessel. We had very heavy gales of
wind from east until the 28th, with violent squalls, attended with rain: the
air in general thick and hazy, and a high hollow sea running. At one
o’clock on the 28th, we perceived a great alteration in the sea, which was
become so smooth, that at four o’clock it was, comparatively speaking,
smooth water:

A different kind of sea-fowl was seen about the vessel to any we had
hitherto met with; it was of the ganet kind; the back, wings, and head
being a glossy black, and the breast entirely white. At ten o’clock in the
morning of the 19th, we saw an island bearing west by north six or seven
leagues distant: the latitude at noon, was 1° 44' south, and the longitude
150° 39' east. With a fine breeze at east-south-east, we steered for the
island, as it lay directly in our course, and soon perceived that it was
inhabited, as we saw a number of people standing on the south point, and
a great many canoes were coming off to meet us; but as the vessel
approached them they paddled towards the shore; yet they seemed
desirous to have some communication with us, and the vessel being hove
to, in a short time they came near us, but no invitation or intreaty could
prevail on them to come along-side: at length, two of the canoes, which
had seven men in each, and two others, with two men each, came close
under the stern, but none of them would venture on board, and it was with
great difficulty they were persuaded to come near enough to receive a
string of beads which were let down over the stern; after this, they all
paddled on shore. During the time these canoes were near the vessel, the
beach on the island was covered with natives; and on the south point of
the island, a man stood alone, with a long pole in his hand, which had
something large at the end of it, and which he seemed to use as a signal to
those in the canoes. These canoes appeared to be made out of a large tree,
and were well shaped, with a hook made of wood at each end, the use of
which we could not possibly guess: the largest of them appeared to be
about 28 feet long. Each canoe had a long out-rigger, to prevent them
from oversetting.
The natives who were in the canoes, were the stoutest and healthiest
looking men I ever beheld; their skin was perfectly smooth and free from
any disorder: they were quite naked, and of a copper colour; their hair
resembled that of the New-Hollanders. Some of their beards reached as
low as the navel, and there was an appearance of much art being used in
forming them into long ringlets; so that it should seem as if the prevailing
fashion on this island was that of keeping the beard well combed, curled,
and oiled. Two or three of the men had something like a bead or bone
suspended to a string, which was fastened round the neck. The size and
very healthy appearance of these people excited our admiration very
much; indeed it is wonderful how so small a spot of ground can support
the vast number of inhabitants we saw on the island, all of whom
appeared equally strong and handsome as those who were in the canoes.
The island cannot be more than two miles in circumference: it is low, but
entirely covered with trees, many of which are the cocoa-nut; we likewise
saw a number of large trees which bore a very fine red blossom, but the
red was so very conspicuous, that I am inclined to think the leaves were
of that colour. These trees reached to the margin of a very fine sandy
beach, which entirely surrounds the island; a great number of canoes
were lying on the beach, and, from the number of natives we saw there,
besides what were in the canoes, there cannot be less than a thousand
inhabitants on the island. Lieutenant Ball named this place Tench’s
Island, after Captain Watkin Tench of the marines: it is situated in 1° 39'
south latitude, and 150° 31' east longitude. After lying-to near an hour,
and finding we could have no farther intercourse with the natives,
without considerable loss of time, we bore up and kept on our course,
steering west by north.

Other explorers who also came across Tench

Island
Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 -
1954), Friday 24 May 1935, page 8
National Library of Australia
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article246472518

DEAD ARE RAFTED TO SEA STONE-AGE

MEN WITH VIKING CUSTOM

WHEN a man dies, they do not bury or burn

the body, but 'build a raft, place the body up
on it with ceremony, and float it out to sea.
This custom, resembling that of the Vikings,
was observed among- the stone-age natives of
Tench Island, which is almost on the Equator,
by Capt. G. McLaren, who returned
yesterday by the Nellore from Rabaul.
"Tench Island is within the Mandated
Territory, but, excepting my-self, the only
other white visitors were the Germans before
the war,"said Captain McLaren, who went
there in command of the schooner Vilomani.
"Schooners have sailed close to tho island, but
nobody from them has gone ashore. When I
landed with my native boys about 200
islanders swarmed down to the beach. "All
were naked, and the men carried spears.
They looked savage,but I think they were
more afraid than fierce. Broken-glass Shave
"By signs I showed them that I had no
weapons, and they became quite friendly.
They are strong, virile types, use stone axes,
and know nothing of tobacco or betel nut.
been lacerated with shells, but those of the
men are unmarked. "I made them presents of
nails, paper, and pieces of wire. My boys
showed them how to use the nails as points for
their spears, and how to shave with broken
glass. That interested them immensely."

Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 -

1954), Tuesday 22 March 1932, page 10

National Library of Australia

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16849581

NUSI.

 

An Untouched Island.
(BY A.J.)

Nusl Is a coral Islet of about two square miles

in the Bismarck Archipelago. Out of
the track of any vessels, too small for anyone
to bother about, there it lies in its primitive
state, in communication with no one, peopled
by a few islanders who never see white people,
untouched and untroubled by any bénéficient
or dire contact with civilisation. It is
interesting to contemplate Nusi in these days
when everything is geographically marked,
everything discovered, everything laid bare.
It is about 60 miles almost due north of
Kavieng, the settlement on the northern part
of New Ireland. On the map you will find it
marked at Tench Island. That it has remained
apart from the world and all its cares and
wonders is due to the fact that it is so small
and that it has no anchorage. Deep water
right up to the beach, the temper of the
natives unknown, it has been a place to leave
alone.

Mr. C. F. R. Gilbert, a New Ireland

plantation manager, who is honorary
corresponding secretary to the Royal Empire
Society for
New Guinea, and who was recently in Sydney,
believes it is the only "untouched" Island in
the whole of the broad Pacific. With Mr. C.F.
Harris, a planter and trader on Djul Island;
Dr. Buhler, a Swiss anthropologist who was
on a visit to the archipelago; and Mr. Adolf
Schultze, planter and trader, of Kavieng, a
call was recently made at this unknown Eden.
Mr. Harris owned the schooner. He was
taking Dr. Buhler to St. Matthias Island. The
weather was favourable; would Dr. Buhler
like to go to Nusi? Would he! There was
  a dip into the unknown, the taste of
adventure about it, that stirred four young
minds,bparticularly that of a keen young
anthropologist.
"We arrived off the Island at daylight one
morning," said Mr Gilbert "It was a tiny
speck of land with a narrow beach, the
vegetation thick beyond Three canoes came
out catamaians the men In them stark naked
not even a waist belt They were yelling and
shouting, but as they were holding up some
sevi nuts we took it as a friendly sign there
being no weapons to be seen We couldn't get
bottom with the lead, although we were close
Inshore So somebody had to stay on board
We drew for it, lowered the boat and the
doctor. Schultze, and I pulled ashore

ON THE ALERT.

"When the Germans visited the island before the

war they were invited up to the native houses by
the natives, but were warned by their police boy
that it was a trap. The natives, as soon as they
saw what he was up to, speared him After that
the Germans declared it a closed area. Bearing
this in mind, we each had an automatic. It was
pretty nervy. The natives were shouting and
  gesticulating, and it was difficult to
know what they wee up to. They kept it up
unceasingly Schultze landed and made friendly
signs. They motioned us to to the house, but we
Schultze landed and made friendly signs. They
motioned us to go up to the house, but we
thought of the Germans and their police boy and
declined the invitation. There were about twenty
around us, and some had been left hovering
about the schooner "The women were standing
up the bank some distance away. Although the
men were naked, the women were all dressed in
their 'lap laps,' made of a cloth-like fibre,
coming down to about the knee from the waist.
We managed with signs to get them to
understand that we wanted to exchange goods.
We gave them looking glasses, coloured prints
for lap lap making, and oddments like that. I lit
a cigarette. They weren't a bit interested.
Apparently they didn't know anything about
tobacco or betel nut, for we noticed that their
teeth were white. They weren't much interested
in matches, but they took them as pre-sents.
They gave us bananas, sevi, cocoa nuts, and
some odd curios and sago
"The yelling and gesticulating was getting
worse and worse. And besides, there was our
man out on the schooner alone, not knowing
what was happening. The doctor said they were
getting a bit too excited, and so we left. They
had a few spears, but they had laid them down
"So far as the visitors could judge, there did not
appear to be many natives on the islet Dr Buhler
(who was in Sydney some time ago on his way
to the north) estimated that the population might
be perhaps 150 Anthropologically it is a matter
of considerable interest. How is the population
maintained on an economic basis as to
numbers? Two square miles cannot support
many human beings
The natives, according to Mr. Gilbert, are of
good physique, superior, in fact, to those on
Squally Island, lying about 35 miles distant
They are, he said, not cannibals. What becomes
of the natural increase in a community leading a
presumably healthy life in a state of nature in
such a restricted area? The Island, Mr Gilbert
thought, must have some phosphates on it,
because of the stuff grown, but from a trader's
point of view it would appear to be useless, as
no shell or beche de mer was to be seen, and the
coral reef was new. As it is not large enough for
a planter to settle on, Nusi will probably lie in
its primitive bliss for many years to come There
is great interest in the island among the white
settlers in the archipelago, and stories about it
are plentiful. Some photographs printed in
Sydney of women in their unclothed grace, and
described as natives of Nusi, are asserted by Mr
Gilbert to have been of native girls well known
on another island about 500 miles distant.
THE VISIT OF RICHARD PARKINSON.
The land designated on the maps as Squally Island does not exist
in this form. According to the coordinates the island lies at
150º38’E and 1º48’S, and is a small, raised coral island, no
larger than 150 hectares; it is surrounded on all sides by reefs
and covered in forest in which here and there a few coconut
palms are visible. As we approached the small island, several
small, very primitive canoes came towards us, but we were
unable to persuade the people to come alongside. However, their
greed allowed them to forget their fear, to the extent that they
approached close enough to pass us a plaited basket on a long
pole with the aim of receiving any gifts. Meanwhile their entire
bodies were trembling and they seemed to want to conceal their
fear by loud talking and shouting. Unfortunately we could not
understand a word; neither could the St Matthias people nor the
New Ireland and New Hanover natives on board understand a
single syllable of the language. This was very rich in vowels,
and almost every sentence ended in a long, drawn-out ma or ha,
which seemed to be a source of great amusement to my native
companions. We had to heave-to off the island during the night
and could land only the following morning. Numerous torches
on the offshore reef duringthe night revealed that the natives
were keen fishermen. The following morning the canoes
approached again; however, as I lowered both boats into the
water and steered for the shore, they followed at a distance. The
entire population had gathered on the beach, about 150 in all,
and it was evident that they had hostile intentions. On the reef
stood a whole line of especially battle-spirited heroes, who held
long lances in their hands, ready to throw. The rest of the
population had placed themselves behind, some armed with
wooden clubs, others holding lumps of rock in their hands; even
women and children were armed. Since it was up to me to avoid
a hostile encounter at all costs, I applied myself first of all to
talking.Now this is not an easy task when neither party has the
slightest knowledge of the other’s language, but a knife
displayed, a bright string of beads, or a strip of red cotton
material replaces language in such cases. This attempt at
approach lasted for over an hour. Soon greed drove first one
then another to my boat, and each time he went back with a gift,
which aroused general amazement. Finally I was able to assume
that they were convinced of our harmlessness, and allowed both
boats to pass through the breakers to the beach.

Immediately we were surrounded and the greed of the

individuals had to be gratified. This apparently pacified them;
the bolder lance-bearers laid down their arms, I took the missiles
from the stone-throwers, and gradually a state of armed
neutrality developed. With an armed guard of four natives and
one white man, I was now able to take a further venture. That
morning I had observed that the natives all came from one
direction, and anticipating the village there, I set about