1864 letter from missionary Eugenio Eyraud after nine month stay at Rapa Nui

French missionary Eugenio Eyraud was the first foreigner to live with the Rapa Nui people. He arrived in 1864, a year after the devastating Peruvian slave raids. He wrote a long letter about his stay at this remote island.

Author: Eugenio Eyraud
English translation: Dina Tricca and Angélica Alister C.
Comments: Marcus Edensky

Eugenio Eyrauds letter

Arrival to Easter Island

It was on the twenty fourth day of navigation, 2 January 1864, when we reached Easter Island, named Rapa Nui by its inhabitants. The Captain asked to the native people with us on the ship if they knew Anakena Bay, where he wanted to disembark. After a few moments of doubt, due to the distance, they exclaimed: "There's Anakena!".

The landscape of this island is pleasant, especially after passing the hills. It can be twenty-five km long by seventeen km wide. The coast is generally made of steep cliffs, and it offers only few rare spots where it can be approached.

I was afflicted by a terrible headache, so I lay on my bed to have some rest for a little while.

"Where are you going to disembark me?" I asked the Captain.

It was already nearly night fall. At last I could breathe: I had shelter.

Then we decided that I would disembark alone, and that I would reach Anakena by land with Pana.

First contact with the native people

I immediately jumped off the barge and pulled up some handfuls of grass and took it to the boat myself.

Surely, Daniel had to be forgiven for being afraid. A crowd of men, women and children, that there might have been about a thousand and two hundred in number, had nothing safe to offer.

Daniel had presumed a hostile attitude because he did not recognize the presence of women among this crowd.

Prisoner

I had time to notice these particular details; but there was something else I had in my heart since my arrival to the island.

After eating the sweet potatoes there was the problem to go to Anakena; but every time Pana and I tried to espace, they put their hands on our necks.

Escape

Night was closer, and I did not know what to do, when Pana returned with several people armed with spears.

At dawn, we started walking and we arrived to Anakena. The ship was far on the open sea, it got closer little by little.

Abandoned by the ship

For me it was a moment of deep sadness when I found myself abandoned on this island, without any resource and without the means to talk about religion to these miserable natives, perhaps for a long time.

I was deep into this mood when Pana came with some of his people.

A kanaka's house

It was the first time that I entered into a kanaka's cabin. I want to describe it to you: it will not take long.

You can't imagine how many kanakas can find shelter under this straw roof! It is extremely hot inside.

Therefore they lay down along the wide section, they assemble as they can and try to sleep this way.

At dawn, the first object that I discovered was a little domestic idol which they did not seem to care much about.

Return to Hanga Roa

It was necessary to go back to Hanga Roa, to surrender those people from whom I had so many troubles to escape and who inspired me so little confidence.

The island ground is all volcanic, with stones and sharp rocks everywhere.

When I reached Hanga Roa, I found myself surrounded by a mass of agitated people all over the beach, like the previous day.

Meeting with Torometi

It was already nearly night fall. At last I could breathe: I had shelter.

Torometi was a thirty year old man, tall and strong like the other islanders.

It will not be easy to describe the chief authority on this island.

What was true was that Torometi was a chief; he was my chief and my neighbour.

1) This word means "foreigner", often when it has to do with someone coming from Europe.

Apart from that, my staying here at Easter Island has been a long class, a long catechism, only interrupted by short periods of rest and some little incidents.

Daily activities

Three times a day the bell announced the prayers. When they gathered, I pronounced every word of the prayer and they repeated it.

To obtain these minimum results it was necessary to be ready all the time for these children, old and young ones.

Entertainments

In fact, these good people have nothing to do during the twelve months of the year.

This summer it's the paina that attracts all the people.

Autumn and winter are the rainy seasons; therefore, celebrations take another direction.

Adornments for the parties

Naturally, these parties are the occasions to show an extraordinary luxury.

During the celebration days they introduce an enormous bark disc into this hole, which is a perfect charm.

Under these circumstances the head decorations are also varied.

Here there are some ways to enjoy which are not much fun to many people.

Religion

No doubts, you would like to know in details about the religion of our islanders.

What I could observe during the nine months staying here, religion seems to be in the last place of their lives.

Death

I have not seen any religious rituals on the occasion of death either.

One day, because of a robbery committed by Torometi, I decided to talk to him about the afterlife.

Of course, this incident made me think that superstitious beliefs were not unknown at Easter Island.

Wooden tablets

Inside every house there are wooden tablets and canes covered with hieroglyphs; they represent images of animals unknown at the island that natives carve with sharp stones1.

1) These sharp stones are obsidian tools called matā.

The measure of time

The kanakas do not know reading or writing. However, they can count easily and have names for all the numbers.

Industry

Should I talk about the industry of these good kanakas? Their needs are so limited that they get no stimulation in any sense.

What they like most is to sew. They are really happy when they are gratified with a piece of cloth to patch their mahute.

Agriculture

Agriculture, like I have already said, does not require a lot of work; the fertility of the soil, even though rocky, frequent rains and the mild heat makes this little island capable of sustaining any type of production.

Cooking

Nature leaves little to do to the fortunate inhabitants of our island. Nevertheless they cannot escape from cooking.

Blood

I noticed their greatest attention not to shed the animal blood.

Robberies keep on happening

Now, my Reverend Father, these are but personal adventures that I decided to report, to give you a deeper knowledge of this culture.

Perhaps you will consider it extraordinary that I maintained such a good composure.

Building a chapel

However, I needed a small chapel. During the short time off left from prayer teachings and catechism, I put myself down to work.

A visit to other communities

Immediately I started with the duty to visit the whole island.

The result of my first trip prompted me to postpone the second one.

Construction of a boat

It was during this period that a new idea occurred to my kanakas. They got in their heads to make me build a boat.

I told them that this last task was their responsibility, and as they thought they had a kind of soil that made an excellent pitch.

Physical violence

It was soon time for mataveri and there was a little excitement.

Second escape

Some kanakas from Hanga Piko were here to transport my diminished baggage, and I left the place with them while Torometi was just arriving when we departed.

A surprise was waiting for me: Torometi had taken back to my house the majority of the things hidden in the previous days.

Torometi's punishment

Other events were on the way. It was September and the mataveri gathered a large part of the population about three or four leagues far from our residence.

One morning I saw Tamateka coming to our place, followed by a group of people that formed a crowd in front of Torometi's house.

Looting and danger of death

We headed towards the mataveri gathering. The crowd, compact and heated up, accompanied us and the arguments went on.

Then I believed I was at the end of my pilgrimage, and after all the emotions during the day I consoled myself to spend the night at this site. But Torometi wanted us to go back to my cabin: his intention was to look for some objects that were in it.

It was necessary to start walking; I could not see anything and my feet hurt more and more with every step.

In Vaihu

In Vaihu I found friendlier and more obedient people, more eager to be instructed than in other places.

Rescue

In the morning of the following day, at about eight, a boy came to tell me that the ship was in front of Hanga Roa and that Torometi wanted me to go there.

It is Father Bernabé's concern to relate to you the events of his journey and his arrival to Easter Island.

Brother Eugenio Eyraud