jn_lotu

Go on, right?

Bo ni?

That's it?

Lole?

Yes

Eo.

This story is about the arrival of the church here, and many people will have read it in books and know a few paragraphs, whereabout on Savo the church arrived.

Am / ailo rongorongoe lo / a lotu / lova ba / ave gnomata saraghu / zu / a / supu mapagha na elakati pale buka la padali zeze lolomi tai / a / palea zaqigha; pai kia / lotu lova tokoghu / ata Savo la alalia.

But the story that we were told is very different from the one in the books.

Zu / aveva eneli lau ba sua rongorongoe kagnika negha sua pale lo lo buka la.

In the books the white people wrote.

A; / sere sogha ze silelitu lo bukagha la.

And then the one we heard from our grandparents, our uncles, (and) our parents, the one we were told is this.

Telo te lo aveva enelitu lo na te ave kukuagha ave kulaghagha ave mama maugha zemata ave eneli lau ba sue / tei sua.

In 1898 Father Bouillon started from somewhere at his home and came to Fiji and stayed there a bit.

Am / 1898 la lo lo / a / patere Bouillon na / a / neu lo magnigha la paba latu alua telo ba Fiji / a memere sodu ma- taemu la ota palei.

Then he started there and came to Ruasura (a small island off Guadalcanal) in February.

Tulola ota alua telo lova / a February kalo te / ba Ruasura bazu.

If he bought land (i.e. for the mission) / How it came that he owned land there, that it is a different story.

Lova doi laughu pai a / lo / lo latu ota doi loghoalighu lo / lova rongorongogha na otatu.

But we, how the church came here, that is what this story is about.

Zu ave na lo lo maitei sua ba zabaghulo te lotu na ata / Savo la palai; teighu la te / ailo rongorongo na kozizu.

And he arrived at Ruasura and stayed.

Tulola lo / a February 1898 la Ruasura palea- a tokoa telo patu.

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In December 1898, a few catechists that he was staying with, Fijians, they said that nine catechists came with Bishop Bidle to Ruasura.

1898 lova December la / a / lova / ota zaka pale sua palea katekistogha; lo Fijigha; / kuava katekistoghaze te savulizu / a Bishop Bidle laka Ruasura baghu.

And then while they were staying there, at this time that I mentioned, in December 1898 two catechists from Fiji sailed from there across to Tulaghi.

Teze ota patu / ailo ai savulitu lo lo / manga la; December 1898 la / edo Fiji sua katekistolo to / otatu seloa teto Tulaghi tavatughue.

When they arrived at Tulaghi, they also didn't want them there.

Teto Tulaghi bo sara / ze oma ota ghoi matatizu.

From there they sailed on and arrived down here at Lalavela.

Otatu to te seloa teto ata neti Lalavela ba tokoghue lo na.

These two Fijians, Mario and Costantino were their names.

Aito edo Fiji sua mapalo tona; lo Mario zu lo / Costatino tova nini na.

And when they arrived there, in those days, Utukoba was looking after this village, he was the village's big man.

Te tova ota ba saratu lo mangagha la / a / Utukoba na te ailo magnigha leghe sala palei / pozogho lo lo / ma; magnigha lova dui mapae lo na.

And on that day something a bit different happened. The men should have run to them, these two catechists.

Telo / memere / lia sua te / a; ghanaghana na / a zabai lo ivaghu la / mananae lo tadagha ze te raghevitighu; / aito edo katekistolo.

But the difference I mean was that the old men, the grown-up men (and) the elders were afraid of them.

Zu / lova liaghu ai savulighue / lo tada mapagha lo; titina mapagha lo; / lo dui mapagha na tamalutizu.

And so they ordered that group of old women:

Tulola zeva te vaitulamighue lo lo kabu daki mapagha:

"You go and check, go and have a look.

"Bolu me na; zeme sighoi; bo qelelu.

Peep.

Sokilu.

What is it they brought.

Lo apoi torongoto te lau bai.

Then you come and tell us." (they) said.

Zeme mane ba ave gnaka savuli." tei.

And so they went, this group of old women.

Tulola zeva te boghue lo na ailo kabu daki mapagha na.

They were a group of heathens, they didn't know anything (about this religion), they were not Christians.

Lo / a / kabu voghae; tave la pono soghae lo ivaghu la; oma lotu soghae.

They were not worshipping this our god.

Oma / ailo lo maiva qod / kongali lau ba soghae ze na.

They only (worshipped) ghosts and heathen gods, things like that.

Bona momou majaligha lo; / teitu lo vatae ze pala sua.

Buka was inside (the group), Sodokeke was there.

Koi Buka kona pale; koi Sodokeke kona otatu.

Sanavele was there, Koje was there.

Koi Sanavele kona ota; koi Koje kona otatu.

Saemata was there, Sabiri was inside, they were the old women that day.

Saemata kona ota; koi Sabiri kona pale; lo daki mapaghae ze na lo ivaghu la.

Many were there, those that they remembered and told the story about I am telling.

Supurongo na otatu; lo / zeva ghanamia teze rongorongomi savumitu lo zepo te / savumitu.

They went and they saw this Mario and Costantino as they arrived there at Lalavela.

Ze na bua zeze bo / a / tegheghue lo na ailo lo Mario zu lo Kosi tova ota Lalavela tokoghu.

And when they (the old women) arrived, they pulled out the rosary and showed it to them, showed it like this with their hand, the rosary.

Kiaze elakati / bo toko kiato elakati lo rosario to raghili suali tai zeto tova zaughali lametighue lo na / to kakau la tei zaughali rosario.

This group of old women saw it and thought it was decorations.

Elakati ailo zazagha daki mapagha na / leghe zeze elamoka koi "lo maghanie" tei tai.

On communication, it is true, they didn't understand each other, what would the local people say that those two would understand.

Levolevo la ite sue; omaze mapamapa lolomizu / apoize kati ata sogha na savuli kia to na eneli lolomi tai.

What would they say, that the local people would understand.

Apoi kati to na savuli kia ata sogha na eneli lolomi tai.

Because of that they only used their hands to make signs.

Teighu la / lo kakau la te ze ghoi lo padapada zaughali sua.

Basically, peace, or otherwise disagreement and arguments, or otherwise anything, only with the hands did they talk about it on that day.

Pozogho / dologhu / pai kia zughuzughu abagnighu / pai kia maitei sua keva kapisie kakau pono laze te lo la levolevozu lo ivaghu la.

And they saw this rosary and they thought it was a necklace, decoration.

Zu ze na ailo lo rosario leghea teze elamoka lo kekeve tei; lo maghanie tei.

Because of that they were happy and they went and examined them and touched them and stroked them, and did like this, this group of old women I am talking about.

Teighu laze te ghasea teze te bua teze bo / tititirotia teze; tabotabotia teze; rajetia teze; ite tei soghae; lo / ailo ai savulitu lo zazagha daki mapagha.

And then they ran back.

Tulola / zeva te / raghe liazaghue lo na.

(They) ran back and they told the big man, this Utukoba.

Raghe liaza teze ba lo dui mapa laka savulizu; / ailo lo / Utukoba.

And he said: "M, that kind."

Tulola lova / "M; lo vatae;" tei.

He said. "O, good people." these women said.

Lova te- / teighue lo na; "O / lo dai mapaghae;" tei; / ailo lo adakigha na.

They brought good things.

"Lo dai ghanaghanaze te lau bai.

They brought good decorations.

Lo dai toa maghanize te lau bai.

At its end is something they have decorated. It is a necklace." (they) said.

Lo / lova zuighu la / lo / zeva / a lau maghani sua ela rongo; lo kekeve." tei.

"Ae, but if that is so, go and call them so that they come." (he) said.

"Ae; zu tei kiame bo ngoimi teze ba;" tei.

And when they called them and took them up, he ordered his followers.

Teze ngoimi- / ngoiti tau ka tulola / lova lo augha te lo zaqighue lo na.

"Make them something as a temporary shelter." (he) said.

"Zeva pa / vaevae sua ela erongo palalu;" tei.

And they made a temporary shelter and they went there and stayed there for a while.

Tulolaze pa babale pala te, tova ota bo vaevaeghue lo na.

They slept and in the morning he ordered them.

Izi iva tulola lova zaqighue lo na.

"O, if they bring such things, it would be good if you make them a small house.

"O; / lo tei sua ghanaghana to te lau bai tei kia, / daie, meva to pa gnari babale tuvi pakaghu.

Make them a house."

To pa tuvi paka."

(He) said and the first church was build there on this side of the old place of worship.

Tei te ela sua / lotu sua tuvi ze ota lo vunuza lo atati te palazu.

If we were there we would point to it and say here was the first church.

A; / maiva ota paleghu monei kati aghe na / sukili lamemia- lamegniale / atae te lo ela sua / vale lotu.

Their quarters, we would point to it and say hereabout were their quarters.

Tova kualae, / kia kati sukili tai ataliae te tova kuala; tei tai.

After they completed those, they then chose three strong intelligent people in this village.

Zeva lo pala laju tulola / lova te / ighia / laqa sua mapagha / memere madomadoke sua mapagha / tote vilimighue lo na; pale ailo magnigha la.

Those were the first people they trained.

Zepoe lo ela sua mapagha na to zau jajarighu.

This Mario and Costantione, they trained these four people.

Ailo Mario zu lo Kosi tote / ailo / pa aghava mapagha zau jajarighue lo na.

Samora was there, Langura was there, Balegho was there, Kaopia was there.

Lo Samora na otatu; / lo Langura na ota; / lo Balegho na ota; / lo Kaopia na otatu.

Those were the first people here at Lalavela to know the ways and means of the rosary.

Zepoe ela sua mapagha ata Lalavela / elakati ailo rosario lova dulo keva kapisi lolomi soghae ze na.

As for them, their big man, their first man, basically the most intelligent man of them was this Samora.

Zeze ghoi / a / zeva dui mapa na kati / zeva gnaghoa mapa; pozogho zeva kagnika lighuza sua / madomadoke mapae te ailo lo / a / Samora na.

And so Samora was to lead them in their training.

Kialo elakati Samora na te / pozogho / pale lo lo zeva jajari la lole te zau gnagho sua.

Basically he had a bit more knowledge, he was quick in understanding and learning and so on, Samora.

Pozogho lole lighuza sua memere madoke lavae / tekei taki apoi ghanali lolomighu / a; apoi lau loghoalighu teitu lo vata / Samora.

And he was chosen, Samora was to be the leader of this small mission, he would lead them, like that, out of these four Samora was their leader.

Te lo vilivili lo te lo epilighue / Samora na ekati te aiko gnagnai mison kova / kova gnaghoa mapa; lo na te elakati zau gnagho tai; teitu lo vata; ailo / a pale lo aghavagha la / Samorae te / zeva / siko sua mapa.

And these two taught them, go, go, go, go, and as I said, Samura was a bit intelligent, and so he was baptized first.

Telo / aito edo tona zau jajari bua bua bua bua aiva savuli tuite apoi Samorae memere madomadoke sua; te lo lova te / gnaghognagho toa la batisimughue.

This Samura. And they called him Peter.

A; ailo Samora; te ze Petero la ngoilighue lo na.

They baptized him as Peter Samura and they called him Peter.

Petero Samora la / to na te lo batisimulia teto Petero la ngoilizu.

After a while, three or four months went by, then these three were to be baptized.

M; / patu patu patu; / pa ighia aghava kughegha na baboa / elakati / ailo ighiva ze mane batisimughue lo na.

That is, they called Langura Isaiah, when they baptized him.

Lole lo lo Langura ze / lo Isaia la ngoilizu; / to lau batisimughu la.

He was Isaiah Langura.

Isaia Langurae lo na.

Balegho they called Nicola, Nicola Balegho.

Lo Baleghoto / Nicola la ngoilizu; / lo Nicola Balegho.

When Kaopia was baptized, they called him Andrew, he was Andrew Kaopia.

Lo Kaopia / batisimuli tulola to / Andrea la ngoilizu; / Andrew / Andrea Kaopiae lo na.

And after this they left this village and went back to Ruasura.

Telo ailo lo / a; teighu lo buringa ka / tova ailo magnigha bosolia teto / to Ruasura liazaghue lo na.

At their return to Ruasura, we don't know whereabout they died.

Ota Ruasura to liaza boghu la omave lolomizu alaliato avei.