In addition to the recollection of Maurice Frater, there are also the memories of the people from Ambrym.
Chief Willie Bongmatur tells the story of when the volcano erupted in 1913, as told to him by his father and grandfather who were residing at Dip Point on the northwest coast of Ambrym.
The cause of the volcanic eruption of 7 December 1913 is believed to have been the action of humans.
Chief Bongmatur’s grandfather was the chief of Lonwolwol village, the family’s traditional home at Dip Point. The village had a hospital staffed by two doctors from New Zealand, one of whom also worked as a Presbyterian missionary (Robert Lamb). There was also a school, attended by students from throughout the islands, coming from places such as Malo, Tongoa, Efate and even the southern islands.
Dip Point Hospital, West Ambrym, c.1910 (National Archives, VKS)
Chief Bongmatur tells the following story:
Long Ambrym, wan man o wan jif we oli kakae tabu faea, kokonas blong hem tabu, we evri man i no save dring mo ol woman i no save dring, be hem i blong hem wan nomo. So i mekem se long wan Sande, ol studen we oli stap long hospital, oli go long ol defren vilij antap long bus. Oli stap go skul long ol defren vilij, be yu save, kastom blong yumi, taem ol man i kam olsem oli mas kakae fastaem bifo oli go bak. Taem oli kakae finis, oli putum haf kakae long basket oli karem. Oli karem i go, ale, taem oli stap kambak ia oli lukum long rod wan kokonas, blong hae man ia, we nem blong hem Malmur. Hem i blong Hawo. Ale, sam long olgeta ia i talem:
“Kokonas ia i tabu olsem wanem? Yumi traem dring.”
Ale, oli mekem nao. Wan long olgeta ia i go antap long kokonas ia. Hem i katem i kam daon. Sapos i tekem wan nomo, inaf blong olgeta ia nomo, be i katem bandel i kam daon. Oli no finisim kokonas ia. Oli putum wud long bandel kokonas. Nao, oli karem i kam daon long solwota. Taem we oli karem i kam daon long solwota, evri man tu oli dring kokonas ia. Hem i wan fasin we oli daonem hae jif ia, from we oli daonem tabu blong hem. From long Ambrym, taem yu dring wan kokonas olsem, yu mas pem faen blong wan pig. Mo jif bae i tekem pig i go long nasara blong mekem tabu blong hem i stanap strong bakegen. Be olgeta i no mekem samting ia. Ale, i stap gogo nao, oli tokbaot se ol abu blong mifala bae oli finis long tabu faea.
[The villagers then decided to have a custom ceremony.]
Nao oli rere long vilij, oli sendem toktok i go long Not. Olgeta long Not tu i kam long seremoni ia. Wan seremoni blong ol abu ia we i finis long tabu faea. Oli mekem kakae. Long Lonwolwol, oli talem se long level ples ia. Oli putum kakae narawan saed rod mo nara saed rod. Taem we oli go stap, papa blong mi i talem se, oli go nao. Ol pikinini i go kakae long tabu faea ia long abu, we nem blong hem Wungimar. Hem i stret pikinini long hae jif blong ples ia.
Abu blong mi, from se hem i hae jif blong ples ia, i tekem tufala brata blong hem wetem wan smol papa, mo oli go long haos blong dokta. Ale dokta i tekemaot nambas blong tufala mo bigfala strap blong tufala. Ale i givim traoses long tufala, i shevem tufala, putum ol klos long tufala. Ale i brekem bred, i givim long tufala olfala ia. Hem i wan saen blong tufala i finis long tabu faea. Taem we oli finis long haos blong dokta, oli folem rod. Ale, Wungimar i go pusum han long ol laplap we oli mekem i stap. Ale hem i tekem wan pis kakae long han blong hem, i putum antap, ale i toktok:
“Ol fren, ol bigman, ol woman, mo ol pikinini. Olsem we mi stamba blong kastom, nao mi singaot Skul tu i kam. Tedei yumi kam wan. Ol samting i fri.”
Ale, i pusum han long kakae ia i folem rod i go krosem rod, i mekem sem fasin. Taem we hem i mekem aksen ia, ol hae man long defren vilij oli kam daon. Oli lukluk, oli krae. Oli krae from we ol hae man blong kastom oli finis mo oli kam daon.
Taem we ol seremoni i finis, oli go bak, be i gat wan narafala olfala blong Nakul, nem blong hem Ling Mal. Hem, hem i no kam. Be taem ol man oli go bak nao hem i askem:
“Yufala i go be tufala hae man blong Lonwolwol oli talem wanem?”
Oli talem se:
“Oli talem se naoia evri samting i fri mo ol man i kam wan.”
Taem ia nao, Ling Mal i talem se:
“Oraet, bae yufala i go talem long tufala hae man ia se bambae long tu wik bae mi kam visitem ples blong tufala.”
Be taem i talem tu wik ia, hem i putum taem blong volkeno i ronem Dip Point. Hem ia nao, tu wik ia, oli luk saen blong volkeno. I gat wan klaod we mifala i kolem Worwor. Taem i pusum olsem, i poenem wan ples. Hem i minim se volkeno, taem hem i jam long hol, bae i go olsem mo bambae i folem rod ia. Hem ia nao, taem we volkeno hem i bloap, hem i kamaot long hol blong hem long midel blong aelan. Hem i long wei ia. Mi no save hamas kilometa. Nao i kam from. Taem i kam aot long hol, hem i flae olsem pijin. Gogo, i kam sidaon long Dip Point, long hospital. Taem i kam daon long hospital i no gat taem. Ol man oli kam long solwota. Oli tekem olgeta olfala mo putum olgeta long bot. Sip i sakem olgeta long Malakula, long Lamap, mo long Weso, mo long Bui, long ol ples ia, from hem i klosap.
Chief Bongmatur then relates the story of what happened to the evacuees. Boats from other islands also came to rescue villagers. Some went to live on other islands and some went to stay with relatives in other villages on Ambrym, such as Chief Bongmatur’s family when they returned from Malakula. But the people of Dip Point remember the cause of the 1913 volcanic explosion.
Tedei, mifala i save tu se naoia problem i no save hapen from we ol olfala oli draonem basket blong kastom ia. Taem we oli bin ronwe i go long Malakula, olfala ia, Ling Mal, i bin ron tu ia. Taem oli go long Malakula nao sam long ol olfala ia i wantem sakem olfala [Ling Mal] long solwota, wetem masket blong hem. Be wan narafala olfala i bin blokem. Be oli sakem basket blong hem nomo aot long sip, we hem i bin fulumap wetem hed blong devel, we volkeno i stap long hem. Hem ia nao, taem we oli sakem basket ia, wetem masket blong hem, oli luk se hed blong devel ia i faerap. Hem ia i min se paoa ia oli sakem long solwota. Hem ia nao i mekem se problem blong volkeno i stop.
The photo opposite was taken by anthropologist Felix Speiser during his work in Vanuatu from 1910-1912. It is entitled, ‘Drum, Ambrym, height 350 centimetres.’ Speiser took this photo before Mt. Benbow erupted in 1913, destroying this drum and many other aspects of the culture of the Dip Point area. This drum is the famous Etingting Gelan, which belonged to the Mweleun Namal of Dip Point.
eng_Latn eng_Latn eng_Latn eng_Latn eng_Latn eng_Latn tpi_Latn tpi_Latn tpi_Latn eng_Latn tpi_Latn tpi_Latn tpi_Latn tpi_Latn tpi_Latn tpi_Latn fin_Latn tpi_Latn kmb_Latn tpi_Latn tpi_Latn eng_Latn tpi_Latn eng_Latn