In 1820 Levuka was established as the first modern town in Fiji. Further to this at the height of the American civil war from 1861-1865, the whites were drawn to Fiji because of the rising price of cotton and beche-de-mer (sea cucumber).
However, one group of people on the island of Ovalau were considered by these early European settlers as troublemakers. The people of Lovoni did not embrace the Europeans, they refused to accept Christianity and often ambushed and raided the town before returning to their fortified territory.
According to the book Fiji’s Times by Kim Graville, which is sourced from the National Archives, Cakobau captured the Lovoni people not by might but by the vere vaka Bau (deception or trickery).
A missionary was sent and managed to lure the people into the trap. They were intoxicated with wine while others were beaten and captured and sold as slaves.
In another account, the Lovoni dwarf priests and two warriors were sold to an American circus. Others were sold to work in farms around the country and even overseas.
In the process, the white men provided aid to Ratu Cakobau — a contributing factor that gave rise to his supremacy.
However, not all of the Lovoni people were caught. Some managed to escape, and now reside in places around the country which they now call home. Some are now in Vanuakula, Waidina in Naitasiri, some in Taveuni and other places.
Another group who sought refuge on the island of Gau has since returned to their home in Nukutocia, on the coast of Ovalau.
According to Marika Tauva Bulimaibau of the yavusa o Qarani, mataqali (landowning unit) Naivi and tokatoka Naivisovadrau, the people of Nukutocia had sought help from Bau but they were told to go to Qarani.
“Era sa qai lako mai na kai Nukutocia ena nodra drotaki Ratu Cakobau. Era qai mai va koro talega e Nakeli, na koro makawa kei Qarani. Mai yabaki tolu nodra mai tiko. Sa oti na ivalu nei Ratu Cakobau, ka lesu tale ki Bau, era sa qai lesu tale na kai Nukutocia era tiko ena koro makawa (Three years after being protected by the people of Qarani and when Ratu Cakobau had returned to Bau, the people of Nukutocia decided it was time to return to their home on Ovalau).”
Mr Bulimaibau said before they left, they asked if they could take a chief with them to be their chief and leader.
“Na gauna era sa lesu kina oya, era sa qai kerea me duavata kei ira na Radau mera lako vata. O Radau ka liutaki ira tiko mai na kai Qairani, ka soli toka vua na itutu vaka Tui Levuka. Nodra lesu na kai Nukutocia, era sa lesu vata talega na kai Levuka, ko a turaga ka sara lai tiko mai Nukutocia. O koya na turaga era a kauta eke, ko ya era qai lai bulia me Tui Gavo tiko nikua, e turaga tiko mai Nukutocia me yacova tiko mai ena gauna nikua (When they went, the Radau, the turaga na Tui Levuka, chief of the people of Qarani, had crossed the Lomaiviti waters with them, and was installed as their chief. The first Tui Gavo, chief of the people of Nukutocia, was the Tui Levuka of Qarani who accompanied them).”
Mr Bulimaibau said today the people of Qarani and Nukutocia were closely related.
He said whenever the people of Qarani travelled to Ovalau, they must first go to Nukutocia for they were like the traditional gateway to the island.
“O ira na tiko mai kea, na kedra qele e se tiko qo, na nodra qele na kai Levuka. Dua na gauna lekaleka ga qo sa bokoci kina na yacadra. Ira era a volai tu vakarua, era sa qai tarogi, kemuni via volai e Nukutocia se e Qarani, baleta na kemudou qele e tiko mai Qarani? Era sa qai kaya mera sa volai ga e Nukutocia (For our people who followed the Radau to Nukutocia, their land still awaits them. Just recently they have agreed to take their name away from our VKB because they are registered in Nukutocia. Despite everything they are still the kai Levuka of Qarani Gau).”
Qarani
A mention of the village Qarani on Gau and two names will come to our mind — the famous Rauluni brothers and Waisale Serevi. All of whom graced the national and international rugby pitch.
Qarani is the main centre of the island. The police station, health centre, post office and probably the country’s longest ever jetty which stretches about 250m is located on the island.
Qarani is located on the northern part of the island of Gau with Batiki floating directly adjacent to it, hiding Wakaya.
Nairai is towards the right while Ovalau is to the left.
According to Mr Bulimaibau, the mataqali of Naivi initially resided on Mount Delaco but because of an increase in their population, their ancestors decided to leave the highest mountain on the island and journeyed down towards the coast.
He said they arrived at Delailagi (Delai Qarani) which was already occupied by the landowning unit of Levua, Vatabaka and Nabiauva.
“Sa qai lako mai na mataqali o Naivi ka ra tiko mai e Delai Qarani, ena dua tale na tokaitua. Era tiko mai ekea me yacova na gauna era sa lako sobu mai kina ki baravi. Sa qai liutaki ira mai kina na turaga ni mataqali o Naivi. A turaga tu e Qarani na Tui Levuka. Era tiko mai Delai Qarani sa qai lewa na turaga na Tui Levuka me sa liutaki ira mai na turaga ni mataqali o Naivi o Radau (Tui Levuka) sa qai liutaki ira mai ena nodra lakolako mai ya (The mataqali Naivi joined them, whose chief was the Tui Levuka led by the Radau. The Tui Levuka then informed them it was time to move to another place, so the Radau led their migration).”
But before they departed, their god Tawaketini saw smoke rising from Vanuaso, a neighbouring village.
Mr Bulimaibau said Taweketini then asked his two warriors if they could see what was the problem at Koroni — the old village site of Vanuaso.
Koroni was an impenetrable fortress with huge rocky cliffs as its backdrop. The village was only accessible from the seaward side.
Taweketini sensed something was up and told his two warriors not to enter the village from the seaward side. He said they followed a ridge from Delai Qarani, followed a mountainous terrain before they reached a waterfall.
It was at the waterfall they used vines to swing across. Today that waterfall is called Savuralele — savu is waterfall and ra lele means to carry across or to cross over.
Mr Bulimaibau added the two warriors then climbed another mountain. They were working their way around the most treacherous tracks.
Mr Bulimaibau added they scaled the side of a cliff using their bow as their cane to protect them from falling. This is the origin of the name of one of the mataqali in Vanuaso Naititokodakai (meaning the bow that was used as the cane).
From the top, they could see that Vanuaso was attacked by the army of Sawaieke, which was led by the Takala-i-Gau. He added the two warriors worked their way to the village without being caught.
He added with their bow and arrows, they ambushed the Sawaieke army. The arrows pierced and rattled the Sawaieke army, thus causing them to retire and flee.
“Na gauna nikua na nodra siro mai ena koro vou nikua, era sa qai mai solia me nodra iQusiniloaloa vei Qarani, na loma ni koro o Vanuaso, ya e kilai tu ya na rara ni kai Qarani. Sega ni dua e kaila vakaveitalia mai na koro o Vanuaso, na kai Qarani ga. Na kaila, na qito kei na vakasausa na kai Qarani ga. O ira na kai Vanuaso era na rokova, baleta ni rara ni kai Qarani. Ai karua ni solisoli ni Qusiniloaloa na ika mai Vanuaso me kei Qarani. E sega ni rawa ni dua na kai Vanuaso e kauta takoso na ika e vanua oqo, kevaka kauta vunivuni ena ca na ika oya, kevaka sega ena rawa ni tavuki na nodra waqa. Ni yaco yani e Vanuaso na kai Qarani ena soli ga vua na ika (As part of their qusiniloaloa, acknowledgement and thanking us for helping them their village ground is our village ground. No one else is allowed to make noise or shout in the village, only the people of Qarani. Their second gift to us is the fish of Vanuaso. Whenever someone from Qarani is in Vanuaso, the Vanuaso people cannot eat fish, thus they must hand it over to that person. If their boat is journeying out to sea, they cannot hide the fish and cross Qarani. Two things can happen either the fish goes bad or the boat can overturn. They gave us the fish for helping them — they cannot hide it from us).”
Mr Bulimaibau said from Delailagi their next village site was Nakorolevu, before they moved to Navuniwasa, Nabou, Nadovu and then Nakeli.
It was at Nakeli when the people of Nukutocia were protected from the wrath of Ratu Cakobau.
It was at Nakeli where Christianity was accepted before they moved to the current village site of Qarani, the place known as Kutau.
