Cows and coconut trees

During the 1940's and 1950's, New-Caledonia administration was granting 25 hectares lots to each courageous New Caledonia born settler who was applying for it. The only constraint for the grantee was to develop it as a true agricultural project. If this work was done and accepted, the settler received from the administration his full ownership title.

This tale is true, but our tales from the bush are all true, more or less. This one happened up North and more precisely in the Poum area. Names of the characters are not given and are replaced by letters having not too obvious relation with their names. It is an old event but old people from the bush and their children are quick tempered.

W. was a settler in the bush living on a small island in Poum bay. On this island he had been granted a 25 hectares plot to develop. The granting had been done a fairly long time ago and the administration eventually thought to despatch a young surveyor to assess the development work carried-out.

As soon as the young surveyor landed on the island's beach, he saw that the development requirements were by far not fulfilled. W. had committed himself to plant several hundreds of coconut trees and the surveyors was seeing only a few unhealthy specimens. He therefore advised W. that his ownership title would not be granted by the Land Committee. W. to support his case explained that on the large land next to his own, the tenant, B. raised cattle which crossed to his land and ate the coconut plants as soon as they were planted. Nevertheless B. had stubbornly refused to build a fence. W. therefore requested the administration to grant him a delay and to make compulsory for B. to build a fence.

His case was convincing. Upon the young surveyor's report the Administration disposed that B. had to build the fence and pay a compensation to W.

Then B. came to see W. and told him : "OK I will build the fence but for the compensation you know that I don't have any money, thus I propose to give you a cow and a calf instead". W. accepted, selected the cow and calf and brought them on his land.

Months passed and B. still did not build any fence. Coconuts were still not growing on W.'s land who only raised his sole cow and calf. W saw again B. to remind him of his commitments. B. replied : "but you too have cattle, you must now share the fence cost".

W stewed on this during several days, then, he climbed aboard his small boat, and rowed across Poum Bay up to the gendarmerie where he asked to be registered as opening a butcher shop in Poum. Then during several months B. was weekly coming to Poum to sell meat from his cow and calf. His customers were appreciating this steady supply of ever fresh and tender meat.

Eventually the young surveyor got the parties to accept a compromise.

• B. built the fence!
• W. closed his butcher shop!

If you visit the small islands in the beautiful Poum Bay you will see many coconut trees. This story is old and they are unfortunately now too tall to get easily coconuts to drink.

By the way, men stealing cattle are named "viandards" in New-Caledonia.