Story Of Storm

What Happened To

Cikobia

Little Cikobia lies away out in the ocean, some 30 miles from Udu Point, the most northerly end of Vanua Levu, in Fiji. There were four towns on the island. Two towns have churches, and there are several wooden buildings as well.

When the trading cutter left Cikobia on February 16, the island lay smiling under the tropic sun, the trees bearing plenty of food-stuffs, and the natives happy and contented.

When the vessel returned on March 9, fallen and stripped trees were all that could be seen. The island literally had been swept bare. The wooden houses were down, and not a single native house remained. One church had been blown off its foundation, and the other stood at a dangerous angle. The peo ple were living on dried copra and wild tapioca.

The natives say that never before has the island had a hurricane which lasted so long. Only one death was re ported.

It seems that when the second “blow” came, many were sheltering in the church, and when the hurricane looked like starting again after the lull, the natives sought other refuge, all ex cept one old man. After the storm had passed over, the people found that the church had partly broken un and, out side, the old man was found folded in his mat, dead.