“Ville de Papeete’s” New
p. 33 · Read in the full issue
French Inter-Island
Shipping.
“Ville de Papeete’s” New Service.
From Our Own Correspondent
Papeete, May 18.
A FEW months ago it was announced that the Messageries Maritimes pro posed bringing a 2,000 ton steamer from France to inaugurate a regular inter-island freight and passenger ser vice throughout French Oceania as an auxiliary to the line which runs about every six weeks between New Caledonia and France, calling at Tahiti both ways en route. This project has apparently been abandoned, at any rate for the time being, and it is now stated that the Messageries Company has chartered the “Ville de Papeete” in order to test out the possibilities of the scheme before embarking upon it in a larger way.
The “Ville de Papeete,” a coal burner of 600 tons, was built on the Clyde and arrived here in 1929 to the order of the Compagnie des Phosphates de l’Oceanie by which concern she has been used be tween the phosphate island, Makatea, and Tahiti. The vessel has accommoda tion for eight cabin passengers, and, al though her itinerary has not yet been published, it is presumed that she will be taken over by the Messageries Co. as from June 1.