Ambrym.

The Hurricane In

Philosophic Planter's Observations.

LAST year we published a letter from Mr. W. H. Grube, a North German planter, who has settled down in the British section of the New Hebrides.

Mr. Grube had suffered heavy losses in a hurricane, but he had endured them with great cheerfulness and philosophy—and we published his letter to show the fine spirit which animates the men who have to contend with nature in the Pacific Islands.

Mr. Grube has now been through another hurricane and. again we take the opportunity of publishing his comments.

Late on the evening of April 7 (says Mr. Grube) the island of Ambrym, in the New Hebrides, was again swept by a terrific hurricane, which lasted from 6 p.m. until 12.30 a.m. It was not as strong as the hurricane of February 23, 1932, and it did not cause the same destruction among the coconuts — probably because the palms had been shrivelling up for months under an attack of the coconut fly, and there fore did not present the same resistance to the wind. For all that, we lost another ten per cent, of our coconut palms.

Owing to the destruction caused last year, I had planted a large garden containing all the native vegetables as well as such European vegetables as will grow here —tomatoes, cabbages, beans, radishes —but the hurricane swept away every vestige of it.

The wind also swept away the stout sapling fences which we had erected with much labour to keep out the native pigs. The latter will creep through anything—barbed wire is no use whatever. Large numbers of build ings roofed with native thatch were partially destroyed. As thatching material is net available now, and the price of copra is too low to allow us

to buy corrugated iron, the buildings must just stay unroofed.

I also lost a launch. I could have saved her if I could have had assist ance, but the rain was pouring down and the natives absolutely refuse to work in very wet weather. On top of it all, I went down with an attack of malaria and nervous collapse.

After the hurricane, the natives fol lowing their usual practice, looked for the man who is supposed to have caused the blow. They found him in a village on the South Coast of Ambrym, and promptly shot him and buried him beside the track. They sought a scape-goat in similar fashion after the 1932 hurricane, but the gentleman whom they selected hap pened to be a man of influence and some wealth, and the transfer of a few dollars saved his life.

The natives in the devastated areas last year were fed with rice by the Condominium Government. The same thing will have to be done again.

Conditions are very bad; the natives will have to be fed at least until they can plant and reap a crop of sweet potatoes.

We Europeans who are under the British flag are even worse off. The British planters got no assistance after the 1932 hurricane and, presumably, they will be no better off now. We shall just have to live from hand to mouth until conditions improve and hurricanes leave us alone.

I expected this hurricane. I have noticed that we get them usually in three successive years. That was the case in 1918-1922. Then there were no hurricanes until 1932. We have now had one in 1932, and in 1933, and we can expect another next year.

Just before this last blow, I rode on horseback to my father’s station, eight miles away. I noticed along the track countless huge spider-webs—l had to brush them away continually, as the webs stuck to one’s face and clothing like glue. I told my father that we were in for another hurricane, because the spiders were placing their webs so near the ground. In normal times one rarely sees them, especially on the main roads. Sure enough, it came.

The hurricane struck Paama and Epi, and also the South coast of Malekula. It was curiously localised, however. A few miles away from its main track there was little or no damage and one may see half of Ambrym devastated and the other half practically untouched.

The Presbyterian Mission Station at Paama was unroofed. The natives, however, quickly replaced what roofing they could find and prevented a com plete loss. The Rev. M. Prater was away on furlough, and the natives acted on their own initiative.

Were it not for hurricanes and volcanoes, this place would be a Paradise to live in. But mankind is always being harassed with one thing or another; so I suppose one must just regard these troubles as making life worth living.

Mr. George Jeffreys, accompanied by his wife, arrived in Sydney, en route to Adelaide, by the “Mariposa” on June 19.

Mr. Jeffreys is the representative in South Australia of the Bulolo Gold Dredging Co. He is also a director of Guinea Airways, Ltd., and Fiji Airways, Ltd.