Through South

Seas In 1885

Apia Resident’s Voyage In The “Buster”

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, November 1.

ON October 5, 1885,. a small three-masted schooner, the “Buster,” left Auckland harbour, New Zealand, for a lengthy cruise around the South Sea Islands. The. purpose of the voyage was to make a complete round of inspection of the numerous Island stations of the Auckland firm of Henderson and Macfarlane Ltd., to whom the “Buster” belonged, and also to find sites for new stations.

Captain was in command, with Mr. Geo. Dunnet as supercargo, and on board were Mr. Frederick J. Moss, a member of the N.Z. House of Represen tatives, and Mr. T. Andrew, an Auckland photographer. The story of this interest ing months cruise through many little known Island groups, is graphically told in a book written by Mr. Moss and pub lished in London in 1889 entitled, “Through Atolls and Islands in the Great South Sea,” illustrated with many excellent photo graphs taken by Mr. Andrew.

Of the ship’s company on that memor able trip, as far as is known, only Mr.

Andrew, now nearly 80 ydars old, is still alive. He is still in harness and mentally and physically very lively with a splendid memory and a keen interest in life. After a span of 50 years he is still able to tell of the many queer sights and incidents during the voyage.

He relates of the visit to Niue Island, where Rev. Frank Lawes was in charge of the London Missionary Society; of Suwar row Island, the rendezvous of the old South

Sea pirate, Bully Hayes, where his guns were found; of Manihiki, famed for beauti ful hats made of the pandanus leaf; of Penrhyn, the pearling island; of Swain’s Island, where the Jennings family holds sway; and of the Tokelaus, the Gilberts and the Marshalls, where many strange personalities were met with.

Calls were also made in the Mortlocks, at that time thickly populated, and at Pleasant Island (Nauru), where Mr.

Andrew missed the chance of a lifetime, taking a photograph of a rocky outgrowth believed to be a fossil formation and which later proved to be pure phosphate.

On Nauru Mr. Andrew met the famous writer Louis Becke and spent a night in his house. Interesting also were the old mysterious ruins encountered at Ponape Island in the Caroline group.

On the “Buster” Mr. Andrew returned 1o Auckland, but a short time later went to Fiji and the New Hebrides. In 1890 he went to Samoa and has been settled here ever since as a photographer, planter (he planted the first para rubber in Samoa and was one of the pioneer cocoa plan ters) and later as a merchant. Sixty-six years without a holiday and a rest —and not a day of sickness —is surely a record to be proud of.