Death Of Captain

J. R. Mackay.

Captain John Ronald Mackay,

who, 40 years ago was a well known identity in the recruiting trade between Queensland and the South Seas, died at Brisbane on December 23, aged 78.

As chief mate of the Sybil and sub sequently as commander of the Hector, Captain Mackay was engaged in recruiting native labour for the Queensland canefields. In 1896 he joined the Queensland Pilot Service in which he remained for five years.

Later he went to Fiji, where as com mander of the Amrah, he carried on an inter-island mail service.

During his years of recruiting in Melanesia, Captain Mackay had many adventures. Once on Malaita he was made a native chief, and solemnly invested with the insignia of royalty— a shoulder strap of teeth and shells.

Mr. R. B. Jackson, Warrant Officer at Rabaul, New Guinea, has been ap pointed to take charge of the Adminis tration’s new motor vessel “Leander”, which will be stationed in the New Ire land District for patrol work.

Mr. Wallace H. Smith, chairman of Emperor Mines, Ltd., and a director of Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines, N.L., has re turned to Melbourne, after a six months’ comprehensive tour of the most im portant mining fields in the world.

Samiuela Fonua, a young Tongan, and Fuata Taito, of Rotuma, Fiji, who have been in Australia for nine months giv ing weekly Church talks on the work of the Methodist Overseas Mission in Polynesia, have now returned to their homes in Central Pacific.

School-children in Port Moresby, Papua, photographed in November, 1937.