Year of Queer Pacific

Weather

IN a meteorological sense, this has been an extraordinary year in the Pacific.

First of all, there were reports of phenomenal droughts in various island groups, especially in the Central Pacific.

This is now being followed by reports of similarly phenomenal rainfall.

Reports published in this issue from centres as far apart as the Morobe gold field (in New Guinea), the Tailevu dis trict of Viti Levu (in Fiji), and Pitcairn Island (far over in the Eastern Pacific), tell of virtually cloudburst conditions, fol lowed by heavy and destructive floods.

It certainly would appear that old Jupiter Pluvius has allowed his mach inery to get very much out of gear dur ing the past 12 months.

The White Star-Cunard tourist liner, “Franconia”, called at Apia, Western Samoa, early in May, with 235 cruise pas sengers. She sailed later for Hawaii, in continuation of her world cruise.