When the Crew Went
p. 61 · Read in the full issue
Bullets Out Of The
Night
When the Crew Went Overboard
IN the early hours of the morning of May 10, there was a particularly lively incident in the port of La basa, Vanua Levu, Fiji, where the well known inter-island motor vessel, “Adi Rewa”, was then lying.
A young man, Eric Hunter, aged 25, became involved in some trouble aboard the ship, and the captain sent him ashore. The young man apparently felt his position bitterly, and nursed his grievance to a flame. He procured a .22 rifle, and a number of cartridges, emd proceeded to stalk the “Adi Rewa”. with alleged felonious intent.
It was after 1 a.m., and the captain and crew of the “Adi Rewa” were sound asleep. Suddenly the silence of the lazy tropic night was broken by the report of a rifle; and some crockery was struck by a ricochetting bullet, and made a startling clamour.
Everyone woke up. Then, it is al leged, there was a dreadful howling noise ashore, and another bullet came crash ing onto the little vessel. The crew de cided that there was an attack in force and that, lacking arms, no useful pur pose was to be served by awaiting the invaders. With celerity, and a remark able unanimity of purpose, they leapt into the water on the other side of the vessel, while two more shots rang out, and two more bullets came whining out of the darkness.
The captain and officers, however, soon discerned the cause of the remark able disturbance, and succeeded in get ting hold of the frenzied young man and handing him over to the police. The latter made a mouthful of it—disorderly conduct, wantonly discharging a firearm in a public place, and being armed with a weapon with intent to commit a felony —and Hunter was sentenced to one day’s imprisonment and fined £7/10/-.