Party of Scientists in Central Pacific

Central Pacific

THE “junk yacht” named “Cheng Ho” (described recently in the “PIM”) was in Suva recently, to meet members of the Archbold Natural History Expedition, then en route from USA.

The first to arrive were Professor John W. Coulter (University of Hawaii), Mr. Otto Degener (New York Botanical Gardens), and Mr. Emilio Ordonez (assistant to Mr. Degener).

The other members of the expedition who arrived later, were Mrs. Anne Archbold (owner of the yacht,) Miss Mary Keegan (a registered nurse and companion to Mrs. Archbold), Mr. R.

Tucker Abbott (malacologist, from

Harvard University), Mr. John Swingle, photographer. The master of the yacht is Captain Ellis P. Skolfield, a physician who is specially interested in tropical medicine.

It then was intended, after certain plant collections had been made in Fiji, that the party should proceed, on the “Cheng Ho”, to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands.

Owing to the present situation in the Pacific, it was decided that Crown Prince Tuboutoa would not proceed to his native Tonga for the Christmas holidays. The Prince had planned to fly to New Zea land, see his brother Prince Gnu there, and then go on to Nukualofa by steamer.

However, there is always a risk nowadays of a German raider being about, and it is not advisable that the heir to the Tongan throne should run the risk of becoming a hostage.

MADAM ROBOT, who returned to Noumea recently after a visit to Australia, is the wife of Mons. E. Robot, who, besides being one of New Caledonia’s principal business men, is also one of the leaders of the de Gaulle movement in that Colony.