Captain Viggo

Famous Skipper of Central Pacific

From Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, Sept. 23.

/"\NE of the best-known skippers in the V/ Pacific, Captain Viggo Rasmussen, recently paid a short visit to Raro tonga. For seven years Captain Viggo has been Resident Agent of Penrhyn Island, in the Northern Cook Group, and, owing to the exigencies of war conditions,

this was his first break since he took over.

Of Danish parentage, Viggo Rasmussen ran away to sea as a youngster, and eventually reached the Cook Islands at the age of 18. Since that day, he never has left the Islands, although he was in correspondence with his sister until Den mark was over-run. He eventually mar ried, and settled down on the tiny island of Mitiaro.

But the sea called, and after a few years he became supercargo and finally skipper of several inter-island schooners.

His longest command was “Tiare Taporo,” owned by A. B. Donald, Ltd., trading in the Cook Groups and Society Islands. He is not only a sea-captain, but an ex cellent business man, musician, artist and linguist. It is said that he knows the dialect of every island from Niue to the Tuamotus.

A score of books have been dedicated to this Pacific veteran, including Nord hoff and Hall’s famous “Mutiny of the Bounty”—“To Captain Viggo Rasmussen . . . who sails the seas the ‘Bounty’ sailed.” Nearly fifty years’ experience of the Pacific—of ships and storms and little-known islands in the back of be yond, of Tahiti and its gaiety, and the dignified leisure of the Islands in by gone days—such a story would rival those of Stevenson and Becke at their best.

A great welcome was given Captain Viggo and Mr. H. H. Hickling (Resident Agent of Aitutaki) on their ’ arrival in Rarotonga. Judge Ayson, the retiring Resident Commissioner, was Viggo’s

friend for twenty-seven years.

A week of re-unions was ended by his departure on the very schooner he him self had sailed for so many years. Cap tain Viggo has returned to his lonely post.

Captain Rasmussen takes a sight from the “Tiare Taporo.”