Rotuma Memories

, Letter to the Editor A RECENT article on Rotuma in “PIM” brings to my memory some calls I made there many years ago.

In July, 1903, while on the way from Vila, in the New Hebrides, to Nukulaelae. in the Ellice Group, in the SS “Ysabel,” the derrick at No. 2 hatch came down with a run. Jack Lanyan, our half-caste launch-boy, happened to be coming aft from the foc’s’le when it happened and the derrick caught him. His thigh was shockingly injured.

Captain Voy, after getting his morning sights, found we were 90 miles north west of Rotuma, so we headed for there, praying that a doctor might be on the island.

We were boarded by the officer in charge of the island, who also hapoened to be a doctor. His name was, I believe, Dr.

MacDonald.

The doctor said if we called back in three months he would guarantee that Lanyan would be all right again but for a limp. We called back in October and, sure enough, Lanyan was well, but with a limp.

My next call at Rotuma was at the end of July, 1908, when we put in at the island to pick up tax copra in the SS “Muniara.” I remember we had to pick up from two ports, and I was given a horse to ride over to the other side of the island to have the copra weighed be fore the arrival of the steamer. Not having been on a horse for some years, I suffered for days afterwards, and only hoped that the horse did not suffer as much as I did.

We left Rotuma on July 31. 1908, and experienced westerly gales all the way to the Australian coast, taking 19 days to Sydney. We arrived the day before the American Fleet was due and I, as super cargo, was accused of having deliberated delayed the arrival of the vessel in order to see the American Fleet, whereas we really did not know the fleet was due. there being no wireless on island freighters in those days.

I am. etc.,

An Old-Time Supercargo.

Sidney, May 29, 1945.