Hurricane Circles Around

Fiji

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Feb. 10.

STARTING somewhere near Rotuma, a hurricane last week circled to the west of the Yasawas and then dis appeared south-east beyond Kadavu.

Heavy gales and torrential rain swept Viti Levu and all rivers were in high flood. Highways were blocked for two days. Fruit and cane crops suffered some damage.

The Cook Islands schooner “Tiare Tapero” was badly battered when she was caught and held by the hurricane for five days, off Kadavu. Captain Andy Thomson and the 27 persons aboard (mainly Cook Islanders, including the Ramtongan Concert Party on its way to perform in Suva) had a bad time but emerged without injury. (See elsewhere this issue.) The “Blue Lagoon” film unit in the Yasawas escaped the hurricane despite sensational reports (of unknown origin) to the contrary.

Air mails from Suva could not get across to Nadi for a week. In conse quence, this article, and various other news of early February, reached Sydney too late for publication in February

“Pim.”