Notes From Tahiti

PAPEETE, September 28.

RESIDENTS of Tahiti were pleased to welcome back Commander Jean Bracchet when the Messagerles Mari times ship “Ville de Strasbourgh” arrived in Papeete on September 3.

Commander Bracchet was in command of the “Sagittaire” until about a year ago. In September, 1947, when this ship was clearing Papeete harbour, she went aground. No harm was done and she got off again at the next high tide. When the vessel returned to France, however, a court of inquiry was held and Com mandant Bracchet accepted full respon sibility for the slight mishap and was without a command for some months.

Now he has been reinstated and given the “Ville de Strasbourg.”

Commandant Bracchet has been with the Messageries Maritimes Company for many years and has a fine reputation as a seamon. He is well-known and liked by many travellers between the French Pacific possessions and France, as well as

by those whose business takes them aboard the company’s ships.

Ca Pit Ain E-De-F Regate De

ROUGIER, who was in command of the French Navy in French Oceania during the war has now retired and has built himself a fine home in the Punaauia district of Tahiti. He says that he in tends to spend the rest of his life here.

His Naval duties have been taken over by Capitaine-de-Fregate Riviere, who also served with distinction in World War 11.

THE anniversary of the rallying of Tahiti to General de Gaulle in 1940 was observed in Tahiti on September 2. During the morning there was a re view of troops and memorial services to the fallen in both the Catholic and Protestant churches. The afternoon was given up to sport of all kinds, including horse-racing.

As well as the US Naval ship “Greenwich Bay 41,” which called in here in the course of a Pacific cruise, three Bank Line steamers have been recently in port. The latter—“Forthbank,” “Comlie bank” and “Levernbank”—are waiting to go to Makatea to load phosphate for New Zealand. Mooring chains at Makatea were recently lost; the “Forthbank,” after making one trip to the island had to re turn to Papeete for new chains.