Bothersome Falcon

Must It Be Annexed Again?

FALCON Island, in the Tonga Group, which has been bobbing up and down and worrying mariners for about 200 years, is in the news again. The New Zealand frigate “Hawea”, en route to Samoa with a new High Commissioner, reported nine fathoms, by echo-sounder, on the place where Faison was last seen (in 1946).

There are a number of these volcanic banks in this region of active volcanoes; but Falcon is remarkable because it keeps on appearing and re-appearing.

It was first observed as a reef in the latter part of the 18th century and 100 years later it was found to have grown into a strip of barren land a mile and a quarter long and 153 ft. high. Then it subsided into the sea; but in 1896 the small remaining reef broke into violent eruption and produced an island of pumice stone more than 100 ft. high In succeeding years Falcon Island dis appeared and reappeared at irregular intervals, its most spectacular return from the ocean depths occurring in 1927, when volcanic explosions were visible as far away at Nukualofa, on Tongatabu.

Early in 1946 it had again vanished.

There was a depth of five fathoms there about the end of 1946. and now there are nine fathopis; so it looks as if Falcon is at present on the way down.

Falcon has been a source of some an noyance to the Government of Tonga.

When it really looked like an island, back in last century, the Kingdom of Tonga formally annexed it. Some years later it disapneared. When it re-appeared in 1896, and seemed disnosed to make itself a solid island, Tonga in 1927 solemnly annexed it again. Now that it is again under the waves, some troubled people want to know if it remains Tongan soil, or must it be again annexed when it makes its next appearance.

A draft Bill to establish a Court of Appeal in Fiji is at present under con sideration.