The Mill Stone Again

Some Very Early Recollections

SINCE a photograph of the Marquis de Rays’ mill-stone appeared in the February issue of “PIM,” a number of interesting comments have been re ceived from readers. 'One of the most in teresting comes from Count van Asten- Goedicke, of Haapai, Tonga, who states that he saw the old mill-stone at Port Breton over 60 years ago.

In early January, 1884, he was engaged by the German Consul in Sydney as an assistant to Herr von Oertzen, then Im perial German Commissioner for the Bis marck Archipelago, who was to proceed to New Britain to select a suitable site for the Capital.

“. . . We left Sydney on January 6, by HIMS ‘Albatross,’ commanded by Count von Baudisin and arrived in Mioko, Duke of York Islands, on Januarv 15.

Mr. R. Parkinson was asked bv' von Oertzen to join us as guide as he had visited most of New Britain and New Ireland. On January 18, 1884, we landed at Port Breton, New Ireland, a place which showed signs of recent habitation, but was then deserted—a place covered with rubbish. There was an old boiler, I remember, some old broken tanks, several street names, such as ‘Rue de Rivoli, L’Hotel de ville,’ etc., and the old stone which Mr. Parkinson pointed out to us, expressing the opinion that it was to have been used for crushing copra.

“Mr. Farrell, who is referred to in the February article, assisted only the last settlers who arrived at Port Breton. He sent them to Sydney in his schooner, ‘Elenore,’ having made a very suspicious agreement with the captain of the barque, ‘Marquis de Rays’ whereby Farrell took the barque and everything left at Port Breton in exchange for getting the colonists to Sydney. During my time in New Britain, the barque was on the beach in front of the DH and PG office at Mioko. The firm intended to fill her with sand and stones and use her as a wharf.”