Landing Trucks On Mangaia

Full Of Thrills

MANGAIA, Cook Is.

ALTHOUGH more than half-a-dozen motor-trucks have been successfully lightered, balanced precariously be tween two whaleboats or large canoes, over Mangaia’s dangerous coral-reef, up to the last Maui Pomare’s call none of those engaged in unloading them suffered injury. This fortunate record was, how ever, broken in late November, when a native constable had one of his feet crushed by a truck that was being lowered onto the lighters.

Swinging a three-ton truck overside, as must be done here, and lowering it with exact nicety on two narrow floating plat forms, is a job requiring no little skill both aboard the steamer and the lighters.

Any miscalculation would mean the precious vehicle diving to disaster in Davy’s damp locker. Conversely, any unhandy work by the boatmen may re sult in one or more of them receiving the weight of the heavy truck on limb or body.

In spite of the accident, the truck was brought to the beach, and is now in Ad ministration service.