Hebridean News

By Vernon Wheatley

SANTO, July 17.

A FELLOW traveller on the Morinda was Major Fregard, who was scheduled to take up an Administra tive appointment in the Solomons. While at sea, two hours out from Vila, he re ceived news that he had been trans ferred to this Group and will ultimately take over from Mr. Maxwell, District Officer at Santo, early in 1951.

IT IS A VERY SMALL WORLD. When I went ashore at Lenakel, Tanna, the first person I met was Mr. George Fores tier, who had been a neighbour of mine on Norfolk Island. He is well-known both in this group and in New Caledonia and his fame is assured on Tanna, as he walked out of the surf when the Ness was wrecked there, with all his possessions in a very portable form.

Singlet and trousers.

BENEATH a coconut palm at Lenakel lies £28,000. That represents the value of the Ness, now just smashed timbers.

Ness should be an example to all ship owners—never run a lighting system off the batteries used to start diesel engines.

There was not enough power left in the batteries to start the motors when Ness got into difficulties.

Million Dollar Point. Some

people call it Billion Dollar Point. The hundred or so yards of road leading to the actual Point has surely the most ex pensive foundation in the world for it is formed of practically everything from teacups to bulldozers. To the right lies a large planer with its original packing case just starting to disintegrate. Like the rest of the ex-US war material, it is well past redemption, even if it were legal to salvage it.

At high water, sections of machinery protrude above the waves and at low water hundreds of articles can be seen lying on the bottom. Cruising backwards and forwards over an area covering per haps an acre, one can see cranes, rol lers and general machinery; desk tele phones and massive propeller shafting, all of which represents a monument to man’s stupidity.

Off-shore lies the President Coolidge, an American transport holed fore and aft by two mines used in the defence of the Segond Canal. Local rumour says that a million dollars lie in the hull of the ship about two hundred feet below the surface. Hence the name of the Point.

INTERESTING VISITOR to Santo was the 10,000-ton diesel engined vessel, Me kong, operated by the French Govern ment. On her maiden voyage, the ship loaded 3,000 tons of copra for France and she also carried a large quantity of Aus tralian wool.

Ornate and comfortable accommoda tion is provided for both passengers and crew. I was told that one could travel on her from Santo to Marseilles for the sum of £3O. It does not sound possible.

BASTILLE DAY was celebrated with a series of charming official and private functions conducted with customary French delicacy and friendliness.

SHIPWRECK. Messrs. BP’s vessel Koro, ripped out a portion of her hull on a reef and sank with her masts pro trudmg above the water. She had a valuable cargo on board plus a fair H,w int * c^ sh - Mr - Keith Solway, v!y er ’ ?^ nto > h ad planned to visit So lus diving gear was shipped spect K him m ° rdor that he might in "