The House That Wahlen Built

RECENT reference in the PIM to the fine house built by Heinrich Rudolph Wahlen or Maron, in the Hermit Group, north west of the Territory of New Guinea, brought to my mind ar incident of 1937, when I was aboard the little Carpenter steamer Coombar, in that region.

The Coombar, all out, was hurry ing through the brief tropical dusk to make the glassy-smooth anchor age at Maron, before nightfall blotted out the essential landmarks which guided us through the reefs There was some significant com ment on the bridge as we passed a rapidly-decaying wreck, perched or the sunken reef on our starboard hand.

I recall Captain Tom Proctoi saying that according to his infor mation, the great HRW was him self aboard the vessel, hurrying back to Maron from the Anchorites for Christmas, It was night; but that had nevei mattered then, because always, al nightfall, a lamp was set at one oi the windows in the tower of the big home on the top of Maron; and another was placed somewhere below, and these two lights, broughl into line, gave a lead clear of al. dangers.

But this occasion was Christina!

Eve and, somehow, someone hac forgotten to put the light in the tower. So the ship went in on the single light for the last time There were no casualties.

Another reminder of the Wahler empire, visible then in 1937, was the rusty iron ship’s bell hanging fron a branch of a fig tree, at every one of the island plantations in the Ninigo-Hermit-Anchorite area. Casi into each bell were the initial!

HRW. We may suppose that these have long since been souvenired bj the Armv of one nation or another It would be interesting to knov the full history of the old house

during the late war.-

Jps.

"Wahlenburgh," the big house built by Mr. H. R. Wahlen on Maron, Hermit Group, NG, nearly 50 years ago. From photo taken in May, 1937, by J. P. Shortall,