Palmerston Rats
p. 52 · Read in the full issue
Total War On
Since Tom Neale booked his sec ond-class single berth for Suwarrow, loneliest island of the Cooks (PIM, September p. 121), the Mahurangi
has been busy on more pressing chores. She finally expected to clea* Avarua for the western islands of thj group in early October.
Meanwhile, Tom and his tom-caE have been joined in the passenge: queue by a man with a set of rat traps, pockets abulge with rat-poisoi —and by still more cats, not necess sarily tom. This employee of thi Administration and an unstated numr ber of assistants are off on a rat blitz to Palmerston Island where thi population is being eaten out oc house and home. They plan to re main there while Mahurangi con tinues north to Suwarrow, Nassau Puka Puka and return. But the cat! —excepting always Tom’s tom —an likely to serve a lengthier tour oc duty on William Marsters’s island.
Somewhat apart and looking de cidedly superior is a group of well bred hens, again fares paid by thj Administration, which are expecteo to do their best towards improving the present impoverished poultr strain. But some of the cats haw been noted looking over them sig nificantly.
Other passengers will include Johi Numa, medical practitioner, making an official round, and meteorologies observer Toka off to relieve Johi.
Marsters for his annual leave.