Falcon Currently

Missing

[VfHEN Captain Carl Johnson *» brought the A’oniu to Auckland rom Tonga in November he said hat the famous jack-in-the-box olcano named Falcon was at present eneath the sea. He had sailed over 'alcon very recently and had made fundings of three or four fathoms 'ith nothing showing.

When the 1950 Year Book was üblished the “island” (a pile of >ose volcanic ash) was then 360 ;et high and H miles long. Since rst reported in 1865, Falcon has :peatedly popped up in successive uptions, only to be rapidly eroded »ain by the sea. It lies 45 miles NW of Nukualofa.

Captain Johnson reported also that iuafo’ou, another active Tongan dcanic island, which achieved me in the past with its Tin Can ail service and was evacuated •out six years ago after a bad uption has again been permanently ttled by about 60 copra makers.

A’oniu has been making regular calls at Niafo’ou picking • copra.

Captain Johnson said that Tonga’s laling industry, formerly carried

on by the Cook family at Tongatabu, using open boats, is now no more.

Only an occasional whale is now caught, and for the meat only, not for the oil. In October, 1939, PIM published some interesting photos of Tongan whaling activities.

Artist Charles McPhee, who has been living in Tahiti for the last eight or nine months, was married

to a local girl there recently. He and his new wife left Papeete on November 1 on Waitemata bound for Rarotonga, Cook Is., where they will live for the present. McPhee is an Australian but has lived in Poly nesia for many years. His oil paint ings of Islands scenes and people axe well known now from Australia to Tahiti—and, beyond, to the States where many of them were taken after the war by returning Gls.