His Distinction:

He Never

Hit A Reef!

Brother Francis Brahman, of the Vunapope Mission, near Rabaul, in New Guinea, who died a few weeks ago, earned distinction because, in 25 years of unbroken service, he navigated the Mission boat through out the tortuous waters of the Bismark Archipelago, and visited

practically every port and anchor age on those half-charted coasts and never once put his craft on a reef.

On the one occasion when he handed over his command to a co-worker, the unfortunate under study ran the little ship, the Julius, on to a reef in the Bainings area; and that outcrop is still known as Julius Reef.

Brother Francis was born in Germany 78 years ago, and joined the mission staff in New Guinea in 1913. He retired from the sea owing to ill-health in the late thirties, but even in his declining years he would make trips to Manus and Buka. Right up to his death, he was the Vunapope Mis sion’s watchmaker.

The Late Brother Francis.