Calliope Relics

Now Rest In Western Samoa

Prom Our Own Correspondent APIA, August 7.

A PLEASING little ceremony took place on July 20, 1953, at Apia Courthouse, W. Samoa, when Captain G. N. Brewer, DSO, RN, Naval Attache to the United King dom High Commissioner in New Zealand, presented to Samoa, on be half of the British Admiralty and the British Iron and Steel Company, some relics of the famous British warship HMS Calliope.

Calliope, of course, is closely con nected with Samoan history and the disastrous hurricane of March 15, 1889. On that day seven men-of war were in Apia Harbour—three German, three American and one British— Calliope. When the blow began, Captain H. C. Kane decided to try to get Calliope out to sea.

After an epic fight he succeeded.

The other ships were wrecked.

Although this happened over 50 years ago, Calliope was afloat until the end of 1951 when she made her last voyage from the Tyne to Blyth to be broken up.

The relics consisted of the massive steering wheel of Calliope, a rams horn cleat, and a bunker plate. A

large and representative gathering witnessed the handing over of the relics which, for the time being, are to be preserved at Apia Court House.

Captain Brewer, who was accom panied by his wife, briefly sketched the history of the hurricane and the outstanding and courageous actions of Captain Kane of the Calliope and his gallant crew which he compared to the famous feat of the British gunboat Amethyst in 1949, in running the gauntlet of Communist guns on the Yangtze River in China.

The High Commissioner, Mr. G. R.

Powles, in accepting the relics, mentioned the proud record of the Samoan people during the hurri cane when they courageously and at the risk of their own lives, rescued numerous sailors. He particularly mentioned Mr. H. J. Moors and the chief of Apia village, Seumanutafa, both of whose descendants attended the gathering at the Courthouse.

R. R. Nayacakalou, a Morris Hedstrom Scholarship winner from Fiji, who received his BA degree at Auckland University in 1951, has been awarded a pre-doctoral fellow ship in anthropology at the Werner Green Foundation for Anthropo logical Research, New York. Nay acakalou will later return to Fiji where he believes there are great opportunities for research in an thropology.

The new Fiji Broadcasting Com mission was advertising in mid- August for a person of suitable qualifications to take over the man agement of the FBC.