Piecing Together

More Facts About The

Cross Of La Pe Rouse

Incidents In

A Famous Voyage

• The shipping section of “PIM ” of last September contained a short reference to the stranding of the “Milos” on Vanikoro, BSIP, and mentioned that the French ex pedition under La Perouse was believed to have come to grief the r e 170 years ago. Now, “PIM” has received some corrections and many additional facts on the subject, in an interesting letter from L. W.

FILEWOOOD, of Vanikoro, who says: r[E Kauri Timber Company did not establish itself on Vanikoro in 1923, a company called San Christobal Estates having that honour.

After a very short period of operations, this company got into difficulties and part of its interests were taken over by a company calling itself The Vanikoro Kauri Timber Company.

In 1926 the present operators took over the whole interests and commenced working the island under the name of the Kauri Timber Company and have con tinued to do so except for a break during the war.

In 1947 the manager was sent to Vanikoro to clean up the settle ment and get ready for timber extraction again. This recommenced in 1949 and subject to the demand for Kauri continuing, will go on for some years to come.

At least three other vessels have gone aground at Vanikoro, one a ship of the South African Railways Line, the name of which I do not know; Erica, which grounded close to the spot where Milos did last year; and the Australian cruiser, Shoalhaven, which grounded on the shoal in Pallu Passage.

The cross commemorating the La Perouse fatality, was not placed there by the Officer Commanding the French Pacific naval forces about a month before the grounding Df Milos. This Officer, Vice

admiral Toulouse-Lautrec, merely

added a few bricks and a little ttement to the base of the cross to secure it from the erosion of the reef waves.

Been Two Crosses The original cross was placed on the reef by a French party some time in the 1930’5, the spot having aeen pointed out to them by a former Kauri Co. manager. Two lengths of railway line made up the cross installed.

This remained there until Jctober 20, 1956, when the French

patrol vessel, Tiare, under the com mand of Lieutenant-Commander Bonnet, sent a party to demolish the old cross and erect a new one, the components of which had been brought by the vessel.

The writer was with the Com mander, his Chief Officer, Lieu tenant Lambert and a marine biologist, M. Rene Gale (who has since been drowned during his diving research work) for the whole of the period of erection of the new cross, and took a number of colour pictures of the ceremony, which unfortunately, were not very successful.

Company native labour was also made available to the Commander and the task was carried out during the low water period.

Pieces of Eight The writer also piloted the party to all likely spots for the search for further relics, particularly to the spot where local legend has it that the second vessel of La Perouse’s command foundered, about 12 miles down the coast from the company settlement; and to the spot where it is almost certain that the great Frenchman struck the reef.

This spot, now know as False or Wreck Passage, is north-west of Pallu Passage and is about two miles south-east of the spot where the cross is placed.

The position of the wreck is not known for certain, but a lot of wreckage was found at False Passage by an investigating party under Captain Dumont d’Urville, of the French Navy, in 1828, which was said to have been consistent with the equipment of a French vessel of the correct period. It has been accepted as such by all authorities.

Why the cross was placed where it is, no one seems to know, as it is also fairly certain that at least some of the party got ashore at the spot where the company head quarters now stands, and built a boat, in which they attempted to get away, but were not heard of again.

Musket balls, coins, pieces of copper, etc., were found in the area, all of which are of the same period as the wreckage, and it seems reasonable to assume them to be authentic.

A Brave Man Incidentally, the La Perouse Cross is not white, but black, constructed of 9 in. x 5 in. rolled steel joist, bolted together and cemented into a large coral rock close to what is known as the Lemon River Passage. The company visits it twice a year, to ensure its stability and maintenance.

It is a good landmark and a reminder of a brave man, who could quite easily have beaten Captain Cook to his landing in Botany Bay, losing that prize by a few days only.