The Editors' Maillag

Evan R. Gill, of Liverpool, the known specialist in the stamps apua and New Guinea. His ifather and great-uncle were onaries in the South Seas, and rother, the Rev. S. R. M. Gill, 44 years as a missionary in a. is family link set Evan Gill le road to understanding New sa and Papua better than any who has not actually been , and resulted in a library of ties (non-philatelic) concerned the dual territory. Containing unique volumes (several in native language) the Gill y includes books not found e famous Mitchell Library in 3y or even the official library e Federal capital of Canberra, Gill has now prepared a e catalogue of his library in ;ated foolscap, and has thus :ely published the most corn bibliography of New Guinea Papua extant. This most ble and expertly arranged i is available from him at 11 enham Avenue, Liverpool, 17,

Weird Sea Display

5 . Shortall writes from Auck- Mr. Jack Gaskell’s report 1, PIM, page 127) of a weird y of sea phosphorescence off Island in the Solomons brings nd an experience in 1937, off ew Guinea coast, svas a still calm night with . Carpenter & Co.’s recently •ed Coomhar, Captain Tom ir, in command, steaming up an Strait between Manam I and the mainland, some off Bogia. writer was then kus-kus (or koos-koos or kuss-kuss in i?) on the vessel. .t this display was really ssive is evident from the fact

At about the same time, bound out for the so called Western Islands, Coombar passed through hundreds of square miles of pumice from the big Rabaul eruption of some months earlier. At times, in calm conditions, it was like, sailing across a desert of grey sand, and the old ship’s hull was polished bare with the abrasive pumice.

Some Blank Verse

From the "Yankee"

The brigantine Yankee is nearly back at her home in United States —she completes her seventh world voyage on May 4, 1958. Commander Irving M. Johnson, and his wife, Mrs. Electa Johnson, for many years, have been taking groups of American students (usually about 20, two-thirds being youths and the remainder girls) on world cruises, during which they were instructed in navigation, geography and similar arts in a very practical way.

This (the seventh) is her last voyage. The Johnsons now will retire.

The Yankee is well known in the South Pacific. Last year, she came from Polynesia into Fijian waters; spent some time in New Hebrides and Solomons: visited the Rai coast of New Guinea; and sailed leisurely westwards via the Indian Ocean, East and South Africa, and the Atlantic.

The publisher of PIM met this amiable company in Suva last May; spent a pleasant hour on the Yankee; and, subsequently describ ing the brigantine, he said he was sure that a fine steel mesh separated the quarters of the male and female students on this interesting ship. Whereupon the following was delivered by mail at the office of Pacific Islands Monthly.

Dear Mr. , Robson, We always say That your magazine is quite OK.

With almost everything we agree.

There's nothing much worse than bureaucracy.

We, too, would like our planter friend To pocket a larger dividend.

To Americans you're usually kind And criticism deserved we really don't mind.

You've always said nice things about "Yankee"

And for that we sincerely thank ye.

But in the issue of last July There is one bit that can't get by.

You say that our ship has an iron mesh curtain Around the girls' cabins to make certain That no young, uncontrollable male Among us attacks the fair and frail; That our lady doctor acts as police And guards our girls from such as these.

When we read that we looked to see What there was that could possibly be Construed as a barrier of steel, And we asked the girls if they ever feel That Doctor Alice is their protection Against the dangers of moral defection.

The "Yankee" has no iron bars To protect our maidens from our tars.

And the "Yankee" doctor doesn" fear That the worst will happen if she's not near.

The iron mesh of which you write Requires more than keen eyesight.

It's invisible iron we look to find.

When we pick our crew, in heart and mind.

And no matter how far the "Yankee" may roam.

We live aboard as we live at home.

Come and visit us again And get to know us better then.

Electa Johnson.

More About the

Mt. Yule Cross

Bishop Sorin, of the Catholic Mission, Yule Island, Papua, has supplied us with some more in formation about the cross seen by air travellers “west of Mt. Yule”. (The Editors’ Mailbag, March and April, PIMs.) He writes: “It is the work of the Rev. Father Paul Taphanel, a French secular priest who worked for the Catholic Mission of Yule Island from 1947 to 1954. His main station was at Kamulai in the Kunimaipa Valley and he had to cross regularly the gap at the foot of Mount Yule to visit the tribes of the Tapala Valley and of the Karuama, situa ted between Mt. Yule and the Mekeo plains.

“On several occasions, with a few of the natives who accompanied him, he climbed to the top of Mt.

Yule. He erected a wooden cross on the occasion of his first visit but it was hardly visible to the naked eye from the foot of the mountain. He then decided to place a few sheets of aluminium roofing against the side of the mountain in the shape of a huge cross.

“This is likely the cross referred to by ‘the young man of Brisbane who accompanied the Duke of Edinburgh’!

“I regret having no photograph available and that I am not able to be precise in the date at which the cross was erected.”

Father Taphanel has now re turned to France where he is parish priest of Plon.