The Editors' Maillag

Capt. Wilding Tears

Off a Strip

A lot of things interested us about a letter of Captain Bill Wilding, of BP’s Bulolo, received during the month. But one thing we couldn’t understand was why he bigan his letter “My Friend”.

The first paragraph of his letter said: “I have been astounded lately to find that the PIM seems to be inclined to follow the fact report ing tactics of some mainland news papers, and since you yourselves have commented on this practice, it would be as well for you to check more carefully.”

What really was making the cap tain hopping mad was a paragraph in PIM of December, 1958. This was about oil floating to the surface at Lae when an overseas skipper anchored his ship off “Sugarloaf— the only deep anchorage outside the wharf area”. (Italics ours).

Captain Wilding says there must be some members of PIM staff who sailed in Marsina, Mataram, Mon toro or Macdhui and anchored in the bight off the present airstrip and Hotel Cecil, where there is a depth of 38 fathoms. He says that even since the war, he and the late Captain Rothery have done this “by an age-old method of sailormen that would not be understood by the pre sent generation of so-called mariners who indulge in glamour writings about the sea”.

Two of PlM’s present staff have travelled in Montoro and Macdhui and anchored in the bight referred to—but whether it was by some mysterious “age-old method” or not, they couldn’t say. Nor do they know the location of this Sugarloaf referred to by our current (Behind) Lae correspondent.

Captain Wilding concludes his letter thus: “What annoys me most is that people like yourselves should forget the services rendered by those old time masters in opening up the coasts of Papua-New Guinea in which Ihey were ably assisted by masters of W. R. Carpenter’s vessels.

"A number of other instances come to mind of trash writings about the Islands’ shipping, pub lished by yourselves, probably accepted in good faith, no doubt, but nevertheless not really faithful news.

“Remember, my friends, we all grow old, but it’s our place in life to give proper credit to those who went ‘BEFORE’”.

As Captain Wilding (who wrote on October 22) is still away back in December, 1958, in the PIM sense, he might feel a bit better about us when he has caught up with his

reading.

In the last six months noc could accuse us of neglecting skippers, past or present. To: contrary and to such an e:; that one of the Editors—whc not travel on Marsina, Mata Montoro or Macdhui —has t( physically restrained when a item for the Old BP Skippers: partment turns up.

The Greigs of

Fanning Island

A few months ago, we puM some of the interesting histoi the Greig family, which settle Fanning Island away hack in century, and we sought inform about later members of the Mr. P. F. D. Palmer, on leave Wesley St., Windsor, Brisbane kindly supplied some further r It has been my duty and pie; to sponsor and advise the ♦ Family, of Fanning Island,, nearly a quarter of a cent since 1936.

Your “resident in Fiji”, enqu might like to know that two • girls have left Fanning in the year.

One was Jane Greig (“Tin Gilbertese —pronounced “G i n who left Fanning in November, on a GEIC-sponsored tri] Penrhyn Is., Northern Cooks, destination is unknown.

The other was Anne Grieg (‘ in Gilbertese —pronounced “An who left Fanning Island bj Tulagi in September, 1958, Tarawa.

Her final destination is unki too; but both girls are believ be residing in the localities tioned —Northern Cooks and Ta These girls deserve our symi Their father left property to members of the family, but two daughters were left destit Your June issue referred to last of the Greigs”. Hugh Greig at Fanning Island on Augu: 1958. The present lando (Fanning Plantations Ltd.) an writer have done all that was sible to assist that section c family that was left withom means.

Growing Apples in

The Tropics

There are problems about ing European fruit at 5,00 C even in the Highlands of Guinea—and whether anyon successfully grown apples PIM editors don’t know. Bu Arthur Robinson, w e 11-k r

nt of Levuka, Fiji, is cock-a over having produced apples right at sea-level, in tropical a, and he would like the rest . Islands dwellers to get going ! if you can do better, ays: About eight years ago my after eating some imported , popped the seeds into the i in the flower garden. In two weeks, half-a-dozen of eds had germinated and with it weeks they were ten inches ecided to transplant the seed although I thought it was a of time. However, I was ; four survived and flowered >re fruit after about five years, ■ee this year had 32 apples on i as I write this, the trees iwering again for the second i a year. The apples are about iches across and of excellent I have never pruned the but feel that if I did, the would be larger. 5 thing is necessary in this however —and that is to cover les with muslin or something • to save the fruit from that pest, the Bulbul. Why this as introduced into Fiji to eat omat o e s, paw-paws and is I shall never know. anyone who would like to nent with apple growing, I > e planting the pips the e apple is eaten, and let the igs grow for a couple of s before transplanting to a position. And I should like r from anyone who has grown •uit in the tropics. Come in eople in the New Guinea nds.”

Itart of an

Js Trader

cent reference in the PIM to •thur Cocker, whom the PIM ler met in Nukualofa a few 5 ago, has brought an in ig note from Mrs. Clara on, of Southport, Queens our Cocker is my cousin”, she ‘and his father, my uncle, Cocker, was a remarkable He had little education and aoney when he started trad a young man in Chief Vaea’s own of Houma, in Tonga. He 1 his stock little more than a kerosene, some soap and vashing blue, a bag of sugar little tea and flour. He sold foods for coconuts; and, when cumulated enough nuts, he lem and dried them and then le copra six miles into Nukua nd traded the copra for more goods. m such small beginnings big are achieved; and Willie 1 accumulated very consider r ealth which his son, Arthur, ;ed.”