Polynesians Did

Make Voyages Of Discovery

Sir, —With great interest 1 read the article “There’s Still Room for Unbelievers on Those

Polynesian Voyages”, by Gordon

Russell in the November, 1962, issue of PIM. I rather agree with him.

PREVIOUS to World War 11, I visited Honolulu every year, and I became well acquainted with Sir Peter H. Buck, Director of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, who knew me as a navigator who had spent the greater part of my life under sail amongst the Islands of the South Pacific.

Many a time, when visiting with Dr. Buck, our conversation turned to Polynesian migration and dis covery, and he urged me repeatedly to write down my theory of migra tion from a seaman’s standpoint. I never got that far.

On one point we always agreed.

A lot of voyages were made solely with the idea of discovering other lands. I called this the “Golden Age of Discovery.”

Without doubt thousands perished at sea, but there must have been others who returned to their home land. As with the Spaniards and Portuguese, that spirit of discovery lagged and the news of discovery of other islands became myth. But there are geographical names to re mind us that some such voyages were made. In Hawaii, for instance, there is Kealaikahiki Channel—“ The Road to Tahiti”.

William Mariner in his Tonga Islands, gives us a description of how navigation was done when there were no stars in sight. In this case it was lucky that William Mariner had a compass along. They were steering by the direction of sea and wind, but the wind and sea shifted during the night. Mariner was the only one who noticed this, by looking at his compass. Finau, the chief, finally be lieved him; if he hadn’t Finau and his men would have been lost.

But steering by the direction of the wind was done many a time in the sailing ship era. The binnacle light may have blown out, or would not burn and the man on the wheel might get the order, “Keep the wind on the port quarter”, or whatever direction the wind was.

Coming back to Mariner’s Tonga there is no doubt that they visitee Samoa, Rotuma and Futuna—ana these are respectable distances.

On the subject of latitude, w* know that the Polynesians did no have an instrument resembling sextant. But I have been shipmate with many a sailor who could guese the latitude (by looking at the poL star) within a degree or two. WitH out doubt there were also Poly nesians who could guess as well as they.

Yours, etc.,

Captain Fred K. Klebingat

Research Associate, San Francisco Maritime Museum.

The GEIC Resident Commissioneis Mr. V. J. Andersen, returned recently from a 2i week tour of 6,750 milesi to the Phoenix and Line Islandst During the tour he met island govc ernments at Hull and Gardneai Islands, called at several uninhabited islands in the Phoenix Group, met Colony and United States officials a: jointly administered Canton Island and redeived plantation and U.K4 Service facilities at Christmas Islancbt

Hawaii Honeymoon

"PlM's" San Francisco man, Ralph Craib, and his bride —the former Karola Sackel—at the Moana Hotel at Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, in Decem ber, after their marriage in San Francisco. Mr. and Mrs. Craib are both on the editorial staff of the “San Francisco Chronical". Ralph Craib has many friends in P-NG and West New Guinea. —Photo: Sheraton Hawaii.