Everything - Kitchen

Tales From The Gilbert

And Ellice Islands

Islanders Had Everything - Kitchen Sink Included

From a Correspondent The wharf at Betio, Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, was 3iled high with a miscellaneous

:onglomeration of personal and

lomestic articles on August 12

vhen the Government ship

Wivanga disgorged her passen

gers after an inter-island voyage. nOMMENTING on the wide variety of goods and chattels arried by the passengers on his essel, Captain lan Wallace recalled he occasion when he called at Canton Island en route from Christ mas Island to Tarawa.

Pan American Airways had ceased o use the island as a stop-over some ime before, but the hotel still ontained plenty of luxurious fittings -or so the passengers thought.

Having watched a procession up is gangplank of happy possessers f items such as lengths of piping, 'ash basins and a toilet complete dth seat, Captain Wallace had just nished saying to his Mate that he ad seen everything but the prokitchen sink, when a passenger ave in sight staggering under that ;ry fixture. * * * T is extremely doubtful whether dogs are consciously aware of ie sanctuary of churches which jsperadoes on the run used to take Ivantage of years ago. But the dogs a Hull Island in the Phoenix Group ust have had some instinctive lowledge in that direction.

Recently, when Captain Wallace sited Hull Island in the Nivanga poison the dogs left there last ar when the populace was moved more fruitful Wagina Island in e Solomons, he found that the dogs id taken refuge, in equal numbers, the churches of the Roman itholic and LMS missions which d ministered in similar proportions the spiritual needs of their owners.

According to Colony Information Jtes, the GEIC newsletter, the dogs ;re left behind on Hull Island— d also on Gardner Island—because len their owners moved to the

Solomons they could not bring them selves to kill them, as the authorities had requested.

“Without any humans to look after them,” the newsletter goes on, “it was feared that the dogs would either die a slow death from starvation or disease, or if they survived they would become savage and be a danger to any strangers or castaways arriving at the islands.

“It was accordingly decided that for their own good (sic), as well as for anyone landing on the islands, all the dogs should be destroyed, and on its last voyage there in May, RCS Nivanga carried poison and arms for the purpose.

“On the outward voyage, a small party comprising Acting District Commissioner Tabunawati Takoa, MBE, Marine Cadet Kabori, and an armed policeman were landed at each island. Poisoned baits were laid before leaving.

“On the return voyage the islands were again visited, and no dogs were seen, although several whole car cases and some partly eaten ones were found. All the baits had been eaten, and as they were impregnated with a very strong poison, it is assumed that all the dogs are now dead.” * * * TWO Gilbert Islanders, Nan Teitake and Nan Tebaka, were out fishing at Bataritari on August 4 when they felt a hard pull on their line. They battled with the fish for more than half an hour until, sud denly, the pull slackened.

Thinking that the fish had got away, they pulled in their line. But presently they saw a big shark nearing their canoe with a line in its mouth, and they realised that all was not lost after all.

But the shark was not beaten.

Suddenly he charged the canoe— and with such force that some planks of the vessel were smashed and the two occupants were thrown into the water.

Fortunately for them, a nearby canoe went to their aid and took them aboard. Meanwhile, the two fishermen still held their line, and they hauled the shark on to the rescuing canoe and killed it.