Across Pago

Harbour By

Cable Car

One of the most exciting jaunts in the South Pacific is the

trip by cable car across spectacu

lar Pago Pago Bay on the island

of Tutuila.

THE trip begins at Solo Hill near the new Pago Pago Inter continental Hotel, and ends at the top of Mt. Alava, a 1,700 ft peak, on which the transmission towers for American Samoa’s educational tele vision system are situated. The cable spans a distance of one mile. The cable car takes 6i minutes to cross it. And the return fare is SUS2.SO.

A look-out on Mt. Alava com mands a magnificent view of a large part of Tutuila’s steep, green, volcanic slopes, including the northern side of the island. On a clear day, it is also possible to see Western Samoa’s main island, Upolu, which is about 90 miles to the west, as well as the Manu’a Islands of American Samoa to the east.

The three pictures of Pago Pago Bay, reproduced here, were all taken on a cable car jaunt—the top and bottom ones from the car itself.

The top picture shows Fagatogo, the centre of what is commonly (but incorrectly) known as Pago Pago.

Fagatogo is the site of the main wharf, Government offices, stores and business agencies.

The centre picture shows the cable car nearing the top of Mt. Alava.

The point in the middle distance is the site of another wharf and the Intercontinental Hotel. The expanse of flat land to the right of the hotel is Utulei, site of the ETV studios.

The bottom picture is a view of the innermost end of Pago Pago Bay, with the village of Pago Pago in the background, A national park of four or five acres is being created at the end of the bay by dredging sand and mud from the harbour bed beyond.