Improve, Promise

Shipping Will

To Pitcairn

Pitcairn Island ended a tough year on a much happier note in December. A five month drought ended in late November with falls of light rain, and two ships arrived with long awaited mail and supplies. The island had been without stores for months.

The ships brought the news that the British Administration handling Pit cairn affairs was now aware of the island’s problems and was “prepared to make every effort to remedy the lack of shipping.” In fact the local Pitcairn Miscellany pointed out that had it not been for representations from the High Commissioner’s office in NZ the Tasmania Star would have left NZ with no stores whatsoever for Pitcairn.

Pitcairn’s plight was reported in January PIM, and also got a lot of publicity in the Australian and NZ Press.

Before relief the Pitcairners had been reduced to sending out search parties for water after their local spring at Browns Water had dried up, and a boat had to be sent out to chase one ship, the Cap Melville, which had been spotted out at sea and didn’t look like stopping. The islanders stopped the ship and were able to buy some supplies, although they were not allowed on board.

It all added up to a dismal situ ation. Gardens supplying fresh vege tables had dried up, food was scarce, sickness was prevalent and the islanders didn’t even have a cinema to go to as there were no films on the island.

Then in a space of a few days the rain came down and no less than 68 bags of mail and well over 10 tons of supplies arrived on the Port Bris * bane, November 24, and the Tasmania Star, November 25.

By then the sea was so rough that one boat carrying supplies from the Tasmania Star sank in Bounty Bay.

Luckily the tide was out and the cargo well covered, and there was little loss.

As the Pitcairn Miscellany pointed out, “With such a small population the load is sometimes a heavy one for a few. However, it is a load which has to be carried to keep Pitcairn going.”