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From

Davy Jones

From a Tarawa correspondent

Never give up for lost, a GEIC fisherman who goes missing at sea. He is likely to turn up weeks, even months later, thousands of miles away.

PIM, in May, reported that six men, in three pairs had survived long ocean drifts, and that another pair was re ported missing. This last pair is Rui Tiare and Babeia Kamainga, who were reported missing on January 17, and of whom nothing has since been heard.

Another pair, from the Ellice Is lands, brothers Foua, 40 and Fati Taiti, 21 of Tokelau Village, Nunu manga, drifted to New Hanover, in northern New Guinea. Their saga be gan on February 27, when, in 10 ft canoes, they joined the fishing fleet, but decided to fish further away.

They were caught in unfamiliar cur rents and swept out to sea. They transferred to one canoe and ex isted on raw fish and rain water during their monotonous drift.

Once their hopes were raised when they saw what they believed was a

Japanese fishing ship, but they were un able to attract its attention. They man age to get within 200 yards when it suddenly sailed away in the opposite direction.

On their 30th day out they saw New Hanover, but with only one paddle and with Fati suffering from swollen fingers it took them two days to paddle ashore. The odd part about their disappearance was that they were never reported missing.

Nakau and Anterea and Nabuti Tabutoa and Taraia Tekataba, all from Teaoraereke, in separate pairs, and missing at different times, drifted into Samoan waters. Each pair was picked up by a Taiwan fishing ship, Nakau and Anterea were to be taken to Pago Pago and Nabuti and Taraia were landed in Western Samoa.

Nakau and Anterea were returning to Tarawa after a fishing trip when their engine broke down.

Nabuti and Taraia drifted for 44 days before they were picked up.

Ellice Island brothers Foua and Fati Taiti.