Inside

• RAISING THE FLAG ON A DISPUTED ISLAND A landing party from Vanuatu raises the flag on uninhabited Hunter Island, asserting ownership in the face of French claims from New Caledonia 10 • NEW GOVERNMENT FOR COOK ISLANDS Geoffrey Henry comes to office from an election in which Sir Thomas Davis loses his seat in parliament as well as his national leadership 15 • MELANESIAN MARITIME PATROL SUGGESTED In Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Rabbie Namaliu holds talks suggesting the formation of a maritime patrol to protect the fisheries of PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands 33 • THE STORY BEHIND A DEPORTATION Journalist Christine Coombe, a resident of Vanuatu since before independence, gives her version of events which led to her deportation 17 • LAND TENURE PROBLEMS IN VANUATU To what extent are the people involved being painted as White devils and Black saints? Dr Alan Ward, former director of rural lands, expands an earlier appraisal 60 • STORMY WEATHER, STORMY POLITICS From Tahiti Marie-Therese and Bengt Danielsson write of unprecedented cyclonic weather and stormy election campaigning 23 Cover picture: This month's cover picture shows a colorful traditional group on Taharaa Beach, Tahiti, with a backdrop of blue sky and the swirling waters of the Pacific. The photographer was Sher6e Lipton.

American Samoa 33, 43 Books 49 Cook Islands 15 Deaths 73 Fiji 35, 44 French Polynesia 7, 23, 43 Hawaii 37, 45 Islands Press 14 Kiribati 40 Letters 7 Micronesia 19 New Caledonia 21 Niue 44 Notes from the North 19 Noumea Notebook 21 Pacific Report 5 Palau 33

Papua New Guinea 9, 33, 51, 62 People 44 Political currents 33 Polynesian history 9 Postmark Papeete 23 Regional Science 31 Shipping timetables 69 Solomon Islands 33 The Month 17

Tonga 43

Tradewinds 60 Tropicalities 37 Vanuatu 10, 17, 49, 60 View from Honolulu 27 Western Samoa 57 Yachts 63 Yesterday 57