CHRISTMAS ISLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 June 1937, Page 10

CHRISTMAS ISLAND

USE AS AIR BASE The mysterious voyage of H.M.S. Leith to Christinas Island, that remote atoll lying within six degrees of the equator, has attracted attention on both sides of the Pacific. A glance at the map will explain the future importance of Christmas Island as a stopping place for aerial “clippers” on their way from the United States to New Zealand, and, finally, Australia. The island is also approximately half-way between Hawaii and Tahiti ( writes Eric Ramsden, in the'“Sydney Morning Herald”). It is curious to reflect that this atoll, once a place of call for Polynesian rovers of old, has every likelihood of being used by Europeans for precisely the same purpose. Wherever the Polynesian sailed his canoes, he constructed maraes, or places of worship, at which he propitiated his ancient gods. Such remains on Christmas Island have received the attention of scientists .within recent years, and it is believed that while the remains there have not provided evidence of permanent settlement, Polynesians of different periods and from different directions, certainly made use of the island as a stopping place. Christmas Island will always be associated with the . name of Father Emmanuel Rougier, that extraordinary Frenchman who entered the Pacific as a humble missionary, and died a millionaire —at least in francs —in Tahiti in 1933.

The Mitchell Library possesses a copy of one of the earliest charts of the island. It was engraved by a native pupil at the Lahainaluna School. Hawaii, in IS3S, from a drawing made by Captain George Benson, of the whaler Briton, which was wrecked there in 1836. The currents that swirl past Christmas Island have always been a danger to mariners. As recently as 1909 the steamship Aeon, of Melbourne, loaded with timber from the American coast, was wrecked there. “Pirates have taken away everything that was valuable!” declared Pere Rougier. whetb he visited the island three years later. The pirates were probably Japanese. More than once he bitterly complained of their depredations. W. Greig, who was sent from Nanihiki, in the Cook Group, to report on the island in 1909, declared: "It is a well-known fact that the Japanese used to go there to poach birds by hundreds of thousands'. Still, the island seems to be swarming with birds, and something good could be done showing very good business.” As a matter of fact, Japanese poachers were surprised by H.M.S. Algerine in 1910 when actually removing portion of a house, and made, perforce, a hurried departure.

The association of Cook with Christmas Island is commemorated by his name being given to a small island at the entrance to the lagoon. The famous navigator discovered the island, after leaving Tahiti, on Christmas Day of 1777; he called it “one of those, lowlying islands so common in this ocean.” His crew obtained a plentiful supply of fish and turtles, but no water. One of Cook’s men. who lost, his way on the island, was forced to drink turtle’s blood. Cook saw 'llOl the slightest trace of any human being ever having beam therm” “And. indeed," lie. commented, “should tinyone be so unfortunate as to be accidentally driven upon the island or left there, it is hard to say that he could be able to prolong existence!" But Captain Benson and his men who were wrecked on the island sixty years later, survived for seven months without discovering water. An ineffectual attempt. Io reach Hawaii in an open boat was abandoned after ten days at sea. However, in May, 1837. they were taken off by a New Bed-

ford whaler, and landed in Honolulu. “It is little more than a sand bank,” observed Benson, who was more than thankful for the rains that so providentially fell, also for a plentiful supply of fish and eggs. Having spent more time at Christmas Island than Cook, he saw traces of former occupation by Polynesian voyagers, and actually dug in the hope of finding human remains. Benson also saw sperm whales off the island, and remarked upon the number of black fish, porpoises, and sharks. F. H. Tresilian, the Briton's surgeon, has recorded that he saw coconut palms that had been cut down, and other evidence that shipwrecked crews had been on Christmas Island as recently as 1834.

A MILLIONAIRE PRIEST Between 1870 and 1880, William Greig, of Manihiki, spent some time on the island, and planted a considerable number of coconuts. Christmas Island did not achieve any commercial importance, however, until Father Rougier (already the owner of Fanning Island), became interested in it in 1909. “We think the property is one that could be very easily controlled from Fanning Island” Lever’s Pacific Plantations wrote to him from Sydney. It was estimated in that year that there were nearly 80,000 coconut palms on it. It was subsequently discovered that the majority of the trees had died. More than £12.0(10 had been expended by the company and its predecessors. and an extension of the lease had been obtained for 99 years from 1902. Greig, in a report Io Rougier. estimated rhe island to have 784,000 acres. Another member of this family, who was stranded there in 1901, proved that fresn water was available. Tie also discovered traces of guano. Rougier himself, when he visited Christmas Island in .June, 1912. said the acreage was 740,000, but admitted that more than half of that area was covered by swamps or water, lagoons and lakes; about 200,000 acres was a more reasonable estimate, and only

half of that could be planted immediately with coconuts. In a journal, the priest mentions a night, full of disturbances. “There were no mosquitoes,” he wrote, “but crabs attacked my toes, pulled my beard, and pinched my nose. 'They were legion!” Nevertheless. he saw distinct, commercial possibilities. Under the heading

“plan or scheme.” he.noted:---"There is only one open for meditation and execution —to buy the island and plant it the soonest possible. No money in any other investment can bring an interest equal or approaching to the money invested in planting Christmas Island. As to the ways, how. and when, it must be left to the circumstances and opportunities that will come io my reach.” Father Rougier acquired Lever’s rights on December 17. 1913. For a time. Im worked the island successfully, and n disposed of it to Central Pacito- t r-conut Plantations. Ltd (a London ••rganisation. whmh leu: exclusive rjgh’r. for the product loti of

coconuts, she'd, and guano f">- u period of 87 years from 1914). About 1.201) acres only are said to be under coconuts. There is a Roman Catholic mission on the- island, and 1 Im population does no) number more than 30 people. Labour is brought nowadays from Tahiti. For administrative purposes. Christmas Island is grouped with the Gilbert and Fllice Group. Though discovered by Cook, it was not annexed by Great Britain until FORTUNE IN THE PACIFIC Old Fere Rougier served for a time in Fiji. Born in France in 1864, he also studied in England and in Spain. He was ordained when under 21 years of age by special permission of the Pope. For a time, too, he was in the

New Hebrides, where, owing to a difference with his bishop, he obtained a special dispensation from Rome to withdraw from the religious life of the Marist Order. However, he always wore clerical habit, and in later years, he was a familiar enough figure in Tahiti. Using that island as a base, he operated schooners, acquired much wealth in consequence, and on his death left a considerable fortune to his nephew, Paul Emmanuel Rougier, of Papeete. Father Rougier’s massive red granite memorial is quite the most imposing in PaUranie cemetery, on the outskirts of Papeete. Always a student, he carefully recorded the remains of the maraes on Christmas Island, and published othe" works of considerable interest to students of the Pacific. The Societe des Etudes Oceanienues elected him its president; he was also president of the Chamber of Agriculture. He founded the Tourist Association. An extensive garden at. Taaone provided ample evidence of his interest in Tahitian flora.

However, the frigate-birds on little Molu Manti (the name of which signifies a plenitude of bird life in past centuries) are likely to be alarmed in the future by giants of the air winging their way to and from the American mainland. And the island itself, once a resting place tor intrepid brown-skinned navigators, will again serve as a resting place for voyagers on the broad bosom of the Pacific Ocean. Such has been the history of that remote atoll Captain Cook called Christinas Island and Perc Rougier knew as “He Christ-