WARSHIP'S CRUISE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21861, 25 July 1934, Page 8

WARSHIP'S CRUISE

LABURNUM IN SOUTH SEAS VISIT TO TOKELAU GROUP THRILLS IN NATIVE CANOES n [from our own correspondent] SUVA, July 18 After cruising in the Tokelau Group Unci visiting Samoa and Tonga, H.M.S. Laburnum arrived at Suva this morning in' continuation of her Island cruise. Members of the ship's company report an enjoyable cruise, with visits at several very interesting islands well off the beaten track. Chief among these were the Tokelau Islands and the island of Ono-I-Lau, one of the most southerly islands in the Fiji Group. Thrilling landings were occasioned during the visit to the islands in the Tokelau Group, which involved shooting the reefs in native canoes of the outrigger type. These canoes were manned by about six natives, who were very fine boatmen, and they took two passengers across at a time. The procedure was to wait about 15 feet off the edge of the reef, over which the water was breaking, and after a big wave had broken, count seven, it being estimated that every seventh was a big one. They would then wait for one or two more waves to make certain that they tad avoided the big one. Then, with a yell, all the paddlers would start and the canoe would shoot over the reef. On the return journey the same system was used, except that the paddlers waited until the wave broke and went out on the backwash. On her visit to the Tokelau Group the Laburnum had on board the Deputy Administrator of Samoa, Mr. A. G. Turnbull, and the secretary of Native Affairs in Samoa, Mr. Mackay. At Ono-I-Lau the ship had to lie some distance off the reef and the landing party \jent ashore in a service boat. Coming back it was low water and the boat's crew experienced considerable dif-

ficulty m getting the boat across the reef, having to pull the boat and push i it for some distance in the shallow water. There is only one European on the island' and he said that it was the first occasion in the memory of the oldest inhabitant that a naval officer had landed on the island. Since leaving Auckland the Laburnum has called at Apia, the Tokelau Group, Pago Pago, Vavau and Nukualofa. The sloop accompanied the flagship, H.M.S. Dunedin, to Pago Pago, the visit coinciding with the Fourth of July celebrations. The Administrator of Western Samoa, Brigadier-General Hart, accompanied the flagship on her visit to American Samoa. The Laburnum will's tay at., Suva until July 26, when she will sail for Lautoka, the Yasawas, Labasa, Somo Somo, Wakaya, and Levuka,; returning to Suva on August 23 and sailing for Auckland on August 30.