A LONELY ISLAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 139, 15 June 1931, Page 11

A LONELY ISLAND

VISITOR FROM NIUAFOW FEW WHITE FACES SEEN TRADE CONDITIONS QUIET After having spent 13 years on the island of Niuafou, popularly known in the Pacific as “Tin. Can Island,’’ Mr W. G. Quensell, an island trader, arrived by the Tofua at Auckland on Tuesday on a visit to his wife and youngest children, whom he has not seen for four and a-half years, states | the New Zealand Herald. The native population of Niuafou is 1200, but .Mr Quensell has only two white companions on his lonely island, another European trader and a Boman Catholic sister, who is engaged in missionary work. Referring to the news, received in Auckland a month ago, of the tragic death of a Niuafou islander, who wis killed by a shark while engaged in the island’s famous swimming postal service. Mr Quensell said the unfortunate , incident had led to the abandonment, temporarily at least, of the custom of swimming out to visiting vessels for the mail. Canoes were now used instead. Two of his own sons had been engaged in the service and hearing that they did not intend to give up the practice nc had given strict orders that they wore not to swim out again. Sharks, he added, were common enough off the island | and small specimens were frequently | caught by the islanders, but it was the ; first occasion on which a man-eating ! shark had given trouble. i Difficulties of Islanders. Mr Quensell, who intends returning to Niuafou after a few weeks in tii-j Dominion, changed the money he cc quired for the trip into English silver before joining the Tofua, in order to avoid the heavy exchange he would have had to pay had he brought M-? money to New Zealand in Tongan currency, which is the medium of exchange in Niuafou, the island being under the sovereignty of the Queen of Tonga. Th inconvenience of carrying a considerable quantity of silver in his baggage was counter-balanced by the financial advantage accuing on his arrival ar Auckland. The trade of Niuafou was in a very quicscent condition, said Mr Quensell, owing to the depressed state of ihe copra market, on which the island depended for the bulk of its exports. Serious trade effects had also followed the eruption of the island’s volcano t wo years ago and a disastrous hurricane which occurred on Christmas Day and another last February. Jt was difficult for the islanders to turn to other forms of production, especially owing to the 1 hazardous landing facilities on the ! coast, which made visits of steamers infrequent occurrences. The only vessels the island saw were the Tofua and a monthly visit from a 20-ton cutter from Tonga. Visit of Astronomers. Mr Quensell spoke in enthusiastic term., of the visit paid to the island last year by the American and New < Zealand astronomers to observe the eclipse of the sun. Their sojourn on the island was welcomed by the lonely (i Europeans as a happy relief from the < monotony of island life and every ef :

fort was made to render them assistance. Mr Quensell said that Dr. C. Adams, the New Zealand Government astronomer, who hcade the New Zealand expedition, Mr R. W. de Montalk of Wellington, and the other members of the New Zealand party were extremely considerate and courteous and he was very sorry when the time c.une for them to leave the island.