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[Ross Devitt]

I can't remember where on the forum this was discussed in the old days, and I had forgotten until I was deleting a heap of old files relating to the early days leading up to and during the establishment of the Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme from about 1922, to about 1962.

In a report by H.E. Maude dated 3rd December 1937, after he got back from his Phoenix Islands inspection trip, he explains the re christening in this snippet from page 8:

Still trying to post.  So far it has taken more than 10 attempts to type that stupid bloody verification pattern that some clown had made almost impossible for a human to read.

[Ric Gillespie]

The island seems to have been known to the Gilbertese settlers as Nikumaroro from the first visit in October 1937, but it was officially Gardner Island until 1979 when the British Gilbert Islands became the Republic of Kiribati and Gardner was officially renamed Nikumaroro.  I have adopted the protocol of using "Gardner" when I'm referring to events prior to 1979. YMMV

[Chris Johnson]

Ross

I can't remember where on the forum this was discussed in the old days, and I had forgotten until I was deleting a heap of old files relating to the early days leading up to and during the establishment of the Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme from about 1922, to about 1962.

In a report by H.E. Maude dated 3rd December 1937, after he got back from his Phoenix Islands inspection trip, he explains the re christening in this snippet from page 8:

Still trying to post.  So far it has taken more than 10 attempts to type that stupid bloody verification pattern that some clown had made almost impossible for a human to read.

Once you've made enough posts you don't have to do so keep going 

[Ross Devitt]

Thanks Chris,  It is the main reason I stay off the forum unless, as in this case, I find something that might interest someone.

Ric, I remember when the name was changed officially.  What interested me about this document was that it shows the exact day when they unofficially decided to rename the island and why.  Tucked away in an official report no less.

There is so much fascinating stuff in those reports.  Are the Buka trees still 60 feet high and several feet in diameter?  And is there still Buka 'forest'?  It paints a whole other picture of the island, that those of us who haven't been on expeditions can not visualise these days.

I used to have a yacht that was capable of ocean crossings and also only drew about a foot with the keel raised.  I sometimes wondered about picking the right weather and sneaking over the lagoon entrance, based on the descriptions in the reports.  The reports also suggested blasting a channel into the lagoon at one time.  Imagine the outcry if they did that these days.

It is interesting also that despite there having been a drought, the reports suggest they should not really need the cistern(s) they planned to build.  I have yet to discover where the water was supposed to be coming from, but I seem to remember TIGHAR investigating that years ago.

Cheers,

Th' WOMBAT

Oh damn.  I suppose I get to fight with that security thing again..

[Ric Gillespie]

There is so much fascinating stuff in those reports.  Are the Buka trees still 60 feet high and several feet in diameter?  And is there still Buka 'forest'? 

The Buka are easily 60 feet high.  There are large Buka forests all along the NE side of the island. They are amazing places.

[Ross Devitt]

Thanks Ric,
It was interesting to read that Maude describes Buka (Pisonia Grandis) as 'an excellent wood for house building and box making', but you described it in your aerial tour as soft and seemed to suggest it was pretty much worthless.

He also says judging from the way the surviving cocos had grown, there seemed to have been no drought in the 15 years prior to 1937.  So the castaway's big problem was drinking water, because there were so few coconuts, according to the Feb report or the 1936 report.  But in the October survey they found 111 trees bearing well spread around 5 groves of trees.  Two north of the lagoon passage and three south of the passage.

The tests I did on the island back when we were talking about it showed that it is possible to get coconuts down even if injured and get drinkable quantities of water in a short time without tools or experience, in temperatures of 80 to 95 degrees.

Which explains the Benedictine bottle again

Th WOMBAT