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[Chris Johnson]

... The islanders wouldn't have touched it because of the skeleton.

We shouldn't lightly make up stories about what the islanders would or would not have done.

To me, it seems as though they carried on the work they were sent to do after they buried the skull that they found.  Then they came back and did some more work in the same area, finding more things to send to Fiji.

On balance, I'd say that they treated the skull with respect but without any undue superstition.  Of course, the story told by Floyd Kilts attributes some terror to the natives and alleges that they threw the bones overboard after Gallagher died, but no contemporary (1941) sources support that allegation.  Gallagher died on a British ship and I doubt that the natives would have had access to any bones on board with him at the time.  Of course, that does not mean that other bones found after his death might not have gotten the old heave-ho.  Kilts' story about the bones didn't seem to have any grains of truth in it until the bones file was discovered by a TIGHAR member doing WW II research in Tarawa in 1997.  The bones file has material from 1940-1941 and has to be considered the "gold standard" for historical accuracy until some better documentation comes along (if it does; it would be splendid to find Gallagher's diaries, if they still exist).

You may be right? I just have the impression from reading not only TIGHAR based matterial but other notes that the islanders 'may' have been reluctant to work in the area that bones were found.  On the flip side it may be that once they had given the scull its proper respect then they may have been ok working in the area of human remains.

[Zach Reed]

So a quick clarification: I don't bring up the Norwich because I'm interested in checking it for castaway artifacts, but simply because...well, if AE/FN knew they could easily reach the ship, and if crabs were such a problem, then I find it somewhat problematic that they would choose to leave the N side of the island to go to the Seven Site (which is what the TIGHAR theory is).

In this and my other recent comments, I don't question the validity of the Seven Site, nor do I mean to challenge the prevailing theory that the Electra landed on the N. Ric speaks persuasively about that, and I think that with the proper equipment, the engines or the plane core will be found.

My point is simply that, in the event that parts of the Electra are not found in the N, I don't think that means the end of TIGHAR's compelling case of AE on Niku. Instead, I think we could probably build a "runner-up" hypothesis that the Electra landed somewhere offshore from the Seven Site, and that AE/FN simply stayed in the nearest hospitable location to their crash. The take-away being that if the Electra is not found on the N, then maybe a back-up search plan would look at the seaward side of EN-ET.

And I may register yet! I did plunk down the $100 for the grid maps, and would encourage everyone to do the same.


Thanks for all of your helpful links! I look forward to surfing them...


 

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

So a quick clarification: I don't bring up the Norwich because I'm interested in checking it for castaway artifacts, but simply because...well, if AE/FN knew they could easily reach the ship, and if crabs were such a problem, then I find it somewhat problematic that they would choose to leave the N side of the island to go to the Seven Site (which is what the TIGHAR theory is).

1. People often do strange and unexpected things.  They have their reasons.

2. If Forumites would like to take up a collection (I think $10,000,000 should do it), I bet that TIGHAR would be happy to do an exhaustive search around the entire island, all the way to the sea floor "and beyond."

With limited funds, you get limited equipment and limited time on station.  In that case, you have to decide what part of the area you can search might yield a definitive artifact.

And I may register yet! I did plunk down the $100 for the grid maps, and would encourage everyone to do the same.

Hear, hear!  Only $9,999,900 to go for Niku VII, "In the Deep."  ;o)

Thanks for all of your helpful links! I look forward to surfing them...

My pleasure.