WHALE ISLAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 41, 18 January 1944, Page 4

WHALE ISLAND

Six*, —I was very vexed to read the letter in your last issue when "Sinbad" as good as accused me of landw ing on Whale Island on Sunday and being one of the party who caused the lire,, but let me remind "Sinbad" that the fire broke out on Sat-, urday afternoon near the top audi not Sunday, also that the only time I have landed on the; Island was to , have a picnic under a tree on the beach* I lind my pleasure in fishing | and not climbing hills* also I can | get a good many people in Whakatane. to verify this statement. Another thing I Avould like to call to "Sinbad's" attention is an incident which happened to me in England. l! was sitting in the sitting room of my parents home writing a letter. The top window was open but the bottom was shut. St was a hot sunny day and whilst sitting there E smelt smoke, ii looked up and to my amazement I noticed that the curtain was on fire. Now that' was another lire caused' without matches. If the sun could causer that what would the sun do hero where it is so much stronger. Of course these things do not happen every day, but that incident alono was enough to convince me that such a tiling may have happened on ,the Whale. I would like to mention too that my experience has always taught mo to take, a cross-cut saw and an axe to the scene of a bush or scrub fire in case it may be neefl* ed. Such was the case at the Whale. I can certainly see '"SinbadV point of view as*to the fire and I, like rest of the people of. Whakatane: was very sorry to see the sigirt and hope it never occurs again,, but British law says that no rnan can be blamed for doing anything until it can be proved he. did it. Whether he be known or unknown in this case nobody knows who lit the fire and as B think the lire could, have started through other causes he is being very unfair to all who land on the Island in blaming everyone. Yours etc., 'SYMPATHIESING FISHERMAN.'