‘BIRD OF THE ISLANDS’

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 39, 15 January 1946, Page 5

‘BIRD OF THE ISLANDS’

FRENCH SCHOONER FROM PAPEETE

VISIT TO AUCKLAND

(G. West)

Although minus topmasts, which had been taken doAvn in the course of, refitting, thus making her much less conspicuous among the company of slab-sided steamers at the Auckland wharves during the past Aveck the. French schooner Oiseau des Isles’ which arrived from Papeete late on Saturday afternoon was attracting quite considerable attention when our rep resen taive happened along in the course, of. a tour of the wharves.

The only thing betAveen the said representative and an, ‘ifiside’ story Avas a large notice, stating concise-* ly and conclusively: ‘Controlled Area —Keep Out.' A stern gentleman kept a fatherly eye. on both, the notice and the gate, to see that neither was- passed. But being of a cunning disposition, these barriers \\ r ere. as nought to our Avily scribe, and a feAV minutes later permission had been granted to go aboard. In the course of the conversation, it transpired that only those Avho had some particular business to transact or Avere friends or relatives of the -crew Avere alloAved aboad. (The cabin boy Avas almost blessed Avith another cousin).

Captain Am He Fraud, much decorated veteran of World War I and an officer of the Free French Navy stood at the foot of the gang plank, coiwersing volubly in his native tonghe with a visitor of the fair sex. He interrupted his conversation to briefly indicate (in French) Chief Officer Temariiteai Avho Avas standing aft. also conversing in French Avith a lady visitor. The former accepted our once again proffered identification card stared 9 at it uncomprehendingly, and requested a translation. His visitor came promptly to the rescue, and Avith a glance at the printing, exclaimed: “Oh! Le journal, le journal” “O-o-io” repeated Chief Officer Temariiteai, “O-o-o, le journal.” “Si, si,” rejoined the translator “le journal.” “Ob,” said Chief Officer T. “le journal.” The. conversation had apparently gone far enough, for Avithout further ado, our representative Avas delivered into the hands of Mr Arthur Gooding, second mate of the vessel, Avliose apparent duty it Avas to act as guide. He Avas. clad avholly in khaki tropical kit complete with solar topee, and bore the AvellknoAvn depressive air of guides suffering from an acute attack. of too many inquisitive visitors. Only the day before, the whole ship had been overrun Avith pressmen, and he had even had to submit to the indignity of having his photograph taken.

He led the way down to the officers’ quarters, the. roominess of which somewhat belied the fact that the Bird of the Islands had an overall length of but 146 feet with a 27 foot beam. Each officer had his own cabin with several to spare for passengers. These latter were used -continuously when the vessel was trading under normal circumstances. The wireless operator’s cabin contained the transmitter and receiver. The deck officers mess Avas a clean little room; a photo of

General de Gaulle was the only de,coration. The engineers following traditional custom, dined in a separate compartment. A feature worthy of note was the manner in which the alleyways throughout the ship Avere lighted. At regular intervals, prisms were let into tile ceiling, thus the whole of the interior was lit during the daytime, without the aid of any artificial lighting whatsoever.

The forward hold, noted in passing contained little else besides a quantity of slack coal in drums (presumably for use in the galley) ails of rope, sails, and other gear lor the ship. The fo’c’s’le was the home of the twelve or fourteen natives of Tahiti Avho serve before the mast, and the diminutive Hindu lad, aa t lio filled the position of ship’s boy, Ihe native creAV, Ave noticed, were bare of foot, but contrary to Fitzpatrick travelogue depictions, were not clad in garlands of floAvers, or softly strumming steel guitars.

The galley on deck, immediately aft of the fo’c’s’le, AA'as shielded by a roof, and three sides, being open on the other to the weather. The vessel, it must be. remembered, Avas built for service in the ‘tropics, and

presumably the galley remained cooler built in this manner. Aft once again, the, engine room, containing the 400 h.p. diesel engine Avhich the schooner used as an aux.liary to her sails AA r as pointed out. A speed of six knots Avas gained on the seventeen day voyage from Tahiti.

The Oiseau des. Isles, which has a total tonnage of 398, is oAvned by a French prosphate company, Avliiclv uses her as a supply ship. She is at present in Auckland for survey and is berthed at Hobson wharf. She will probably remain in poi’t for about tAvo months. She was built at Nantes, France, in 1935, and is of steel construction, with teak woodwork. She carries a crew of nineteen, mostly French Tahitians.

The schooner which has been engaged in war service in the Pacific arrived in ballast, but if a suitable cargo is offering after she has com- 1 may make a trip to Sydney before returning to the Islands.

Somehow the Oiseau des Isles has about her, the unmistakable atmosphere of the tropics. Her appearance her natiA'c creAV, everything about her immediately suggests corSti beaches, glistening sands, islands fringed with green and gently swaying palm?, voices mingling with tht soft strumming of steel guitars, aiu last but not least—the inevitable Dorothy Lamour, complete witl sarong.