Vessel will call at Canton and transport whaleboat now there to Hull Island for use of settlement scheme. Length 25 feet, fitted with 5 H.P. engine, mast and sails.

Telegraph itinerary you would wish vessel to follow for calls at islands in Phoenix. Secretary, Western Pacific High Commission

With reference to your telegram No. 3 received today. Should like vessel to come here first and then proceed to Hull to load thatch and eating coconuts for Canton. Visit to Sydney Island on way Canton would be appreciated as I was unable to land there last January. Return to Hull to drop boat on way to Suva.

Cookson has asked to be allowed visit Canton to see dentist. This seems excellent opportunity, if you approve his leaving Hull for few days.

Thank you for boat it will be very useful at Hull.

Gallagher.

Your telegram 23rd May, I approve. Please inform Cookson.

Secretary, Western Pacific High Commission

D.O. letter to Cdr. G. B. Nasmyth, Suva, No. 4439 of 6.6.41 faired for signature.

With reference to our telephone conversation relative to the identification of a sextant and box which I mentioned as having been found and which you were so good as to say you would examine, I regret to state that on further examination it was discovered that no sextant had actually been found but only a box thought to have contained a sextant.

I am forwarding the box to you with this letter and His Excellency would be grateful if you would examine it with a view to determining its use and origin if possible.

Sincerely,

Secretary to the High Commission

Please empty sextant box carefully and wrap box up in a parcel and send it to Cdr. Nasmyth with original of letter 14.

The empty sextant box has been packed as a parcel and sent to Commander Nasmyth together with original of 14.

2. The contents of the box have been parcelled and placed in your office.

With reference to paragraph 2 of (34), I have examined the contents of the parcel mentioned. Apart from stating that they appear to be parts of shoes worn by a male person and a female person, I have nothing further to say.

Those corks on brass chains would appear to have belonged to a small cask.

I have read the contents of this file with great interest. It does look as if the skeleton was that of some unfortunate native castaway and the sextant box and other curious articles found nearby the remains are quite possibly a few of his precious possessions which he managed to save.

2. There was no evidence of any attempt to dig a well and the wretched man presumably died of thirst. less than two miles away there is a small grove of coconut trees which would have been sufficient to keep him alive if he had only found it. He was separated from those trees, however, by an inpenetrable [sic] belt of bush.

GBG.

His Excellency
File submitted as orally directed this morning.

Sec., H.C.,

I return the sextant box which I had retrieved from Captain Nasmyth in order to show it to Mr. Gatty who has expert knowledge of such matters. Mr. Gatty thinks that the box is an English one of some age and judges that it was used latterly merely as a receptacle. He does not consider that it could in any circumstance have been a sextant box used in modern trans-Pacific aviation. 2. What was Captain Nasmyth's opinion of it?

The Secretary

Mnt (39), para. 2, I have spoken to Captain Nasmyth who replied as follows:- "As the sextant box has no distinguishing marks, & since it was discovered that no sextant had been found, all I have been able to find out is that the make of the box – that is – the dovetailing of the corners – makes it appear to be of French origin."