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The Islander - Thursday 29^th April 1999

THE ROAD TO DAMPIER'S.

300 Years ago this year, in 1699 William Dampier explored the North West coast of Australia, New Britain, New Guinea etc

In one of his voyages his sailing master, Alexander Selkirk, the prototype of Robinson Crusoe, was landed on Juan Fernandez and rescued on a subsequent voyage.

There are now 34 weeks remaining of this century.

LETTERS

PUBLIC NOTICE

No. 10/99

SPECIAL ISSUE OF POSTAGE STAMPS

"WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE - FAIRY TERN"

On Tuesday 27 April 1999, the Post Office will release for sale a set of four stamps and a sheetlet featuring the Fairy Tern (Gygis alba)in support of the WWF Conservation Stamp Collection. This will be part of the World Philatelic Exhibition show due to be held in Nurnberg, Germany from 27 April to 4 May 1999.

Each stamp carries a value of l0p and are as follows:-

• Adult on a branch
• Two adults on the wing
• Two adults on a branch with their wings open
• An adult with young

The sheetlet consists of 16 stamps ie four strips of four stamps arranged in a staggered format. The sheetlet border features local flowers and bears the WWF Panda Logo.

The First Day Cover shows an adult feeding its young and the cancellation cachet incorporates an egg design.

Sets of stamps at 40p, sheetlets at £1.60 and First Day Covers at 90p will be on sale at the Georgetown Post Office for a period of three months from the date of issue.

They will still be available to collectors from the Philatelic Bureau for a further twelve months provided stocks lasts.

A.R. FRANCIS
Postmistress

Post Office
Georgetown
21 April 1999

STAMP NEWS

A meeting of the Stamp Committee was convened in the Administrator's Office on Thursday 15 April to discuss progress on the stamp issuing programme and future stamp issues.

The remaining 1999 stamp programme is as follows

Ideas for future issues are:-

• Millennium
  
• Tourism
  
• Crown Agents have suggested past kings and Queens

Members of the Public are invited to subnyjt any ideas they have for future stamp
issues to the Administrator or any of the stamp committee members They are:

Mr Mervyn Isaac - AIS Shop
Mrs Anita Stevens - Cable & Wireless
Mr Pete Johnson - Ariane
Mrs Theresa Coleman - Turner FM
Mrs Angela Francis - Postmistress

NEWS FROM ASCENSION AUXILIARY AIRFIELD By Maj Jeff Lowdermilk

I would like to commend all of the crew who has been working on the curbing at the powerplant. Thusfar, a total of 2,355 of 3,000 linear feet has been poured. This project is almost complete, and once completed, the curbing will significantly enhance the aesthetics of the area. The crew has been constructing forms and pouring concrete for five months now.

I have heard on two occasions that personnel have noted alcoholic beverages are being purchased at the Volcano Club and given to minors. While I do not have enough information to pursue these allegations any further, I must advise those involved that, once apprehended, they will be banned from the facility as a minimum. Additionally, all parties are likely to face criminal prosecution. Lastly, I have noticed the number of unsupervised children in and around the Volcano Club is increasing. I must ask the responsible parents to control and supervise your children. While we enjoy having the Volcano Club open to the general populace, I would hate for infractions such as this to result in the facility being placed off-limits to off-base personnel. Additionally, the unsupervised children are at risk to be harmed as traffic in the evening hours around the Volcano Club is quite heavy.

Last week, we were fortunate to be visited by Colonel Thomas Deppe, the 45th Space Wing Vice Wing Commander. Colonel Deppe visited Ascension Auxiliary Airfield on an orientation tour and was accompanied by Major James O’Neal. Major O’Neal is the 45th Maintenance Squadron’s Officer-in-Charge of Range Electronics Installation and Maintenance. Both gentlemen enjoyed their visit. Colonel Deppe was particularly interested in quality of life facilities for US Base employees. It is also important to note Colonel Deppe was recently selected to become the Air Force Space Command Director of Logistics.

As most of you may note, the Passenger Terminal has been transformed into a temporary kitchen. This temporary kitchen will be utilized for approximately 90 days while the permanent kitchen is being renovated. All equipment is scheduled to be moved into this temporary kitchen on May 1st. The road between this temporary kitchen and the dining hall will be closed during this phase of construction. I would ask that all personnel avoid this area as it will be very congested. Lastly, for those on base, we enjoy fantastic food in the dining hall. Please be patient with dining hall personnel during these 90 days. They will be under a lot of pressure in the temporary kitchen. When you combine this with their contagious pride, they will be performing above and beyond the call of duty for these three months.

Major Jeff Lowdermilk

Father Keith Writes:

PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN.  ASCENSION ISLAND (Diocese of St. Helena) Parish Priest: Fr. Keith James - 6431 Church Warden: Marvyn Isaacs Church Warden: Cheryl Anthony

Dear Friends,

There is something immensely calming and satisfying just sitting on the warm sand of Long Beach and gazing heavenward.
It all began with the moon.
For a start it wasn't the right way up, it was lying on its back, just the merest hint of a sickle, the thinnest we had ever seen; and there above it, completing the circle, a glowing outline surrounding a sphere of what - moondust? The astronomers call it earthshine, and it is very beautiful.

Fired by this strange moon and the E-Mail from Olivier Staiger (Islander, 8th April) advising us of shooting stars and other wonders we have turned our eyes from turtle-watching to star gazing.
It's not just the sheer vastness of it all that holds you spellbound, or the realisation that many of the stars we 'see' are no longer there at all, or even that what we see is but a fraction of what is 'out there'. Rather it is the sense of stillness, of the infinite, of the grandeur of it all that overwhelms you. And you can't help wondering what it's all about, what is the purpose behind it. And if it didn't all happen just by chance, who created it and why? And where do I fit in?
For me it is as if God writes up there in that inky blackness shot through with a million million jewels the questions we all ask ourselves from time to time.
The psalmist put it this way (Psalm 8 V 4):

"When I look at thy heavens, at the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars which thou hast established;
what is man that thou art mindful of him,
and the son of man that thou dost care for him?"

Oddly enough, lying there on Long Beach, the answers don't really seem to matter. Only the peace of it matters, a sort of knowing that God does care.

God Bless You and Keep You,
Fr Keith & Ginny.

Darwin Initiative Turtle Project Update

Fish die off

Fortunately, there are still no signs that turtles have been affected by whatever has caused the recent fish die off. However there is still great concern as to what is causing the large numbers of fish of all common species to become sick and die. Thanks to members of the current RAF diving expedition we have accessed samples from freshly dead goat fish, grouper and black fish and will be sending these out on the next plane. We would, however, still be interested in obtaining more samples from fish that were still alive at the time of capture. Please telephone on 4547.

Migration studies

As part of our ongoing studies regarding the migration and navigational capabilities of sea turtles we have displaced 4 turtles equipped with satellite transmitters this weekend with the M.V. Ascension. Many thanks to all those individuals who gave much of their weekend time and efforts to help with this very labour intensive operation. A special thanks to the management and personnel of Merlin, CSR, Sealift and AIS for their logistical support, without which this operation would have not been possible.

Turtle Rescues

Although the turtle season is very much on the decline, females are still becoming stranded on a number of the beaches round the island. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of Pierhead staff, and a number of island visitors and residents alike, these have all been released to the sea. One particular rescue is worthy of mention: it involves a male turtle that had become entangled in the line of a discarded buoy. The buoy is not thought to have originated on-Island. The line of had become tangled and embedded in the flesh of the flipper, confining the turtle to the surface layers of water. That is until Jimmy Young and his diving buddies undertook a dramatic underwater rescue, freeing the flipper from the line and allowing the male to limp off, probably toward Brazil for some rest and recuperation.

Hatchling Emergence Study

This study, co-ordinated by Fiona Glen, is now drawing to a close. The last week we have been down at North East Bay. The baby turtles at this site face a number of threats before they enter the water, including predation by cats, land crabs and, if emerging at dawn and dusk, almost certain predation by the frigate birds that are so numerous in the region. This study would not have been possible without the loan of plastic piping from RAF/Turner and we are duly grateful to those who have assisted us on the beach during the long night shifts: Tony, Dion, Jason, Steve, the Reed family, the Prince family and the Hone family.

Marine Turtles: a Historical Perspective

The fact that HH Roger Huxley has an interest in wildlife and the environment is well known and evidence by his collaboration with Dr Hays of the University of Wales, Swansea in applying for funding for the current marine turtle project from the Darwin Initiative. His interest in marine turtles was additionally manifested by his preparation of a monograph on the historical overview of Ascension Island and marine turtles. He has recently summarised aspects of this work for publication in the Marine Turtle Newsletter, an international publication dedicated to marine turtles and co-edited by the Ascension Island "Turtle People". Although this article can be accessed on on-line at <http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn> we thought that Islander readers both on the island and on the Internet would be interested in reading it. We are sure that you will agree that it makes interesting reading.

"The Turtle People"
Brendan and Annette
Bungalow 22, Two Boats
Tel: 4547

E-mail: mtn@atlantis.co.ac

Turtle Project Web Site: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/biosci/turtl/index.htm

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Historical Overview of Marine Turtle Exploitation in Ascension Island,
South Atlantic

Roger Huxley
Administrator, Ascension Island, South Atlantic (Fax: +247 4525;E-mail: Administrator@atlantis.co.ac)

Ascension Island, a dependency of St. Helena, is situated in the tropical South Atlantic (7º57' S 14º22'W). Ever since man first arrived on the Island, chroniclers have made reference to marine turtles. Two species of turtle visit Ascension. From December-May, the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) arrives in many hundreds to mate and lay eggs on Ascension's sandy beaches. A less numerous visitor, which does not breed on the Island, is the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), which is seen around the shores. A selection of writings regarding green turtles culled from reference works and sources contained in the Ascension Island Administrator's archives - many not previously available to researchers- were recently reviewed (Huxley 1997). This article summarises aspects of this work:
John Ovington (as cited in Duff Hart- Davis 1972) who visited Ascension in 1691 claimed that turtle meat had therapeutic powers:

"On these [turtles] the hungry mariners feed deliciously…They esteem it no less nourishing and healthful and delightful … diseases have by this form of diet been often abated…The purgative quality in which it ends carries away the disease with it, and repairs the body to its former strength and constitution."

The turtles were easily caught:

"..turn them by surprisal on their backs, which is a posture they are utterly unable to recover from, and are thereby frustrated of all defence or escape, and are a ready prey to any that resolve to seize them. When the sensible creatures find themselves in this desperate posture, by which they know themselves to be in a lost and hopeless state, they then begin to lament their condition in many heavy sighs, and mournful groans, and shed abundance of water from their eyes, in hopes, if possible, to secure their safety by their tears, and mollifie the cruel assaults upon their lives."

Peter Osbeck, a Swedish priest, on his way home from China in 1752 observed (as cited by Duff Hart-Davis 1972):

"The sailors lurk at night on the shore; and when a tortoise [sic] is crept up they turn it upon its back with hooks (or, if they can, with their hands alone). In the latter case, they must take care of the animal's mouth, for it bites off a finger with ease; a misfortune which one of our sailors experienced this time."

Turtles were utilized on the Island, taken onboard as a source of fresh meat for passing ships and transported, as a delicacy, back to Britain, often with a poor survival rate. In his notes communicated to the Lords of the Admiralty (1835), Captain H R Brandreth noted that:

"In quality the turtle of Ascension, when scientifically served up, is esteemed of high and undoubted merit; but it is in general too large to reach England. On my return from my first visit to the Island, the commandant freighted the transport with sixty of the finest flappers that the season had produced. They were destined for some of the most distinguished individuals in England; and the largest and finest was set apart for his late Majesty, with instructions, that if but one survived it should be considered as so appropriated - the commandant acting, as nearly as possible, upon the principle that the king never dies. And the precaution was by no means unnecessary, as in fact only one did survive.

To prevent intrigues in favour of particular patrons or friends, each turtle was marked on his fair white belly-shell with the name of the owner; and the sailor in charge of the party duly reported each morning their state and condition, as thus, - "Please your honour, the Duke of Wellington died last night;" or, "I don't like the looks of Lord Melville this morning, sir." Then followed certain interesting questions, - "How is the Lord Chancellor?" "Why he looks pretty lively, sir;" and so forth."

An anonymous article (1841) described the predation of hatchlings by frigate birds (Fregata aquila) and illustrated that the turtles were a resource thought worthy of defence:

"Should this journey happen in daylight many of the young animals are picked up and devoured by the man-of-war bird, who may be seen hovering over the turtles' nests. For this species of warfare in destroying the young turtle, the man-of-war bird is shot, or otherwise destroyed by the officers of the garrison."

Further anonymous writings (1901) describe the capture procedure:

"Turning of turtles is not permitted until the animals have deposited their eggs ……during the egg-laying season, men keep watch for turtles…..the animal, having deposited its eggs and carefully covered them, is seized and turned on its back…... In the position described, it is helpless, and can do no more than wave its flippers in the air. Turtle after turtle is turned until the required number is attained…..the next morning the launch proceeds to the various beaches to collect the booty. The launch tows a whaler, but neither can approach the beach on account of the breakers and the heavy backwash. Under the flippers of each turtle, the men ashore attach a rope, at the end of which is an empty air-tight petrol can to act as a float. One by one the turtles are directed seaward and rejoicing in their supposed liberty, they swim off as fast as they can but they cannot submerge the tell-tale float. The whaler soon comes up to them, the ropes being attached, tows the unwilling swimmers to the launch. From the sea they are hoisted by derrick to the decks; all safely aboard the launch returns to Georgetown, where two large turtle ponds await the guests. The anchorage reached, they are again hoisted by derrick and dropped into the sea, but not until the rope has been attached and the turtles find themselves on the way to the Pierhead. Here a specially made slipway and trolley are utilised, whereby they are rapidly transferred to the ponds and there set free ….These so-called ponds are large tanks built of stone, and the sea is admitted by means of sluices too narrow to admit of a captive escaping through them."


Although turtles were harvested for over two hundred years on the Island, detailed records are relatively rare. Two periods when the catch was well catalogued are 1845-1863 and 1928-1934 (Huxley 1997). Figure 1 illustrates the fact that in the mid-19th Century the harvest was large. Other than 1860, when few men could be spared for the harvest, the catch ranged from 203-1506 individual females each year.

Mortimer and Carr (1987) estimated the annual number of females nesting in the late 1970's to be between 1320-3590. This was based on an estimate of 3-4 egg clutches laid per turtle per season and is now thought likely to have generated an overestimate of population size (J. Mortimer pers. comm.). Given the population estimates, two possibilities are likely:
1) The historical nesting population was much larger than that found in the 1970's and/or
2) The harvest in the mid 19th Century was likely to be causing a severe reduction of the population.
It is not known when the harvest was lessened, however by the early part of the 20th Century, levels were much lower with annual records ranging from 54-188 females.

The annual turtle harvest was co-ordinated by the various custodians of the Island (1815-1821 the Royal Navy; 1821-1922 the Royal Marines, culminating in a concession by the St. Helena Governor to the Eastern Telegraph Company (the company changed its name to Cable and Wireless in 1929). Commercial exploitation was deemed uneconomic and ceased in 1935. From 1936 to the present day, information on harvest is scant and often anecdotal:


A Saint Helenian Government Representative's Despatch to the Governor, 24 June 1943 noted that the:

"Island consumption of turtles remained static at between 3-5 per annum".

Even in 1942, when a large number of US service men were stationed on the island, only about 20 turtles were turned and held captive, a dozen being used by the servicemen, about half-a-dozen used by the British community, with the rest being allowed to return to the sea.
Clifford Jones, resident on Ascension in 1957-61, informed the author that occasional turtles were "turned" during their stay to provide meat or soup for visiting VIPs. For example, one turtle was slaughtered to celebrate HRH The Duke Of Edinburgh's visit in 1957 and others were presented to visiting Royal Navy ships.
As far as available records show, no further harvest has been undertaken on the Island, except for egg collection by Mariculture Ltd. This commercial company was given permission to start collecting turtle eggs on Ascension during 1969. Whilst records are incomplete, it seems that large collections of eggs were made between 1969 and 1975. Of the eggs harvested each year, the majority were exported to the Cayman Islands for commercial rearing and sale whilst a proportion were hatched locally, with young turtles being subsequently released into the sea.
Although in the early days of man's occupation of Ascension, turtles were killed in large numbers, as time moved on a sense of affection and responsibility for the animals evolved along with the recognition that they should be treated as humanely as possible. Today all turtles are fully protected on Ascension Island and, being so small in area, protection is easily enforced - something not always possible at breeding sites elsewhere. This was summarised in 1980, by Dr Jeanne A Mortimer of the University of Florida who wrote to the then Administrator:

"The Ascension Island nesting population (of green turtles) is one of the most important colonies in the world. There are many biological attributes unique to Ascension's turtles, including their large size, their outstanding migratory feats, and the fact that the Island is the type locality for the species. However, perhaps of even greater importance at a time when the turtle populations everywhere are being extirpated at an alarming rate, the Ascension Island population has the distinction of being one of the best protected green turtle colonies in the world..."

Acknowledgements - This article was produced in conjunction with Drs. Broderick, Godley and Hays of the Marine Turtle Research Group, University of Wales, Swansea as part of a joint Darwin Initiative Turtle Project. The author would like to acknowledge Cable and Wireless plc. for sight of company records from the 1930's; preparation of the manuscript was assisted by Brian Bowen, University of Florida and the comments of two reviewers.

Anon. (1841) Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle.

Anon. (1901) Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle.

Duff Hart-Davis (1972) Ascension: The Story of a South Atlantic island, Constable (London)

Huxley, R.C. (1997) Ascension Island and Turtles: A Monograph, Ascension Island Heritage Society, 30pp.

Mortimer, J.A & A. Carr (1987) Reproduction and Migrations of the Ascensions Island Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas). Copeia 1987 (1): 103-113.

From the Administrator's desk

Last Friday Niddy and I had the pleasure of spending an evening of fun, food and frolics with the haggis bashers (also known as the Caledonian Society) - including the MacBiggars, MacJenkins, and the MacHenrys - all this at the MacExiles Club. The occasion was to celebrate St George's Day, Shakespeare's birthday and World Literacy Day. Highlights of the evening included Ceddie Henry displaying his musical talents with a guitar disguised as bagpipes and Graham Biggar slaughtering the dragon (he was let off with a strong warning). There's none so strange as kilt-sniffers!

I must commend to all readers the consultation paper entitled "Ascension Island: Into The New Millennium" which was published last week. Copies are available from my office. The paper was referred to in the recently published British Government's White Paper "Partnership for Progress and Prosperity" (the one that promised to give back to Saints their full British nationality). It asks for your views on whether the island should be governed differently than at present (with a council, for example); whether common services should continue to be paid for by the employers (they no longer want to do so); and whether people would like to settle here permanently and own land (all land now belongs to the Crown). These are important matters and your views count. So please let me have them (they can be anonymous if you prefer - although the British Government has guaranteed that all responses will be treated in strictest confidence).

A lot of you are rightly concerned at the number of dead fish around at the moment - mainly black fish and groupers. Theories to the cause of natural catastrophe abound. I have been in touch with the St Helena fisheries people and via them with the Smithsonian Institute in Panama. In parallel Dr Brendan Godley is collecting specimens for study by experts at Stirling University in Scotland. The favoured theory is that the temperature of the water has increased dramatically of late and this has encouraged red algae: the sum effect being a lack of oxygen in the water for the fish. But whatever the cause I fear we can do nothing more than watch. The only hope is that the problem will sort itself out spontaneously as it did six years ago. In the meantime observers have said that they think the number of dead fish is reducing - let us hope so.

Over the weekend we welcomed back Captain Dana Haff and the US supply ship the MV Ascension. The American authorities have agreed that the vessel may carry cargo for non-US, civilian customers. I understand that Capt. Haff is talking to AIS about getting the project off the ground. I hope it does manage to go ahead - an alternative source for goods to the UK, St Helena and South Africa can only be to everyone's advantage.

In conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund this week our Post Office has issued a lovely set of stamps depicting the Fairy Tern. The four designs can either be purchased singly or in sets of 16 stamps. I think you will like them.

We have been busy this week making the arrangements for our three athletes to attend the Natwest Small Island Games which will be held in Gotland, Sweden, for a week from 27 June. Our representatives which will form part of the St Helena team are Lisa Lawrence (50m crawl and 50m breaststroke), Sheena Johnson (badminton singles) and Sharon Henry (100m and 200m sprint). They are all now training hard to be in peak fitness for the Games.

Finally, I must say a sad farewell to Enid and Donald Stevens who are leaving the island on the next ship to settle back in St Helena. The Golf Club gave them a rousing farewell on Sunday. Donald has been here for over thirty years and Enid for not much less. I am sure you will all wish to join me in wishing them Bon voyage and a happy, carefree retirement.

R C Huxley
Administrator
26 April 1999

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PUBLIC NOTICE NO 11/99

Ascension Island: Into The New Millennium: a public consultation paper

This consultation paper will be published on 22nd April 1999 and copies will be available free of charge from the Administrator's Office.

The section on Ascension Island in the British Government's White Paper "Partnership for Progress and Prosperity" published last month, said that studies will be conducted to establish how the governance of the island should be organised for the future. The publication of the consultation paper is the next step in that process.

The conventional structures of democratic government do not exist on Ascension. And the "users" who now meet the costs of common services (health, education, public works, the police etc) want to concentrate on their core businesses.

So, before deciding on whether the present arrangements for running the island should be changed, the British Government would like to have the views of residents and others interested in Ascension Island as to the island's future. In parallel with this consultation process, the British Government will carry out economic and legal studies and a land survey.

The Paper poses two basic questions:

1. How should Ascension be run to meet the needs of the 21st century?

and

2. Should the residents have a greater say in island affairs?

The paper discusses democracy (should there be an island council?); ways of financing island services (taxes, duties, rates?); and whether people be allowed to live here permanently and to own land and property.

The British Government believes that changes could be made that will ultimately lead to more jobs, higher incomes, and better civil rights for the people of Ascension and St Helena. But the Government has not yet made up its mind what those changes - if any - should be.

The first step is to get your opinion, so tell us what you think. In the meantime the Government will carry out the necessary fiscal and legal reviews together with the land survey.

R C Huxley
Administrator

Administrator's Office,
Georgetown.
(Tel: 6311. Fax 6152. E-mail administrator@atlantis.co.ac)
21st April 1999

Hash Trash
Hash No.746 - A live Hare Hash from the Red Lion
The Live Hares?: Small Thing and Coffee Mate

Sat. 24 April 99

The Pack: Gilligan, A-Drain, Penguin, Sniffy, Dozy Ha’P’orth, Lollipop, Roly Poly, Captain Klingon, Stealth, New Knees, Lance-a-little, Warp Speed, Ivor the Engine, Thunderthighs, Crystal tips, Wannabe, Shirley Temple.

With the Live Hares dispatched, the pack assembled and itching to get away, we waited the obligatory TEN minutes which seemed an eternity, or Warp Speed’s watch was travelling back in time.
Eventually the Pack set off up past the Red Lion and straight into a back check - might have guessed the trail to be through the tunnel. Warp Speed must have run through, as he wasn’t seen again until much later on the Hash, mean while Lance-a-Little was busy feeling his way (and looking for sausages?) in the darkness. Back in the light at the end of the tunnel we struggled up to the Weather Gardens track and back round the catchment and onto Elliotts path - the Hares were no where to be seen.
Another back check and up the side of Green Mountain on to the Dew Pond path with the help of a rope (a sign of things to come!). By this stage the FRBs were along way in front of the knitting circle, consequently a few stitches were dropped while they too had to find the real trail from this point onwards - which is when the fun started!! Having found the back check on the Dew Pond path coming down the knitting circle proceeded to slide down the grassy bank with five point contact shouting “yeeeeehaa!!”. Next came the barbed wire, the gingers and a very steep muddy slope which reduced them from “Oh my!!”, to fits of laughter within seconds as they descended a lot quicker than intended.
Along Ruperts to yet another back check and a cunningly disguised trail, (which the Knitting Circle had to clear first), down Banana Ravine - so I understand all the FRBs had missed this (a case for short cutting I think!). Once again most of the knitting circle descended at record breaking speed applying brakes only when confronted by Lance-a-Little coming up the ravine shouting “back check!”.
Thoughts of having to ascend the ravine again, were dispelled when Lance had a lot to say about having come along Cronks (more short cutting!). So the KC proceeded at top speed along the way from which Lance had come, only to be faced with yet another back check. Roly Poly and Lollipop soon found the real trail up another ravine aided with, yes you guessed, another rope! It was at this stage Crystal Tips was ready to chuck the towel in, but a major effort from Thunderthighs got them to the top.
The run on in was flatish so no big problem except a certain Warp Speed running in the opposite direction attempting to put us off the trail - at this stage of exhaustion, NO CHANCE!
A good live hare run - I understand the first FRB was only 3 minutes behind you both. We’ll catch you next time.
Receding Hare Line:
This weeks Hash : Warp Speed and Captain Klingon from Travellers Pool - and will boldly go where no man has gone before!! Should be Enterprising!! So make it so!!

8th May - Sniffy + Dozy Ha’P’orth from Entrance to old NASA building
15th May - ?
22nd May - ADF - no Hash
29th May - Coffee Mate + Chief Longpole from Command Hill

Sniffy, GHM

EDITOR - Tony Jenkins
The New Islander Office, Fort Hayes, Georgetown, Ascension Island.
Tel/Fax 00 + 247 6327
E-Mail: editors@the-islander.org.ac
Deadline: 12 pm Tuesdays

Contributors: Penny Peters, Nathan Prince, Father Keith, Tony Jenkins, Jeff Lowdermilk, Roger Huxley, Betty Joshua, Bob Bendall, Jim Podger, Sharon Andrews, Dana Haff

Printers: SYLVIA and Father Keith

All articles © copyright 1999 The Islander Newspaper. All rights reserved.

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