Roger Lextrait: Eight years alone on South Pacific island
LinkEach day he woke promptly at 5AM, to the calling of a hundred thousand birds. Nowhere else on the planet do these creatures gather in such numbers. After fixing himself a Palmyra Cocktail (1 part Rum, 1 part Red Wine, 1 part Tang), he called up his radio contacts in Tahiti and Honolulu. A shower on the beach in his makeshift bathing system and he was ready for the day. The bath and latrine systems Roger built are still used today by the current research teams that visit the atoll for brief expeditions.
Roger had a variety of things to keep him busy. Not least of which were his 3 dogs TouTou, Blackie, and Padou. He trained them to hunt sharks, helping to keep the predators population under control. Always near were his 2 cats Tiger and DouDouche, and the 2 birds he raised from hatchlings, lovingly named Felix and Oscar.
Experience made him an excellent fisherman, using only a diving knife, fishing net, and spear gun. This was dangerous work as the reef contained a number of less than friendly creatures. Roger had his share of run-ins with everything from sharks to stingrays, but never suffered any serious injuries.
Singing, playing his guitar, and drumming on an old wheel barrel helped him pass the time and keep the loneliness at bay. Despite his best efforts, Roger still describes experiencing intense feelings of depression and despair. “It (Palmyra) is so secluded, so isolate,” he says.
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"Not least of which were his 3 dogs TouTou, Blackie, and Padou. He trained them to hunt sharks, helping to keep the predators population under control."
How does one go about training a dog to hunt sharks?
I noticed this phrase: "drumming on an old wheel barrel," and wondered what a "wheel barrel" is.... Forty years ago I had a student teacher who spent a whole 8th grade History class period grieving about her low mark on a recent Physics exam. She was a Manhattanite, and one question had asked her to describe the physics of a wheelbarrow. Never having seen one, she assumed it resembled a baby carriage....
So I ponder; is there such a thing as a "wheel barrel" out in the South Pacific, or is this just a wheelbarrow turned upside down (as it were ;-)?
Anyone interested in this topic has to read "An Island to Oneself" by Tom Neale.
"Experience made him an excellent fisherman, using only a diving knife, fishing net, and spear gun."
I, too, am a master angler, using only my wits, dynamite, and a commercial fishing vessel.
I was on Palmyra doing field research in 2003 for a few days. At that time, there were three people living on the atoll: a married couple who acted as the official caretakers, and young guy deployed by the Nature Conservancy to get rid of the rats infesting Palmyra.
I've never heard of Roger Lextrait before, but there was a dog on the island. The couple told me that he and one other dog had been there, alone, when they arrived on the atoll. They figured that the dogs learned to hunt sharks out of necessity, living alone on the island.
The dog followed me around the whole time I was on the atoll. He seemed VERY lonely. He (nearly) constantly tried to hump either my leg or the leg of the other student working with me. When we would shrug him off, he would whine pitifully again until we gave in.
I saw him catch a small reef shark and eat it. He chased the shark into a shallow inlet, bit it right behind the eyes, picked it up, and shook it vigorously.
The author of the article mentions how difficult it is to reach the atoll now that the Nature Conservancy owns it. There is one way (other than research): the Nature Conservancy allows bone-fishing expeditions on Palmyra for an extremely steep price. I ate dinner with a group of wealthy businessmen in their luxury tents while I was there. They had no respect for the delicate beauty of the island, littering, and even beating the blue-footed boobies (Lights disorient the birds at night and they can fly right in the windows).
Thank you, HMAC, for your sobering comment. The original entry was way too fanciful to be credible.
I am *so* glad that comments are back!