• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Christmas Island Archives Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) - Ruins, relics, stories and other interesting things

Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) - Ruins, relics, stories and other interesting things

  • Home
  • Latest updates
  • Ruins, relics, old and lost sites
  • Historic newspaper articles
  • Stories, articles and videos
  • Documents
  • World War 2
  • Recommended reading
  • Early maps & views
  • Website image gallery
  • About and Contact

A strange sea tale – the monster

The following story is a part of an 1897 U.K. newspaper article titled “Strange sea tales”. It tells how, in 1868, an unknown monster latched on to the anchor of the Governor of Lombok’s vessel at Christmas Island and towed it around for the best part of a day. 

It would be interesting to know why the Governor of Lombok (name unknown), his wife and officials were at Christmas Island;  Possibly for replenishment of water etc. But the question arises, where was he heading, or had come from? Cocos Island? What was his business? 

The distance between Lombok and Christmas Island is over 1100km. 
The distance between Lombok and Christmas Island is approx. 1182km. 

In the month of August 1868, the whale ship Phantom, of Boston, was bearing up for Christmas Island, off the south coast of Java to replenish her wood and water. We were about 40 miles due south of the island, and were rolling about on ground swell, without breeze sufficient to fill a sail, when a Javanese craft of about 100 tons burden was sighted coming down upon us from the south at a speed of seven or eight knots an hour. There was no wind, and she had no sail set, and when she passed us a quarter of a mile away we were filled with speculation and astonishment. It would have been a mysterious yarn to spin ashore had we not been boarded by one of her crew, who jumped overboard as she was passing and swam to us. He explained that she was a craft belonging to the governor of Lombok, one of the Islands east of Java proper, and that the governor and his wife and officials were aboard on her. She had reached Christmas Island just at daybreak, and cast anchor, but half an hour later something had picked up her anchor and towed her out to sea.

Governor's ship may have looked like this
The Governor’s ship may have looked something like this.

Having but the one anchor and there being no wind, it was perhaps good seamanship not to let slip the cable, and let the marine monster carry off the mass of iron. The sailor had been ordered by the governor to leap overboard and request our captain to render such assistance as he could as soon as a breeze sprang up. This we were ready to do, but it was nearly six hours before the wind came. Meanwhile the native craft had been performing some curious evolutions. She ran to the south for three or four miles and then returned almost over the same course. For an hour she was towed about in a circle. Then she ran to the east – turned to the north – swerved around to the west, and finally came back to us.

No one could make out what sort of monster had hold of her anchor. Had it been a whale he would have had to show on the surface sooner or later, and he would have run straight away in his fright. Nothing that we had ever seen seemed strong enough to tow that craft the best part of a day without a moment’s rest. I have asked several naturalists what it could have been, and none of them was clear about it, though leaning to the belief that it was a species of devil fish.

A devil fish or mobula mobula
The devil fish is in the same family as manta rays and resembles them. 

The craft was two miles away when the breeze finally came, and she was being towed in a circle when we got near enough to lower a boat and carry a rope to her. No sooner had the monster felt the strain of our ship behind him than the Anchor was loosened. When it was brought to the surface, there were no evidences that it had been torn loose from gills or mouth, and it is a mystery how it was carried around so long.

Hull News Supplement – Saturday 10 April 1897 – page 11

Share this page.

Primary Sidebar

Christmas Island Archives was selected for preservation by the State Library of Western Australia. It is now listed in perpetuity on PANDORA, Australia’s website archive established by the National Library of Australia.

Grant acknowledgement

Follow on Instagram

Follow Christmas Island Archives on Instagram for cool images and videos of ruins, relics, temples and more.

An ammunition cave used by the Japanese during the An ammunition cave used by the Japanese during their occupation of Christmas Island in WW2. The circular opening in the wall is where I believe a ventilation pipe was inserted. Its purpose was to keep a stable temperature and extract noxious fumes. Its use as an ammunition cave may have predated WW2. To find out more about this cave read Helena van der Riet's excellent thesis "The Archaeology of the Japanese World War II Occupation of Christmas Island". It can be found on my website (see link in my bio) under the "Documents" section. 
#christmasisland #cave #ammunition #ww2 #ww2history #worldwar2 #worldwar2history #japaneseoccupation #ww2japanese #christmasislandarchives
I love Victor Purcell's observations of human beha I love Victor Purcell's observations of human behaviour on Christmas Island in 1926. The European community caused him the most angst.
#christmasisland #christmasislandhistory #history #islandlife #colonial #straitssettlements #christmasislandarchives
An old water tank near South Point located along t An old water tank near South Point located along the old railway track. I understand that a couple of years ago it was totally overgrown by the jungle and was invisible until it was cleared.
#christmasisland #ruin #relic #industrialrelic #watertank #colonial #christmasislandarchives
Back in 2020 as we were leaving the Old European C Back in 2020 as we were leaving the Old European Cemetery my sis-in-law @mily_barrett spotted this now 72 year old engraving in the concrete path. A nice little reminder from a long gone workman that he was once doing a job there.
"1.7.1951
Pipe Repar" ... 
The last seen letter is partially obscured. The word repair has likely been misspelt?
#christmasisland #history #christmasislandhistory #relic #cemetery #path #oldpath #christmasislandarchives
A sad end for Norman Howard. His gravesite lies in A sad end for Norman Howard. His gravesite lies in the Old European Cemetery on Christmas Island. His story and the mystery loss of his headstone lead to a surprising misidentification of his gravesite. Read about it now on my website. See bio for link. Look under “latest updates” for “Norman Howard - turning in his grave”.
"In memory of Norman Howard
European Overseer
Aged 32
Died 6.3.24"
#christmasisland #straitssettlements #christmasislandhistory #cemetery #headstone #gravesite #grave #colonialhistory #christmasislandarchives
Straits settlement 1 cent coins that I found parti Straits settlement 1 cent coins that I found partially buried. The verdigris colour of one of them caught my eye. How I came to be in that specific spot to find them is another whole story LOL. I donated them to the Island's Tai Jin House museum.
Left top to bottom:
Tails side “Straits Settlements 1936”.
Head side “George V King and Emperor of India” 
Right top to bottom:
Tails side “Commissioners of Currency Malaya 1939”
Head side “George VI King Emperor”
There was another 1 cent coin found along with these as well and was dated 1943. 
I am not sure if such a small denomination would have been used for gambling? However, it has been told that on the Island when Straits Settlement coins were no longer a viable currency they would be saved and then scattered/given as offerings to the good brothers during the Hungry Ghost month. I found these coins during that very month in an area that metal detectorists had been over previously. Perhaps the coins were revealed to me 🙂
#christmasisland #christmasislandhistory #christmasislandrelic #relic #relichunting #indianoceanislands #ghostmonth #straitssettlementscoins #straitssettlements #oldcoins #christmasislandarchives
Load More Follow on Instagram

Follow on Facebook

Follow Christmas Island Archives on Facebook for website updates and other news.

Authentic stories reflecting the experiences of past and present Christmas Islanders.

Copyright © 2023 · Fran Yeoh. All rights reserved.