Indians also tried to make friends with the inhabitants to no avail. In 1967 they sent a large armed troop ashore but saw absolutely no one, the tribe had all retreated deep into the jungle. The troop would occasionally leave coconuts and bananas (neither of which grow on the island) on the beach or in the sea nearby to show good form but the tribe were unmoved by the show of forced kindness.

In 1977 a freighter called Primrose from Hong Kong ran aground in bad weather on the coral surrounding the island. The captain radioed for help and the crew decided to wait it out onboard. After a few days the crew noticed some naked black men on the beach carrying weapons and starting to make boats, so he made a slightly more urgent request for assistance. His call went like this:

Wild men! Estimate more than 50, carrying various homemade weapons, are making two or three wooden boats. Worrying they will board us at sunset.

They were rescued by helicopter in the nick of time. This is a shot from the helicopter as it arrived:

And here’s some pensive crew members being rescued:

I bet they won’t sail too close to that island again. No one likes being threatened by a bow and arrow whilst beached on coral.

☛ Up Next: Geronimo — The Man, The Legend, The Warrior