The newspaper The New Zealand Herald for October 21, 1957 is said to have reported that two middle-aged couples of the Fiji Islands saw an object that came down from the sky near the island of Nawaca, eight miles away from Nabouwalu, southwest of Viti Levu.
The witnesses were in a punt with an outboard motor, and when they saw the object, they first thought it was an airplane in trouble and decided to go near it.
As the Fijian came closer, they found it hovering about 20 feet above the sea and it appeared to be revolving.
The witnesses said they picked out what looked like a figure of a man standing on the outside of the object. This figure shone a very bright light on their boat; which was so powerful that they were dazzled and "felt weak."
When the boat was about five chains from the rotating object, the figure disappeared and the object then rose in a rapid vertical movement and was soon out of sight.
The newspaper is said to have emphasized that all four agreed on the details, that they lived in a fairly isolated area "without access to comic books or other literature on flying saucers."
According to a report by the secretary of the Buanhas province, the incident took place at 03:00 p.m.
The witnesses statement was obtained by R. O. Aveling, an official of a local Adventist Church, who, in the night of the sighting by the four Fijians, had seen a light, apparently at an altitude of 5.000 feet, between the islands Beqa and Viti Levu. This light was at first stationary, then started sliding slowly through the sky for about five minutes, then vanished entirely, although there were no clouds.
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[Ref. cs1:] COLORADO SPRINGS FREE PRESS:
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Dazzling Flying Object Sighted in Fiji IslandsHONOLULU (U.P.) -- The Fiji government, in a report received here Monday, said a white clergyman and four natives reported a dazzling object in the South Pacific skies which generally matched the description of an unidentified object reported in Texas. The report issued from Suva, capital of the island group, said three separate sightings of the strange flying object were reported last week. First, their report said, four Fijian fishermen from the Nabouqalu [sic] village in Bua Province on the island of Vanua Levu said they saw a "strange object white in color and circular in shape descending from the sky." They were very near it and saw it hovering at a steady height of 20 feet above the sea. "It appeared to be revolving and on it appeared to be the figure of a man", the Suva report continued. "As the Fijian approached in their boat a blinding light shone on them. They said it dazzled them and made them feel weak. "Then the object went straight up into the air and disappeared into the night sky," the report said. |
[Ref. ob1:] O GLOBO:
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SPACESHIPS ARE SAID TO HAVE VISITED THE SOUTH-WEST OF THE UNITED STATESWashington, 5 (U.P. -- O GLOBO) -- The director of a nonofficial "Flying saucers" Investigatory Commission said, yesterday, that information according to which spaceships visit the south-west of the country seems correct. Donald E Keyhoe, formaer Marines major and currently director of the National Commission of Research of Space Phenomena, declared that, according to the sources, the mysterious objects seen by 9 people, at least, in Texas and New Mexico, are, really, spaceships. Keyhoe stated that he is particularly impressed by information indicating that cars engines stopped and their headlights died out when the objects passed above. "It is exactly the manner - he stated - an electromagnetic field of force works. It is the first time that we have an observation of something similar" [not]. In Chicago Three police officers of a Chicago suburb reported that they saw an aerial phenomenon similar to those which, according to information, occurred in Texas and in New Mexico. Agent Cliffor[d] Shaw claimed that the light of the car turned off in the presence of the object. Joseph Lukasek and Dan Giovanni stated they that tried to follow the object, but that it tilted and rose again, before accelerating its move. Seen by two patrols WHITE SANDS PROVING GROUNDS, New Mexico, 5 -. Two military patrols reported to have seen an unidentified flying object at an isolated spot from this radio-controlled missiles test area. The description of the patrols, which were at different places, are in agreement with people who reported Sunday to have observed an flying object close to Levelland, Texas. Cigar shape William Haggart, agent of this base, said that, according to information from the patrols, the object was "very brilliant", it had the shape of a cigar, with an average height of 60 meters from the ground. One of the patrols saw it at 2:30 and the other at 8 hours. Haggart said that the radar devices of the base recorded no presence of objects. The patrols saw the object close to the place where the first atomic bomb was tested, in 1945. One of them said that the strange object landed on the ground for brief moments, and the other said that at the time when they saw it was in the air. Lieutenant H. F Tenny, of the base garrison, visited the places yesterday, however he found no trace. In the Fiji Islands HONOLULU, 5 (U.P. - O GLOBO) -- The government of the Fiji islands, according to information received here, reported that five natives and a priest said to have seen, last week, an unidentified shining object, similar to that which was observed in New Mexico and the United States. According to four fishermen of the island of Vanua Levu, the object was white, of circular form, and it came down to hover six meters above sea level. It seemed in rotation and on the apparatus there was the impression to see the figure of a man. When the fishermen approached with their boat, they were dazzled by an extraordinarily brilliant light, which left them weakened. Little time after, the object rose vertically and disappeared in the darkness of the night. Priest R. O. Ameling revealed to have seen an object with identical catacteristics the same night, in another place however. |
NAVES SIDERAIS TERIAM VISITADO O SUDOESTE DOS ESTADOS UNIDOSWashington, 5 (U.P. -- O GLOBO) -- O diretor de uma Comissão Investigadora extra-oficial de "Discos-Voadores" disse, ontem, que parecem corretas as informações de que naves siderais estão visitando o sudoeste do país. Donald E. Keyhoe, ex-major de Infantaria da Marinha e atualmente diretor da Comissão Nacional de Investigações de Fenômenos do Espaço, manifestou que, segundo e que soubera, os misteriosos objetos vistos por 9 pessoas, pelo menos, no Texas et Novo México, são, na realidade, naves siderais. Keyhoe afirmou que está particularmente impressionado pelas informações de que os motores dos automoveis pararam et que suas luzes se apagaram quando os objetos passaram sôbre os carres. "E' justamente a forma - manifestou - como operaria um campo de fõrça eletro-magnética. E' a primeira vez que temos notícia de algo semelhante". Em Chicago Très policial de um subúrbio de Chicago informaram ter avistado um fenômeno aéréo semelhante ao que, segundo notícias, ocorreu em Texas e no Novo México. O agente Cliffor[d] Shaw afirmou que as luzes do auto se debilitaram ante a presença do objeto. Joseph Lukasek e Dan Giovanni declararam que tentaram seguir o objeto, mas que êste se inclinou e voltou a subir, antes de acelera a marcha. Visto Por Duas Patrulhas ZONA DE PROVAS DE WHITE SANDS, Novo México, 5 -- Duas patrulhas militares informaram ter avisto um objeto voador não identificado sõbre um ponto isolado desta zona de provas de projéteis teledirigidos. A descrição das patrulhas, que se encontravam em diferentes pontos, concordam com a das pessoas que domingo anunciaram haver observado um objeto voando perto de Levelland, Texas. Forma de Charuto William Haggart, oficial desta base, disse que, segundo as informações das patrulhas, o objeto era "mui brilhante", tinha a forma de um charuto, media uns 60 metros de comprimento do solo. Uma das patrulhas o avistou às 2h 30m e a outra às 8 horas. Haggart disse que os aparelhos de radar da base não registraram a presença de objeto algum. As patrulhas viram o objeto perto do local em que foi experimentada a primeira bomba atômica, em 1945. Uma delas disse que o estranho objeto pousou no solo por breves instantes, e a outra informou que no momento em que o viu êle se encontrava no ar. O Tenente H. F. Tenny, da guarnição da base, visitou, ontem, o lugar, porém, não encontrou rastro algum. Mas Ilhas Fiji HONOLULU, 5 (U.P. - O GLOBO) -- O Govêrno das ilhas Fiji, segundo informação aqui recebida, anunciou que cinco indigenas e um sacerdote disseram ter visto, na semana passada, um objeto brilhante não identificado, similar ao que foi observado no Novo México e nos Estado Unidos. Segundo quatro pescadores da ilha Vanua Levu, o objeto era branco, de forma circular, e desceu até ficar suspenso a uns seis metros do nivel do mar. Parecia girar e sôbre o aparelho se tinha a impressão de ver a figura de um homem. Quando o pescadores se aproximaram com o seu barco, foram ofuscados por uma luz extraordinàriamente brilhante, que os deixou debilitados. Logo depois, o objeto subiu verticalmente e desaparaceu na escuridão da noite. O Padre R. O. Ameling revelou ter visto um objeto com identicas catacterísticas na mesma noite, porém em outro local. |
[Ref. bb1:] US AIR FORCE PROJECT BLUE BOOK:
As the case was not on US territory, Project Blue Book only listed it as a report coming from newspaper clips and did not investigate:
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[Ref. ni1:] NICAP:
NICAP listed the case as dated of October 8, 1957, and occurring in the Bua Province, Fiji Islands, when natives in small boat saw a UFO descend vertically and hover about 20 feet above sea.
[Ref. jv1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
Jacques Vallée indicates that two middleaged couples of the Fiji Islands reported having seen an object that came down from the sky near the island of Nawaca, eight miles away from Naboulalu [sic], southwest of Vanua Levu.
The witnesses were in a punt with an outboard motor, and when they saw the object, they first thought it was an airplane in trouble and decided to go near it.
Jacques Vallée quotes from his source:
"As the Fijian came closer, they found it hovering about 20 feet above the sea and it appeared to be revolving."
"The witnesses said they picked out what looked like a figure of a man standing on the outside of the object. This figure shone a very bright light on their boat; which was so powerful that they were dazzled and 'felt weak.'"
"When the boat was about five chains from the rotating object, the figure disappeared and the object then rose in a rapid vertical movement and was soon out of sight."
"The report emphasizes that all four agreed on the details, that they lived in a fairly isolated area 'without access to comic books or other literature on flying saucers.'"
According to a report by the secretary of the Buanhas province, the incident took place at 03:00 p.m.
The witnesses statement was obtained by R. O. Aveling, an official of a local Adventist Church, who, in the night of the sighting by the four Fijians, had seen a light, apparently at an altitude of 5.000 feet, between the islands Beqa and Viti Levu. This light was at first stationary, then started sliding slowly through the sky for about five minutes, then vanished entirely, although there were no clouds.
Jacques Vallée indicates that all the above appeared in the newspaper The New Zealand Herald for October 21, 1957.
[Ref. jv2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
In his catalogue of UFO landings, Jacques Vallée indicates that on October 8, 1957, 03:00 p.m., in the Fiji Islands, two couples going from Nabouwalu to Nawaca in a motor boat saw a white object come down from the sky, thought it was a plane in trouble and went closer. They found the object hovering 7 meters above the water, and a figure on board the craft aimed at them a beam so bright they "felt weak." The figure disappeared suddenly, and the object took off vertically at high speed.
Vallée indicates that his source is "Round-up 202; Challenge 18."
[Ref. lg1:] LUIS R. GONZALES MANSO:
Luis R. Gonzalez Manso notes in his FirstHumCat catalogue that in Fidji, near the Nawaca island, on October 1957 at 03:00 p.m., four Fijians reported having seen an object come down near this island, South-West of Vanua Levu.
According to a report by the secretary of the Buanhas province, the reporters were two middle-aged couples travelling in a punt with an outboard motor, and when they saw the object, they first thought it was an aircraft in trouble and decided to approach.
As they went closer, they found it hovering about 6 meters above the sea. It seemed to be revolving and they said they picked out what looked to be the figure of a man standing on the outside of the object.
This figure shone a very bright light on their boat; which was so powerful that they were dazzled and felt weak.
When the boat was about 110 meters from the object, the figure disappeared and the object then rose vertically at a rapid speed and was soon out of sight.
The report emphasises that the reporters live in an isolated area, without access to comic books or other literature on the subject.
Luis Gonzales indicates that his sources are Keith Basterfield, in "An Indepth Review of Australasian UFO Related Entity Reports", ACUFOS, June 1980, case #16, citing the New Zealand Herald, for October 21, 1957, and J. Vallee, in "Fenómenos insólitos del espacio", 1966, pp. 61-2.
The story seems to hold no other information than that picked by Vallée in the newspaper; which is regrettable.
Nabouwalu bay. |
Nawaca is not an "isolated island" but a small village of less than a hundred residents on the big main island of Viti Levu. The village does not have electricity and the first phone was installed in 2006.
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | Severe | February 16, 2004 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | No available primary sources. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 2 | Data | Severe | February 16, 2004 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Needing the article in the newspaper The New Zealand Herald for October 21, 1957. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 3 | Ufology | Severe | February 16, 2004 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Probably no ufological investigation. | Help needed. | Opened. |
Extraterrestrial visitors or hoax. Insufficient data.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
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| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | February 16, 2007 | Creation, [cs1], [bb1], [ni1], [jv1], [jv2]. |
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | February 16, 2007 | First published. |
| 0.2 | Patrick Gross | March 18, 2007 | Addition, [lg1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | October 12, 2009 | Conversion from HTML4 to XHTML Strict. Addition, [ob1]. |
