Temoe

Temoe, or Te Moe, is a small atoll of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the far southeast of the Tuamotu group archipelago. It lies about 37 km southeast from the Gambier Islands and more than 1700 km southeast from Mataiva, at the other end of the Tuamotu archipelago.

Temoe Atoll is trapezoidal in shape and bound by a continuous reef with many small shallow spillways. It is 8 km long and has a maximum width of 4 km. Its islands are low and flat and the lagoon has no navigable pass to enter it.

Temoe is permanently uninhabited.

History

Temoe was formerly inhabited. There are ancient Polynesian archaeological remains on this lonely atoll; foremost among these are temple structures (marae). [ [http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/rapanui/mangareva.html Mangareva ] ]

It is said that buccaneer Edward Davis might have arrived to Temoe and Mangareva in 1686. But there is no historical proof of this fact. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0016-7398(192506)65%3A6%3C525%3ATROTPR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Y ]

The first recorded European to effectively arrive to Temoe was British mariner James Wilson on ship "Duff" in 1797. Captain Wilson named this atoll "Crescent Island". [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0016-7398(191707)50%3A1%3C57%3ANOEI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6 -]

In 1838 Christian missionaries moved all the inhabitants of Temoe to Mangareva to help in construction work. [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temoe]

Administration

Administratively Temoe belongs to the commune of the Gambier Islands.

Portland Reef

25 km southwest of Temoe Atoll lies a shoal not rising above the surface named Portland Reef (Récif Portland). It is made up of a submerged atoll structure lying at a depth of about 10 m. [ [http://www.com.univ-mrs.fr/IRD/atollpol/irdpoly/uksalv85.htm Classification Bernard Salvat (85) : English translation ] ]

Trivia

There is an account of fact mixed with fantasy about Crescent Island. The author is Mr. William (Bill) Turner from Cypress, Texas. [ [http://www.geocities.com/erik_mccrea/linksC3.html Links to Micro-national and Fantasy coins: Listings C3 ] ] Turner has even minted Crescent Island currecy, known as "Poa". [ [http://www.banknotes.se/Crescent%C2%AD_Island.htm Crescent Island ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.pacific-image.pf/pages/boutic/dboutic_cdrom_sp132.html Atoll list (in French)]
* [http://www.oceandots.com/pacific/tuamotu/temoe.htm ]
* [http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_8_1899/Volume_8,_No._4,_December_1899/Names_of_the_Paumotu_Islands,_by_J.L._Young,_p_264-268?action=null Atoll names]