Mysterious Wanderer

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, Nov. 28.

THE large oil-burning yacht “Roussi alka,” flying the ensign of the Royal Yacht Squadron, arrived in Tahiti about the middle of October and, after being tied up to a buoy in the harbour for two days, departed as mysteriously as she had arrived.

It is stated that the “Roussialka” is an ex-Channel steamer converted to pleas ure uses, and that her present owner is Lord Moyne, some time Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs in England. Beyond the few officials whose duties took them aboard the vessel, no one seems to have seen anything of the visitors, but it is gathered that the party aboard was an extremely small one, consisting only of Lord Moyne himself, and the celebrated Polish danseuse Ida Rubenstein, who was at the height of her career some thirty years ago.

From information received from the pilot, it appears that the “Roussialka arrived by way of Easter Island and the Gambier Group, and that after a look at the south end of Tahiti, she pro ceeded homeward via Moorea, Borabora, the Marquesas and Galapagos Islands.

It would appear likely that the short ness of the “Roussialka’s” stay in this port was due to the impossibility of ob taining fuel oil, except at prohibitive prices. The plans of the French Govern ment for the erection of an oil station at Papeete, noted in these columns some months ago, have been abandoned, at any rate for the time being. As the result of representations, recently made to the Government on this subject, how ever, it is hoped that this work may soon be carried out by private enter prise.