Another Sampan.
p. 26 · Read in the full issue
Disregards Signals at T.I.
Thursday Is., March 17.
THE other vessel of the sampan type was seen from Milman Hill and sig nalled from Goode Island. The boat hoisted the Japanese flag in answer to the signal, and then bore away at speed in the direction of Mt. Ernest Island, leading to the Great Nor’ Eastern Chan nel.
There are also reports from native fishing boats of a craft much larger than the one recently arrested at Thursday Island, operating along the Barrier Reef and manned by Japanese.
The “Dai Kohu Maru,” which was ar rested last month, left Formosa on De cember 24 for the Caroline Islands; but, owing to her engines breaking down, had to proceed to Zamboanga for re pairs. Then she came down into the Gulf of Carpentaria, fishing for bonito.
After that, she proceeded down the east coast, fishing along the Barrier.
The master claimed that the trip was a semi-scientific one, making scientific investigations. Local opinion is not in clined to take this explanation seriously, however, especially as the ship had a quantity of trochus shell aboard. The vessel’s tonnage is given as 86 gross and 46 net; she is 112 feet over all, with 60 h.p. Diesel engine,