Lightship That Won’T

Stay Put.

“Carpentaria's” Frequent Jaunts.

From Our Own Correspondent

Thursday Is.. May 30.

THE lightship “Carpentaria” is one of twins, belonging to the service which guards Australian shores and warns mariners of the dangers of Torres Strait. The lightship on duty, with its flashing automatic light and its big clanging bell, is moored near

Proudfoot Shoal, at the western ap proach to Torres Strait.

Frequently the “Carpentaria” be comes perverse, breaks away from her moorings, and starts on a tour of ex ploration of the western seas. On such occasions the great letters on her side are useful, for they proclaim that she is a runaway, escaping from her job as sentinel of the western gate. Re peatedly she has done this, and if not discovered and brought back in time, the sister ship which is kept at Thurs day Island has to be towed out for duty.

Past, September the Dutch steamer “Nieuw Holland,” coming down from the East, found that the frisky lady had slipped her shackles again and was already eighteen miles from her right ful place, making west to the islands beyond. The master reported the escapade by radio, and later the “Clan Mackay,” journeying along the route, saw the “Carpentaria” (now sixty miles away from home), and put out an arresting hand. A towline was put aboard, and the lightship brought back and handed ovelr to the authorities at Thursday Island, being anchored off Goode Island awaiting the Common wealth lighthouse steamer’s arrival to

secure her to her moorings once again.

While being towed, the lightship (having no steering apparatus of her own) behaved very sulkily, breaking away a couple of times and fouling the steamer’s propeller with the line.

Meanwhile, the sister ship is moored off Horn Island, to be furbished up with paint, etc., ready for service.

On one occasion, some visitors to T.T., observing the lightship anchored some distance off as the steamer drew in, and who had some knowledge of the territorial divisions of the Anglican Church in the North, became suddenly very interested. “Look!” said one: “That’s the boat that the Bishop of Carpentaria travels about in when he’s visiting his diocese!”