How Captain Irvine Caught

a Poacher.

Letter to the Editor.

IN all your articles on the Japanese “poachers” it is strange that no mention has been made of “our” poacher. Indeed, in your June issue, you state that so far only one of them has been caught, the “Dai Koku Maru” at Thursday Island. This is not correct.

About two years ago, shortly after these poachers first appeared, the s.s.

“Durour,” of W. R. Carpenter & Co., Captain Irvine in charge, captured a poacher in flagrante delicto.

The “Durour,” on its usual copra collecting trip, rounded the island of Maty and there was the poacher, with several boats down, industriously fish ing. It made an attempt to get away, but would have had to leave its boats with crew behind, so it stayed. It was boarded and put under arrest! The “Durour” escorted it to Aitape, the nearest District Office, but A.D.O.

Mantle would have nothing to do with it, because it was caught outside his district.

The gallant captain decided to bring it to Manus, which he did. He made several charges against the poacher and then returned to the Western Islands to complete his copra-collecting.

He returned about a week later and the Court tvas held at Lorungau, Manus.

The details I do not remember, but the poacher was fined. I heard that Cap tain Irvine went out to the boat to nail a writ to the mast, but there was no mast—at least, it was collapsed. On behalf of W. R. Carpenter & Co., several hundred pounds were claimed.

The poacher was about 50 feet long, had a powerful engine and about 22 Japanese as crew. Part of the engine was kept ashore, to prevent escape.

The boat was anchored here for some weeks and, judging from the photo graph you published of the “Dai Koku Maru,” it might be the same boat.

Eventually, it was ordered to Rabaul, where it duly arrived. I understood that the Administration were embar rassed to know what to do with it; but the poacher solved the problem by quietly slipping away one night.

It was interesting to read recently or the Japanese treatment of Russian poachers caught in Japanese waters.

Were not the boats confiscated and the crews gaoled?

I am, etc.,

N. L. Whiteley.

Manus, T.N.G.. 23/7/33.