Japanese Sampan

Boarded by T.I. Lugger Crew

EARLY in March, another Japanese sampan marauder was reported to be operating near Thursday Island.

Later, interesting details regarding the vessel were supplied when survivors of the Torres Straits lugger Mildred, which was wrecked during a cyclone which swept the north coast of Queensland in March, reached Cairns. The survivors of the Mildred stated that on March 5, a few days before the cyclone, they boarded the mysterious vessel north of Cape Tri bulation, Queensland.

The vessel was a Japanese boat named the Eachi Maru, about 70 feet long, 18 feet beam, and with a draft of about 6 feet. It had an 80-horse power Japanese Diesel engine. There were more than 30 persons on board the vessel, which was procuring trochus shell and a certain weed used extensively in Japan for medi cinal purposes. There was a number of revolvers and rifles on board.

The Japanese informed the men from the Mildred that it would be all right if a Japanese boat approached, but if white men came near they would fire. The vessel was painted a dull white, and con tained no cabins, the crew sleeping on the hatch and deck. There was a small bridge on the vessel for look-out pur poses.

The Japanese on the sampan stated

that when they noticed any ships passing they all put on women’s clothing in order to give the impression that the sampan was a passenger boat. The Mildred and the sampan anchored alongside each other on the night of March 6, and shortly after dawn the sampan left. The follow ing morning a destroyer was noticed steaming towards Thursday Island, but the sampan by that time was well out of the reefs and out of view of the des troyer.