On World Cruise

Danish Yacht “Monsunen”

At Vila

From Our Own Correspondent.

VILA, July 7.

WHEN the Danish yacht “Monsunen” dropped anchor in Vila Harbour on July 3, she had completed about half of her trip around the globe. The “Mon sunen” is making her world tour to col lect specimens of small marine life and curios for the National Museum at Co penhagen. The mission, which is sub sidised by the Danish Government, is under the direction of Mr. Moeller, the owner of the yacht.

He has with him Mr. Stubbe-Teglbjerg, zoologist, Mr. Jan Degenkolw, ethnologist and Mr. Hakon Mielche, journalist and cartoonist of the “Jyllands Posten.” The latter, as well as reporting for his jour nal, is writing a book about the voyage, and, by way of amusement, is making humorous pictorial records of things and people seen at their different stopping places. Unfortunately, Mr. Mielche had a lot of business to attend to while in Vila, so we were not able to see ourselves as he saw us.

The yacht is manned by a crew of three sailors under Captain Thomsen, and a mate, Mr. Nielson. The tenth and last member of the party is “Bob,” a very fierce-looking though friendly German dog. The “Monsunen” is 52 feet long and of 60 tons burden; she carries a 30 h.p. motor, but this is used only in emergency.

Most of the voyage has been done under sail.

News was received in Sydney from the British Solomon Islands late in August that the Monsunen had been wrecked on thfe main reef at Vanikoro. The yacht’s personnel are safe and the valuable col lection for the Copenhagen Museum has been saved.