In Captain’S Bathtub !

Swedish Sailor's Adventures in Torres Strait

THE spirit of ancient Pacific voyagers lives on. Though Karl Hjelmstrom, a Swedish cadet on the barque C. B. Peder sen, did not conquer the mighty Pacific nor discover alien lands, he certainly achieved a measure of fame for his ex ploits in Torres Strait in July.

Hearing stories of wealth made by pearlers in northern waters, Hjelmstrom dreamed of making an easy fortune. The sight of an old wooden bathtub belonging to the ship’s captain gave him an idea.

He fitted an outrigger of spare pieces of wood, lashed it to the top edge of the bath and made a small mast and sail.

At night when the ship was anchored in Torres Strait, he slipped overboard and set sail for Darnley Island about five miles away. The old bath leaked badly and half filled with water, but Hjelmstrom managed to keep it afloat, and reached Darnley after six hours.

A native councillor at Darnley assisted him, and sent him in a sailing dinghy manned by natives to Yorke Island, whence the native cutter Kismet conveyed him to Thursday Island. The T.I. authorities pounced upon him and he was submitted to a dictation test in French. The unfor tunate cadet, of course, failed to pass the test and was charged with being a pro hibited immigrant. Subsequently he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

The Swedish Consul raised an outcry and the Sydney press championed his case. As a result it was decided that he should not undergo imprisonment, but instead would be deported. Early in September he was jauntily seeing the sights of Sydney and Brisbane pending his return to Sweden.