Papeete Schooner Pounded by

Nearly Foundered

Papeete Schooner Pounded by Gales En Route to Rapa

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, May 13.

4 FTER being absent over a month, the local schooner, Waitangi, a small craft of about 20 tons, returned to her Papeete headquarters recently after an unsuccess ful attempt to reach the island of Rapa, in the Austral Group.

After calling at Raivavae Island the Waitangi proceeded on the last leg of the voyage. Encountering fierce gales and tempestuous seas, it was impossible to make headway in spite of the auxiliary diesel engine carried by the ship. For many days the schooner battled with the elements without avail, heavy green seas swept the deck and pounded the hull un mercifully so that the danger of founder ing was a very real one. Mr. Paul, a New Zealander, who was returning to his home on Rapa, said that only for the courage and resource of the Rapa sailors —than whom there are none better in the world —the vessel would undoubtedly have been lost with all the 13 people aboard.

Suffering considerable damage, the schooner was hardly able to return to Raivavae and, after some overhauling, make the return trip to Papeete. She is now ready tio make another effort to get to Rapa, which is situated in one of the stormiest areas in the Pacific.

Mr. C. W. T. Johnson, Second Assistant Colonial Secretary of Fiji, left for Eng land by the May Aorangi on long leave.

Messrs. T. J. Shepherd, E. Herbert, E.

White and H. Slocombe, four Melbourne mining men who sailed at the beginning of the year on the ship Joseph Conrad to search for gold on an island near Samarai, Eastern Papua, returned to Sydney by the Macdhui on May 22. After an uncomfort able voyage in rough weather they arrived in Papua only to find that the supposed treasure island was one that had been well-known to gold-seekers since 1887.

Their investigations proved fruitless, and the expedition was abandoned.