"Hector The Mexican"

Unusual Companion for Americans on Pacific Cruise

r>AY KAUFFMAN and Gerry Mefferd, the young Americans, who sailed across the Pacific in the ketch Hurricane , were distressed to learn on arrival at Sydney of the death in Colombo of “Timi,” the Bora Bora lad who accom panied Dwight Long on his adventurous cruise.

Twelve months ago their trim little craft was at anchor in the shadow of

towering Tai-manu, Bora Bora’s majestic

landmark. There was much excitement in the village of Vaitape as Madame, who conducts the one hostelry, had received a mail from her son, “Timi.” The N.Z. newspaper clippings included a picture of “Timi” seated on an elephant in the Auckland Zoo. But “Timi” declined to accept Long’s offer to return to Bora Bora from New Zealand, and he sailed on to find a lonely grave in Ceylon.

The two Americans, however, have an equally interesting companion with them —“Hector,” a young Mexican. “When hear us calling him 'Hector,’ ” explained Kauffman before the Hurricane left Sydney in February for Lord Howe Island, en route to New Guinea, Java, Capetown and Europe, “they imagine it to be some kind of a joke. But ‘Hector’ he has always been and ‘Hector’ he will remain.”

“Hector” comes from the Yucatan, where many famous ruins have been dis covered within recent years: he is of mixed Maya and Spanish descent. When he joined the Americans he could not speak one word of English. Like poor “Timi” had “Hector” now, however, has a broad American accent, Kauffman and his companion left Florida, in April, 1935, sailed down the American coast to Panama, then crossed to the Galapagos, and later spent some time in the Marquesas and the Leeward Islands. From Tahiti, they followed Dwight- Long’s tracks to Penrhyn, then sailed by way of Samoa and Fiji to Sydney.