Mysterious Ruins

On island of Suwarrow

MEMBERS of the crew of the yacht “Ngataki”, who went treasure-hunt ing recently in the Northern Cook Group, told the “New Zealand Herald’’ (December 19) that they found mysteri ous ruins on the atoll of Suwarrow:— Evidence that the place had at one time been populated by a European race was found among the tangled under growth, which covered most of the is lands, all of them uninhabited. Here and there the searchers discovered the ruins of ancient houses or forts, made from a mixture of coral and lime. But although, said Mr. Wray, the generally accepted theory was that the atoll had been used in the 16th century by wandering Span iards as a base for their enterprises, the origin of the ruins were still clouded

in mystery. Support for the suggestion that they were of Spanish construction was given, however, by tales of old Span ish doubloons and gold pieces of eight having been found there.

The yacht “Crusader”, Capt. J.

Evans, arrived at Papeete, Tahiti, in November. This handsome vessel is from New London, Connecticut, U.S.A., and is owned by Mr. A. K. Macomber, of 24 Place Vendome, Paris. The owner and six guests—Mr. and Mrs.

Thornton Woodbury, Mr. and Mrs. J.

A. Morgan, Miss H. Woodbury, and Mrs. Elsie Louer—are making a round the-world cruise. The “Crusader” de parted later for Samoa and the wes tern islands. Her next objective port is Singapore, whence she will sail for the Mediterranean and Monte Carlo.