Wrecked By Old

"Pruth"

Two Americans' Adventures in Western Pacific

AFTER some risky cruising in the Western Pacific, two Americans, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Wright, reached Auckland in December by the “Tasman”.

They had wandered around in Australia and then, at Cairns, they bought a 30 ft. auxiliary, the “Mutare”, and cruised on the Queensland coast, “Finally, we decided to sail to New Caledonia, and got along without trouble until the engine failed. As we had a steady wind against us. it would have taken three months to make the trip by sail alone, and our food and water were not sufficient for such a time, so we changed our plans and made for Port Moresby, where we planned to have the motor re paired.

“We had no charts of these waters, but decided to follow in Captain Cook’s foot steps. On the 19th day out from Cairns, off Hood Point, Papua, the steamer “Mon toro” passed us, and we signalled for some charts. A bundle was dropped over board, but it promptly sank.”

Mrs. Wright said that in his eagerness to secure the bundle of charts, which had been wrapped in canvas, Mr. Wright launched the dinghy, leaving her on board. The yacht had been becalmed, but a few minutes later a light breeze came, and the yacht, on the wrong tack, started sailing smartly away from where Mr.

Wright was rowing, still trying to find the charts. Alone, she had the utmost difficulty in bringing the yacht about, but eventually succeeded and picked up her husband.

“In spite of the lack of charts, we car ried on toward Port Moresby, and about four o’clock in the afternoon we saw a steamer, apparently at anchor in the quarantine station”, Mrs. Wright con tinued. “We made for it, deciding to anchor under her lee for the night, but as it grew dark and the ship showed no lights, we became concerned, and made up our minds to stand out to sea for the

nifht.

“Just at this moment Mr. Wright, who was on the look-out, shouted that there were breakers dead ahead. We put about, but the current caught us and carried the yacht right on the reef.

“We went on with a couple of heavy bumps, and then the ‘Mutare’ heeled over on her side and the waves came right over her. We gathered the ship’s papers, put on life belts and just dived into the dinghy, which was half full of water. I rowed eight miles to Port Moresby, with Mr. Wright baling.

“We found that the steamer we had seen was the wreck of the ‘Pruth’ which has been 14 years on the reef, but is still fairly intact. Her masts and funnel are standing, and the clouds give an ap pearance of smoke coming from the fun nel. There is a warning about her in the New Guinea Pilot, but since we had no local charts or books of reference, we fell into the common error of taking her for a ship at anchor.”

In the dark, wet and deprived of all their belongings except the sodden clothes they were wearing, Mr. and Mrs. Wright rowed into Port Moresby and stayed there for seven weeks. The morning after their wreck they went out to try to salvage the yacht, but could find no trace of her.

When the American yacht “Vanora” called at Port Moresby, Mr. and Mrs.

Wright joined her and sailed to New Caledonia, calling on the way at many islands. They spent three months in New Caledonia and joined the “Tasman” there for Auckland.

Mr. Frederick Storck, of Suva, recently married Miss Norah Marr, of Korovou, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Suva, Fiji.

Rev. Father Oreve performed the cere mony.

Mr. S. Love, a Melbourne mining engi neer, returned to Australia at the end of December from New Caledonia by the “Tasman”, after spending four months in the Colony inspecting chrome mines.