Inquiry Into Death of Capt.

Langdale at Canton Is.

From Our Own Correspondent SUVA, June 15.

AN inquiry by the Administrative Officer, Canton Island (Mr. P. B. Laxton), into the death, on the night of May 31, of Captain G. V. Langdale, master of the motor vessel “Maureen,” resulted in a finding of accidental death by drown ing.

The evidence at the inquiry showed that after dining at the house of the station manager at Canton, Captain Langdale w T ent aboard about 11 p.m. Later a mem ber of the ship’s company observed that he was in bed and asleep. This was the last time he was seen alive. , When the captain was missed next morning a search was made and his body was found floating face downwards in the water.

The ship’s engineer (Mr. R. Sutherland) gave evidence that Captain Langdale did not sleep well and that at night he fre quently went on deck. Inspection of the deck revealed scratches which were con sistent with the possibility that Captain Langdale had missed his footing and slipped, hitting the gunwale before falling overboard.

Stamps of four values—2d., 3d., Bd. and 1/6—will be issued on October 10 by Fiji, as part of the arrangement under which Territories throughout the world will issue sets of new stamps to mark the 75th an niversary of the Universal Postal Union.