Return of the Missing Schooner Ariel.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3240, 8 December 1880, Page 2

Return of the Missing Schooner Ariel.

A few months ago a vessel from the Solomon Islands repotted that the schooner Ariel, of Sydney, had been lost, and that two of the crew had been poisoned by the natives of Bouganvilile. Nothing further being heard of the vessel the report was generally believed, but the Ariel last week returned to Sydney, and Captain Brodie was ' warmly welcomed back by a large number of his friends, who had given him up for lost. Captain Brodie reports of the voyage:—" I sailed from Sydney on the 25th March, arrived at the Solomon Islands on the 19th April, and shipped 11 boys ac labourers. Afterwards I recognised one of them (Jimmie Fiji) as one of the ringleaders in the Laviuia's massacre. On the 7th May I left James Martin and Thomas Evans at Marovo to procure island produce, I supplying them with trade and provisions. I told them I would not be back under five months. On the 27th May arrived in Simbo. The natives of this place recognised Jimmie Fiji as the ringleader in the Lavinia's affair. The Simbo natives wanted me to put him on shore, which I, would not do; but to pacify them I told them I would give him to the first man-of-war I came across. They were quite satisfied. During the night of the 29th May, being at sea, or on the morning of the 30th, he was missing. We searched everywhere for him. but could not find him. Whether he fell overboard or committed suicide we cannot tell, but we all supposed the latter. From the Solomon Group we ■went to New Britain, from thence to the Admiralty Islands, leaving the Admiralty on the 3lßt of August. Had very light winds back to New Britain. Arrived at Marovo on the sth October, two days under the time I promised to be back; but to imy surprise found James Martin and Ihoraas Evans gone. The native chiefs told us that Capt. Schwartz, of the schooner Leslie, had been there and reported the Ariel lost; he succeeded in getting all my copra (408 bags) and pother island produce. The chief told me that James Martin and Thomas Evans had gone six days before in the schooner Zephyr (belonging to Schwartz) to gather up other produce belonging to me. I followed up the Zephyr, leaving Marovo the sanio night; caught him on the Guadalcanar coast. On the 9th October I boarded her and found Martin and Evans on board. I took [them on board the Ariel. James Martin told me there was copra, &0., on board the Zephyr belonging to me, which they had been collecting. Captain Marshall, of the Zephyr, would not deliver the produce up,

but by making a complaint to the captain of H.M.S. Snndfly he delivered everything up belonging to me. Left the islands for Sydney on the 7th inst." On arrival in Sydney tho captain found his wife, daughter, and other relatives attired in deep mourning, having given him up as lost for ever weeks before.