WAR ITEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 102, 2 May 1898, Page 4

WAR ITEMS.

MARItOSA'S : CHANCES.

£350,000 ON BOARD. ~^

TO REACH 'FRISC O ON :'.-.'■. V WEbNESbAY.

While Britain entertains some doubt as to her shipping interests, Australians arc speculating (says the Sydney HTelegraph ") as tq the possibility, of the 11.M.5. JYiariposa getting into port without molestation by Spanish privateer*). This line of steamers is worked with the co-operation' of an American company, and two of the vessels in the service tly the American flag—the Mariposa and the Alameda. The former is due at 'Frisco on May 4th, with no less than £350,000 in specie on board. She left here on the lltli inst., and reached Apia yesterday. She should be at Honolulu on Uie 28th..' The particulars of her loading and passenger list are as follows :—Union Bank of Australia, £150,000 ; Bank of New South Wales, £100,000 ; London Bank of Australia, o £50,000 ; rConiptior National d - Escompte de Paris, £50,000. In all the shipments total £350,000. Portion of this gold was brought from Melbourne. The general cargo consisted of 81 packages lionbark, 2SB ingots cf. tin, SO hides, 20 bales hoofs and horus*, G3 bales gunnies, 40 packages genera! goods, and 30 tales of skins. There were a number of passengers oii board, including from Sydney Mr and Mrs Geo. Fishburn, Misses Fislibiirn (two), Dr. and Mrs Vivian Voss, Captain Asa Whitney, Captain J. A. King (Minister for the Interior of the Hawaiian Republic) Messrs A. Kay, 0. W. D. Gaudy, A. Sinclair, Peter .Peterson, Thomas Deegan, J. H. Murphy, Mrs Scott and the Misses Scott (two), also 20 men for Klondy ke. ...

With such a cargo the Mariposa should prove a tempting morsel for the Spanish privateers; She would be fair game for the enemy. Tt is hardly likely that Spanish war vessels will have time to patrol the Pacific coast of America, but her privateers1 may pop up from any quarter. The Mariposa's chance lies in her speed. The Alameda was scheduled to leave 'Frisco on Tuesday, but no advuSfe of her departure are to hand. She is timed ,;>to; reach Honolulu on April 27th, Samoa May sth, Auckland Slay I,oth, and Sydney May loth. The Moana—the third,vessel in this service—flies the British flag, so that, providing she carries nothing ccutrabrand of war she should be -safe, although it is more than probable that.if slielfiaixs here ji^conling. to time table, 6rv the" 9&h "pvox.*, she wilflffft "take any specie on board. She is now in 'this port.

We recently published, a telegram from Wellington to the effect that on the 19th of last month a large steamer appeared oil' Chatham islands at night, and mysteriously disappeared in a few'hours.," This .message was.cabled to one of. the Sydney papers Avithtlie addition, "It is believed to have been a foreign war vessel." The " Sydney > Telegraph " adds : " Some colour is. given to the rumour by the statement tliat a Spanish warship .was outside Auckland when the Mariposa sailed for San Francisco last week/ 1 So far as we can learn, this latter-presumption is founded on a rumour circulated in Auckland that a Spanish warship; was seen oil" this port. The local papers <iitl n«)t publish it, the rumour evidently being a mere concoction, but it found, its way to Sydney somehow, and apparently has given rise to some Uneasiness. ■