LONG RAFT VOYAGE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28869, 14 April 1959, Page 15

LONG RAFT VOYAGE

Men Leave Peru For South Seas

(Rec. 10.30 p.m.) CALLAO (Peru), April 12.

Four men pushed off on the raft Cantuta II today on a Kon Tikilike voyage toward the Polynesian islands of the South Seas. A crowd of 2000 gathered to farewell the mariners and their two pets, a parrot and a monkey. The Peruvian Navy tug Olaya towed the balsa-wood log raft out of the Callao harbour and will set it free about 80 miles off the coast in the Humbolt current that drifts to the South Pacific.

Czech-born Eduardo Ingris headed the expedition, which is designed to repeat the epic voyage of Thor Hyerdahl and the raft Kon Tiki along the same route. Ingris. who is 49, is accompanied by Jaime Toledo, aged 28, a former Peruvian Navy man, Jose Matouse Richter, aged 36, a Czech, and Joaquin Guerrero, aged 38. an Argentinian. All but Guerrero are bachelors.

Guerrero is serving as radio man for the transmitter aboard the raft, which was built in Ecuador.

Ingris said he estimated the trip would take four months and a half and would cover 4500 miles.

It is Ingris’s second attempt to make the trip. He tried once before with the raft Cantuta I, but the expedition failed to pick up favourable winds and currents and was called off in Peruvian waters.

William Willis of the United States made the voyage on the raft Seven tattle Sisters, and the trip also has been made by Eric Bisschop, of France, aboard the raft Tahiti Nui 11.