A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 123, 17 February 1908, Page 5

A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA.

, IS IT A HOAX? Tho Marine ■ Department • aro' often advised' that messages from the seahavo been picked up,- but in very v few instances are they genuine. •• The latest, one : picked , up ;at 'Motueka- on Saturday contains tho following .message:—v. ..-- - ( ."'aLtoko-. Island, December 25,. 1907. • .-For God's - sake 'send help. . Ship Lena wrecked on North Gape. All'saved; but have no-pro-visions. Lona j lefti'Now York -October .24,' ' bound for Chatham Islands •: with oargo.- of: wheat;' .salvagb-Mmposyble, fell to ! pieces about midnight,about two;hours after, 'it 'struck, Send .help at .once. 1 ''About twenty; su^ivorsJ.'V'but' '""nearly starving.—James Robinson, chief mate." ' i 'The Marino 'Department regard the' messago' as- a'hoax,.' for tho secretary. of ;the De- ' partment;was'iat'.tho;Nprth.Cape : last month,; ■and' .there were no ' signs- of." castaways then. 1 . Although' there _;is: a barque Xena, 1733 tons register,i:belonging to Genoa, it is not' likely she 'would ' have' a cargo. of, wheat for the Chathams-from.'New York. ;", ''; —.

> A v ,shipping authority in Wellington has'records to show .that tho barque-Lena was engaged in loading. at Antwerp during September, and sailed finally for Casablanca on October 9 of-last year. : '

• (by telegraph—pbess association.) -• / ■ Nelson, -February 16., • Tho-message- found- near <Motueka us prosably a hoax.- A wheat cargo for the Chatoam -Islands is unlikely, and the North Cape would bo out of such a ship's course. .