THE ANTIPODES WRECK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 200, 18 May 1908, Page 6

THE ANTIPODES WRECK.

The rescup, of the castaways from the French vessel wrecked on one of the Antipodes Islands comes sufficiently soon after the rescue of the Dundonald survivors to supply the most' convincing testimony of the wisdom of paying constant attention to the risks of shipwreck in the stormy seas to 'the south-east of New Zealand. Although the French castaways had to endure a long and dreary imprisonment in a most inhospitable land, their experience was fortunately free from the elomcnta of tragedy that entered into tho wreck of the Dundonald.

Until mariners forsake tho stormy highway that passes to tho south of this country,; wrccks upon some of the numerous islands will continue to occur. No pains, therefore, should be spared in prosecuting the policy of establishing and maintaining depots on the islands and periodically inspecting them. Tho present incident, in yielding its testimony to- the wisdom that inaugurated the system of depots, seems to have demonstrated also some important defects in a most useful and humane enterprise. The depots are not as large as they should be, nor arc they sufficiently well stocked with provisions. Very liberal supplies of literature and tobacco arc also necessary, and it appears, too, that some care might bo expended in seeing that a certain number of sheep and cattle may always bo found by: castaways. That the' men of the Felix Faure were rescued by one' of the cruisers of the Squadron is an argument in favour of the fuller employment of the warships as patrols in this region of lonely . and • uninhabited islets. A vessel may'as easily be wrecked on one island as on another, and nothing short of a system of constant inspection, that .would'ensure that no island would remain unvisited for , longer' than tjirec months, or six months at the most, will dispel the fear that some unfortunate crcw, after a long struggle against storms and privations, may perish for want of succour. The vessels of the Squadron have little enough to do. Their chief duty is simply to remain in Australasian waters. The scrvicc which the Pegasus has been able toi render to the castaways on the Antipodes will, perhaps, suggest to the Commander of the Squadron that he can-find a valuable use for his vessels in a closer and more regular inspection of the outlying islands.