THE CASTAWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 222, 12 June 1908, Page 7

THE CASTAWAYS.

———6 : ■ AT THE ANTIPODES. THE QUESTION AS TO THE STORES. ' A STATEMENT. . OY TELEGRAPH—TRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTBIOni , Sydney,' Juno 11. Captain Nool, of the French ship President Felix Fauro, which was wrecked at Antipodes Island, takes strong oxception to tho commonts'made as to tho condition of tho stores depot at tho island when loft by tho crew of his vessel.; Dealing with the statements of tho reporter who accompanied the Hinomoa on her visit to the island, Captain Noel says his own account of tho wreck was in no way exaggerated. -Ho declares that ho left bohind eleven large tins of boef brought from his own ship, and nino small tins belonging to' tho depot. The clothing was never used as described. Ho carefully opened tho caso and made a distribution, reserving three suits in tho event of being compelled to winter on tho island. . ' ;

As to tho allegation that tho cooking utensils were in a filthy condition, the captain explains that the Pegasus arrived whilo a meal was in progrbss, and tho shipwrecked men hurried on board,*'in tho rush forgetting to clean up. It was owing to everything being kept clean that the crow enjoyed such good health. After every meal the cooking vessels wero washed in abundance' of hot Wator. Owing to,heavy raiu and the men having-to sleep on wet straw the blankets at the depot got very dirty, and they woro unable to either wash or dry them. • Fish was not abundant, as alleged. Heavy •seds prevented their''making . decent catches,' and only two were left .in the hut. Captain Noel added that the matches found at the depot woro useless, and tho biscuits weevily.