A LONG DRIFT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 5

A LONG DRIFT.

-.A"'" '' v : : ; - MYSTERY OF OCEAN CURRENTS. -Our: Otaki::corrospondent informed us on Wednesday ; that, a,; bottle, containing a message, idroppodiOVerboard .from tho Corinthio a ?d signed_ Henri Swift, Matton," had been picked up tho day, before on tho Otaki beach Yesterday wp received tho following, communication, ; which throws considerable light' on the; ocsan-borne wanderings of. tho mcssajre ■before it was found so close to'the address of .the-sendorf'--'' • v - , "58 Moleswprth Street, Wellington. . '"Dear :0--i, ■'.'I -. .surprised , on, reading my Dominion to-day to "see 'that tn© note: I threw, overboard in ' mid-ocean: (about half-way between ' Capetown and Hobart) from tho s.s. ■ Connthic-had arrived in New Zqa- • : land.' /and 'within^loo miles .of. Mar-:, ton—the place L was coming to in ; New Zealand. It Vis: twelve months ~ ngo this-month since I threw it over, ■ ' V ... and 'it seems wonderful to think it. . has- travelled , upon the ocean at the ' very least:'sooo miles/: Or maybe; 20 'f : times as far. Could you help me to ,; recover the messape. to add to my .stock, of -. curiosities-. froin . various parts, of -the world? " ■/. ' : . ''Yours.respectfully,', ' : , :- "HENRI C. SWIFT." ft ' 3 that .the prevailing; winds in tho Southern Ocean in tho, whereabouts of the track of steamers bound to Australia and New Zealand, from Capetown,-are from l 1^, : west, and the.. probability : is . that ' the bottle ,has taken tho full-twelve months .totravol trom a point somewhere west of Leeuvvin to Now. Zealand, via either Bass "traits or round the.south of Tasmania.