IN MID-PACIFIC

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 7

IN MID-PACIFIC

A MpdERN ROBINSON CRUSOE

RESCUED BY THE AORANGI,

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPIRIfIUT.)

(AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CAULE AS6OGIATION.) (Received 14th November, 12.30 p.m.) VANCOUVER, 13th'Nov.

The. AoraHji's passengers, on' the" hofaewavd trip cftu tell a real story or the relief 01 <1 modern Kobitisort Cru* soe marooned on a tiny coral island iii mid-Pacino by the failure of the coih'. party for which he Was managing a copi'ft plantation.. At the request of the liquidsitot'3 of the. Samoa Escorts Com* pany the Aorangi called on Ist" ber '•at Hull Island, between Suva and itonolu!u( to get information of the Conditions »hd to deliver letters: to Mr. A. Sbhaeffei-j • ol'ihigalLy engaged as Manager there by the Leyerh dimes. tJe, WitK. his Wife and two children, together With a score of kanakas, hnd been there fof four yearsj and for the past eighte'eil' months had been, entirely without eotta' muntfcdtion with the outer Vorld. With n native crew Mr. Schaeffer left the' is* land in ah outrigger -Canoe, with a stoty of worry and hardship which Captain ft. Crawford wirelessed the Governor, of Fiji. For eighteen months Mr. Schaef' fer has received no word from his coita' pany, and for four months his Supply ot ordinary food had been exhausted, and the little party had been subsisting entirely on fish a;nd coconuts. Their medi"cal stores Were reduced to a doßen quinine tablets, knd three of the natives wei'4 sick. Captain Crawford landed emerge ency medical necessaries, and also sup>plied food, the stevvards donating a wel' Come supply of Whisky"' and tobacco. Mr. Schaeffer had not shibkcd a, cigarette for two years, and also mourned tha loss of hia false teeth. The Aordngt later advised that Suva was sending a relief ship to take off the little conr munity, and 50 tons of accumulated copra. In gratitude Mr. Schaeffer wishl--ed the Aorangi to wait for him to deliver two maftimonth feeft turtles, but the ship was unable to further delay the voyage. ■