SOUTH SEA THRILLS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 13 July 1925, Page 5

SOUTH SEA THRILLS.

shipwrecked m pacific. TWO MONTHS ON ISLAND. A South Sea Island adventure, embracing all the -thrills of shipwreck and a sojourn for two months on one ot the most beautiful spots in the world, is revealed ini news received in Sydney by wireless from Samoa, Eighteen people, including passengers and a native crew, were stranded on Nassau Island after the auxiliary schooner Samoa, of the Burns, Philp’s South Sea Company’s fleet, van lost. But they had plenty to eat. The island, which was described by Robert Louis Stevenson as the most beautiful island in the Pacific, shelters a dozen inhalbitants. It is completely covered with coconuts. , Several weeks ago the company, became anxious about the safety of-the j schooner, which was overdue, having left Apia on April 16,. on a tour of island® in the vicinity. The company refrained from making their anxiety public. The Laburnum was despatched from Fiji, -and the warship Veronica also was asked to isea-rch for her. _ It also asked the | American millionaire’s yacht Goodwill,! which was cruising in the South Pacific, to call at Nassau for news. The Goodwill reached Nassau first, - and there found the shipwrecked crew —Captain Tschawn; Mr. Gibbons, ‘ mate; Mr. Kabbistow, engineer, and native seamen —and the three passengers, Mr. Gow, manager for the company at Gilbert Islands; Mr. Swinburne, Government resident -at Funafuti; and Mr. Allen, jun., son of the Late Captain Allen, of the Samoan Trading Company, * News of the shipwreck .was immediately sent by the yacht, which, was fitted with wireless, to Apia, where it was relayed to Sydney. The little schooner, constructed of wood, and of 220 tons gross, was lost shortly after Nassau was reached. She had 82 tons of copra on board when she' went down. A/ll were well, said the message. The auxiliary schooner Lady Roberts has gone from Apia to rescue the castaways, and the schooner Motau is taking up the Samoa’s run'. Nassau Island, in lat*. 10.30 d.eg. , south, long. 167 . west, 1 is under the New Zealand flag, and is 400 miles from Apia, British Samoa. It was reeentlv bought by Burns, Philp’s South Sea Company from the Samoan Trading Company. The mean height of the island is about 40 feet, and the total area, is only 400 acres.