THE BAN RIGH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7189, 6 January 1902, Page 4

THE BAN RIGH.

The Customs authorities tried to work up a little romance in the London docks a few weeks ago, by declining to allow a steamer to proceed to sea. They clia not state any reasons for their action, but it leak's out that the Ban Eigh had war material on board, and that she proposed to call at Hamburg before leaving Europe. Of course it looked a clear case of helping the Boers. The London journals hardly seemed to grasp tho fact that there are other countries in the world than Britain, and other peoplo fighting than the Boers. It was subsequently discovered, however, that the Ban Eigh had been cleared "in ballast" for Colon, inCentral America, and that the ballast included four field-guns, a powerful searchlight, a variety of warlike material, and stores sufficient for two years and a half. She had the large crew of forty-two. The master was said to have sealed orders, and it was put about that the vessel was simply off on a yachting cruise. Indeed the Daily News ventured the opinion that it was a "personally conducted Mediterranean trip, and among her agents would be found two or three bishops and other dignitaries of the church." What the bishops would be doing with four field-guns and two years' stores is not very evident. Still it was a nice little mystery, and the newspapers began to recall the stirring stories of Captain Kettle, and some of Mr Budyard Kipling's tramp steamer tales. It was darkly hinted that the Ban Eigh might one day bo met on the high seas flying the skull and crossbones on a black ground. It was noteworthy she was bound for the Spanish Main, and if her skipper's name had only been Kyd, the chain of evidence would have been complete. It is not so long since a ship was actually stolon from the Liverpool docks. Her papers were forged, and a crew was shipped, and she sailed away into the darkness. Nothing was heard of her for years. One day an Australian lighthouse-keeper was reading of the theft in an old paper, and looking out to sea saw the very ship before his eyes. The man who had stolen her, had been " tramping " successively in out-of-the way parts of the world, and had amassed a small fortune. He was subsequently housed at the expense of the State. "When deeds like that arc still possible, what errand might not the Ban High have undertaken. If the truth has at last been told, she had been acquired and armed by agents of the Liberal insurgents in Colombia, but nothing has been heard of her since she left London.—Lyttelton Times. „ ;