IDENTITY OF THE VESSEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18192, 11 September 1922, Page 6

IDENTITY OF THE VESSEL.

NOTHING DEFINTTE KNOWN, CRAFT AT HEBEKINO_ The identity of the.vessel that ported to have sent up signals of distress on Saturday evening off the coast to the north of Hokianga Heads was not known in Auckland shipping circles at the latest time of writing. It was definitely known,, however, that two Auckland scows were in or about that locality on Friday and Saturday. / The Rimu, the Northern Steamship Company's coastal steamer, which arrived at Onehiinga yesterday, left Herekino on Friday afternoon. At that time, states her master, Captain E. J. Keatley, the Auckland scows Zingari and the Kapua were in Hokianga Harbour. He was informed at Hokianga, however, that the Eapua, Captain Stevens, was, leaving that harbour for Herekino either late on Friday night or early on Saturday morning. Whether she left or not for Herekino, about 20 miles, to the north, Captain Keatley was unable to say, and to suggest that she is. the vessel that reported distress on Saturday night off Reef Point would merely be conjecture. All he knew was that he was informed at Hokianga that the Kapua was leaving for Herekino. The Zingari is certainly in port. , " The Kapua is owned by Messrs. McCalluro Brothers, who have not received any information about their .vessel's movements. She was bound from Auckland to Herekino, but owing to unfavourable conditions at that port, which » reported by coastal shipmasters to be the worst part of the north-west ccast, she went on to Hokianga Harbour, una haa been there for some days. It had been arranged that her master should telegraph to the owners when she left Hokianga for Herekino. Such information had not been received. When! the Rimu left ' Hokianga tn« wind was in the north-east, and therefore off shore to ships beating down the west coast. The ssa on Saturday morning was calm, the Rimu having a smooth water passage soutih to the Manukau Harbour. - . The Kapua is a well-found vessel with a crew of three in addition to the ro aster, Captain Stevens. .Northern stations report that the distress signals were seen at a distance estimated at about 25 miles from Ahipara, and in a northerly direction. In that district it is not thought that the distressed vessel was the Kapua, because she would have been a fairly long way out of her course to Herekino. An early speculation as to the identity of the vessel in distress was that she might be the three-masted scow Maroro, en route from Whangape tgi Sydney with a cargo of timber.' She left Whangape, however, on Friday with a fair breeze, and-it is considered she would be well clear of the land by Saturday night.