OVERDUE SCHOONER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 10

OVERDUE SCHOONER.

fears for the aratapu. DETAILS OF THE CREW. Fears for the safety of the auxiliary schooner Aratapu, which is almost * month overdue on a voyage from Rarotonga to Papeete, Tahiti, are felt by several people who have been acquainted with shipping on the Auckland waterfront for a long period of years. A request for all ships to maintain a look-out for the schooner was received on Thursday by the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department from Rarotonga, the Aratapu having sailed from there on March 22. The vessel, which is New Zealand-built, Chinese-owned and is sailing under the Peruvian flag, left Auckland on February 22 for Papeete, the intention being to take part in Pacific Islands trade.

How he was on the point of being signed cn as a member of,the crew of the Aratapu was told yesterday by Mr. A. Wright, of Auckland. Mr. . Wright said he was offered the position of second engineer on the vessel by the master, Mr. A. Wilson, and declined to join the complement only a few minutes before the schooner sailed from Auckland. He refused to join because lie would not accept the wages offered. He understood the purpose of ths voyage to be to take cargoes of Island produce to Shanghai from the Pacific Islands, and also to make a voyage to New Zealand with guano from Callao

Mr. Wright expressed the opinion that the crew consisted of 10 men, instead of 11, as was believed in Auckland. Mr. Wright said he was certain that no second engineer could have been signed on between the time of . his refusal to sail and the departure of the Aratapu. This would make the complement the master, the mate, the first engineer, a supercargo, the cook and five deck hands. The mate was understood to be Mr. J. Knox, of Auckland. Mr. Wright believed that the other pex-sons on board were young men from New Plymouth and Waitara, where the Aratapu was laid up before* being brought into commission.