A STRANGE STORY

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12021, 26 December 1924, Page 11

A STRANGE STORY

OUTLAW RULER AND COURT WEIRD TALE OF ISLAND KINO* BOM'S "RISE" AND "FALL.** SAN EBANCISCO, October 2A The volcanic island vlucViLlft Dalk lak, free-booter; took possession of as tang when it* rose out of* uu>'China Sea 'last year, has now sunk Sgtin beneath the waves, and with it has perished forever the dreed ruler, • him kingdom, his retinue of followers, his slaves, and even the sumptuous seraglio of beautiful wch men whom he kidnapped \froaa a neigh* bouring isle. This weird story of the ujj of a principality waa radioed to tbs Dollar Stcamsh ipCampany here yester> day by Captain Kenneth. .Lowry master of the liner President Garfield, cue here to-day. Whether or not such a character as Mala Dahlak ever existed- is a matter of doubtful authenticity and Captain 1 Lowry's only authority for it is the word | of the master of a Chinese junk, but I there is no question about the disappear- ! anoe of the island. | Captain Lowry says that he first saw I the strange isle on a previous trip on the j President Garfield. It was thought to [ -have appeared at the time of the Japanese earthquake, and was in the Hongkong route on the way from Manila. to Singapore. It has- now been officially declared that j the island has disappeared beneath the \ sea > Captain Lowry said that the island i in question was comparatively new, hav- | ing sprung up in the China Sea with | others last year. It towered above its neighbouring groups and after a time a light vegetation'appeared on it. “Strange tales began to be beard along the China of what was going on there,” said Captain Lowry, “and when 1 passed that way on my last voyage and found the island had disappeared I made j inquiries in Singapore and this is the tale told me by a Chinese .sea captain; “Some months after the appearance of the island above the surface of the Gea the pirate Mala Dahlak disappeared | with his followers from Great Catl wick Island. Shortly afteWards he res turned suddenly and plundered the Great Catwick and took captive the most beautiful of its women and girls. It was then learned that Mala Dahlak had set up a kingdom of his own on the new island, and was situated in such a way jasto be impregnable to attack. More terrible tales were told of the outlawi monarch’s attempt to lure passing trading craft on his rocky shores by signalling at night with lights. From time to time the freebooter made sporadic raids upon the island of Great Catwick and returned to the security of his 6tronghoW. I “Then the natives on Great Catwick, ! in their temples began praying, to their • gods that Mala Danlak might be swallowed up by the sea with qis- kingdom, or that ce and his people _ might be destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Whether in answer to their prayers or no, tho islet did actually disappear. The Chinese captain says he was passing at the time, saw the islet rock veer to the west, straighten up, then drop into the sea.

Wire: "This pudding is a samplo of the new cook’s work. What do you think of it?** b Husband: “I call it mediocre.” Wife: c< No dear, tapioca." Jackson: “Our new cook always boils ray eggs hard.” Thompson: “Lucky chap! We can never get a cook to stay go long."