A SILLY HOAX.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10646, 21 December 1910, Page 4

A SILLY HOAX.

(Per.Press Association.) Christclturch, December 20. At sn early hour this morning the constable at Southbridge reported' to the police authorities that a Maori named John Puck h;ul found a bottleon the beach containing the following message: "sVuckl-.nid' Islands. September 21st, 19-10. • Engine broke- down.; Landed here. No food. Living on; penguin eggs. Seven of lis saved. For' God's sake, help lis. The rest are buried on the island. We will soon pass out.—(Signed) Peter Petersen, s.s. Dueo." • The constable-at Southbridge has been instructed to obtain possession of tlie message and forward it to this city.

Considerable doubt, is thrown on the authenticity of the above message. Tlie Duco was lost or. licc-unv to the Chatham Islands from Wellington, and was reported-missing on October 6tlij 1909, and tlie finding of the Court of Inquiry was given on November 26tli. 1909. It is questioned whether a" bottle placed ill the sea at the Auckland Islands on the date given in the message would-havOj been brought-, to the coast of the South Island in tlie time.' The Government steamer visit;; tlie islands periodically, and if there -had been any survivors from the Duco on' the Aucklands they would have been discovered long ere ibis. Wellington, December "0. In reference to the telegram from Christehurch stating that a bottle has been found on the beach near Lake Ellesmcre, purporting to come from tlie survivors of the steamer Duco on the Auckland Islands, the Marine Department states that these islands have been visited three times since the loss of the Duco. the last occasion being three weeks ago, when, the Aniukura made a search, and visited the depot, luidmg no trace of castaways.