NORTH AUSTRALIA PATROL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23364, 2 December 1937, Page 12

NORTH AUSTRALIA PATROL

LARRAKIA’S LONG VOYAGE JAPANESE ON THE ISLANDS (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Nov. 23. Evidence of Japanese occupation of islands off the Northern Australian coast was discovered by the Commonwealth patrol boat Larrakia, which returned at the weekend to Darwin (Northern Territory) after a patrol of 1800 miles, the longest and most comprehensive survey made of the Arnhem Land coast. Another discovery was that Japanese pearling fleets in the Arafura Sea had been joined by 20 Dutch luggers in combing the Australian pearling beds. One of these is commanded by a former Melbourne college boy. The Larrakia failed by a day to capture five Japanese luggers which were using territorial waters. On another occasion, when chase was given, the Larrakia’s engines broke down, and the suspected lugger, got out of forbidden waters before they could be restarted. Scores of uncharted bays and passages were visited, and a number of previously unknown spots were named. On some of these forgotten islands. 80 miles off the mainland, there were unmistakable signs of Japanese occupation. Empty' cigarette packages of Oriental origin were scattered round waterholes, and some natives were wearing Japanese clothing. Several islands in the Wessel group, which stretch out in a long line from the north-west corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria, were a miniature Paradise, with deep pools of fresh water, wild game in plenty, and bays teeming with fish. Occasionally shy, but friendly, natives, tall and powerfully built, greeted the Larrakia’s crew. Bright and pudgy children were almost too fat to run.

An unexpected discovery among a group of luggers off Boucaut Bay was a Dutch vessel, the Spray, skippered by a man named Wilson, an old boy of Xavier College, Melbourne. Wilson said that 10 Dutch luggers were then fishing nearby, and others were expected shortly from the Aru Islands. With a crew of Malayans he had been anchored off Arnhem Land for two months and a-half. He said he had a fourth interest, in a Dutch company which owned the fleet, and another partner was also an Australian. His luggers had nothing to do with the Japanese, and his luggers worked the Arafura beds only during offseasons elsewhere. He told Captain Haultain. of the Larrakia, that the Japanese knew in advance of the Larrakia’s approach, as a primitvie but effective espionage system had been built up through aborigines along the coast by means of smoke signals. Foreign vessels now operating off Arnhem Land total about 200. At the beginning of the year they did not exceed 100.