PACIFIC CRUISE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23857, 11 July 1939, Page 10

PACIFIC CRUISE

MAUNGANUI'S SCHEDULE ALTERED OUTBREAK OF SMALLPOX IN TAHITI 'Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 10. A readjustment of the programme arranged for the Union Company's passenger steamer Maunganui during her three weeks' cruise to the South Pacific has been caused by an outbreak of smallpox in Tahiti, according to advice received by the Auckland office of the company. As a result, the Maunganui, which left Auckland last Thursday for Rarotonga, was diverted to Nukualofa. She will omit Rarotonga and Papeete. About 250 passengers are carried by the cruise ship, which arrived to-day at Nukualofa. She was originally expected to reach Rarotonga, her first port of call, to-day, and to continue the voyage to Raiatea and Papeetae, reaching Papeete at the time of the anniversary celebrations of the Fall of the Bastille. On leaving Papeete, the ship was to have called at Moorea, Apia, Vavau, and Nukualofa before arriving back at Auckland on July 28. The schedule has now been greatly altered. The Maunganui was expected, to leave Nukualofa this afternoon for Vavau and Apia, and the course of the remainder of the cruise has not yet been fixed. Misfortune attended one of the ship's two Pacific cruises last year, when a woman passenger developed measles and a strict quarantine was enforced at Apia.