BACK FROM CRUISE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23884, 11 August 1939, Page 7

BACK FROM CRUISE

WARSHIP AT PACIFIC ISLANDS MYSTERIOUS NAVAL AND AIR ACTIVITIES RUMOURS UNSUBSTANTIATED (Ter United Press Association! AUCKLAND, Aug. 10. A day in advance of her itinerary, the flagship of the New Zealand Squadron, H.M.S. Leander, returned to Auckland to-day from a short cruise to Pacific islands. Fine weather on the voyage down from Tahiti accounted for her early arrival. The cruise generally was uneventful. A few members of the complement suffered coral poisoning through getting their feet cut on island reefs. Reports about mysterious ships and aircraft were also heard during the voyage. These centred on Gilbert and Ellice Islands, including Tarawa, Abaiang and Arorae. So far, however, the reports have been made by natives. The white population is very scanty and the rumours have not been capable of substantiation, although the proximity of the group to Japanese islands in the Western Pacific has given an air of truth to the statements made. No difficulty was experienced in going to Tahiti, where there was an outbreak of smallpox recently. The scare was over when the Leander arrived and so far as could be learned there had been only about two deaths. The Leander berthed a day later than at first arranged, an extra day being spent at Bora Bora where the natives held a special fishing expedition in honour of the visitors. The ship’s stay at Rarotonga was cut short. A rising sea contained an element of risk for the ship lying at an exposed anchorage and it was decided to go on to Bora Bora. In addition to these calls, the cruiser also visited Fiji and Nukualofa.