MYSTERIOUS VISITORS

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 40

MYSTERIOUS VISITORS

AUCKLAND, September 21. There was great excitement at Aitutaki. -to the Cook Group, at the end of August, by the arrival of a steam launch manned by six foreigners claiming to be Americans. Two men in khaki suits and helmet:janded, and informed the Resident Coininissioner that they left Honolulu on July SB, and were making a trip to the islands and back for a wager of £ISOO. The local traders and natives expressed strong suspicion of the party, and urged the Resident Agent to detain them, but after staying ashore about five hours they left. It fa stated that the men of the party had a distinctly foreign accent, and that they claimed to be Norwegian Americans. 'The two officers, who were dressed in were clean-shaven, and. the four jailors had a distinctly smart naval appear'anoe. Their launch was a smart-looking <y&£t of four or five tons, with a whaleboat pern, and was cutter rigged. The mast -.Was set up with wire riggmg. The white •paint showing was quite fresh, and did .Bot bear out the story that she had finished a long trip. She was an open launch, with fenders around the gunwale. The prevailing opinion among the natives was that she came from a "mother" ship -out of sight of the islands. CFbom Ouh Own Cobrespondent.) AUCKLAND t September 23. Further particulars oi the mysterious .©raft which called at Aitutaki, Rarotonga, bn August SI, are supplied), by the corre..apondent of the New Zealand Herald. The .visitors stated that their launch was the .Cecilia, of Honolulu, chartered from Messrs H. Hackfeldt and Co by the. Messrs Southart and Mr van Houten. When .asked for their log book they replied that it had not been written up for eight or i 0 days, and had been blown overboard. Their flag and passports were asked for, could not be produced, neither were .there any documents to verify their statement that they had called at Tahiti, or that they had come from Honolulu. The only book that could be found was the iog of a vessel named the W. C Slade, Smith, master, on a voyage from Eureka (California) to Sydney. On being questioned .as to their possession of this book, they replied that it had been given to them by Haokfeldt as a guide for their voyage. Their time-book chronometer was printed in a foreign language, which they said was "Dutch." No name was painted or visible .on the boat. When asked for further . credentials they produced a canvas bag of gold which they emptied out into a kerosene can for exhibition to onlookers on the wharf. There appeared to be abo-.it £3OO in gold visible. The two men wore khaki .coats with brass buttons bearing an anchor and white helmets. .Revolvers were seen in the lockers. A Norwegian living on the island spoke to the crew in the Norwegian language, and appeared satisfied that they wore Scandinavians. No questions were asked of news -of tho war, neither were there inquiries made for newspapers. The strangers reported that on their return they •would write the narrative of their voyage for an American magazine. Inquiries -were made as to whether there was wireless at Aitutaki or Rarotonga. After a stay of six hours the Ceoilie : re-

turned her voyage, presumably to Honolulu, in which case she probably would call at VValden or Fanning Islands for water. I'he native population of Aitutaki was much oxcited 'at this foreign visit, being of the mpression that the strangers were German •.pies. Threats were made by certain naives that they would soize the launch, but ■3 there was no direct evidence against hem the visitors were permitted to depart .n peaoe. SCHOONER OFF RAROTONGA. The correspondent of the Auckland Star, writing from Rarotonga on September 13, makes the following reference to a mysterious five-masted schooner which was reported recently to have been seen off Rarotonga:—"About a, fortnight ago a large five-masted schooner sailed past. It was evening, and she stood right in to Avarua and then started an engine and had a look at the wreck of the Maitai on the reef. She then stood out to the north, and the people in Avarua say she switched on electrio light. I feel sure sho is a raider of some sort, but why she wastes time round here, I don't know. Unless she is being chased, why should an ordinary merchant ship come so close in here and waste petrol. I fanoy they sighted the Maitai and oame for a closer look, for when she passed our place she did not appear to be heading for Avarua at all, but must have stood in as soon as she saw the Maitai. I have since heard the vessel called at Atiu and got food and water. She may have been mme-laying somewhere, and perhaps the Wairuna was sunk in that way. She was a long vessel with pole masts, no topmast, and had a yard on the foremast, and looked a nice vessel."