A SOUTH SEA MYSTERY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3504, 28 June 1884, Page 2

A SOUTH SEA MYSTERY.

A somewhat mysterious matter is thus related by the “Fiji Times’* of May 31st, —“Three or four, years back a Cldnaman, the owner of a small cutter called the Abergeldie, trading between Levuka and the surrounding islands, ’ started on a certain occasion from Save Venn Leva, for Levuka but never arrived there. According to the account given by the crew," who were Fijians, three in number, it seems that when off the island of Valu, which is situated about halfway between Vanua Leva and Ovalau, they were overtaken by a sudden squall, which caused the cutter to turn turtle, precipitating all on board' into the water. They stated that after swimming for some time the Chinaman throw up his arms and sank ; they, however, all reached Yalu in safety. Before sailing, the Chinaman gave Mr Anson,' who was then acting as magistrate for Vanua Levu, a receipt for an amount of money he was. to pay into the Colonial Treasury. Amongst this money were some Bank of Now Zealand notes, the numbers of which bad been taken by Mr Anson. On receipt of the information that the cutter had, foundered, the bank paid to the Government the value of the notes under an indemnity that, should they afterwards be found—an event which was of coarse never anticipated—the value would be refunded. Wo now hear that two of these missing notes have turned up, and the question naturally arises, was the Chinaman drowned through causes over which the law has no control P”