ROVING THE OCEANS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 2, 12 December 1911, Page 8

ROVING THE OCEANS.

THE jIViSJ I’ ICLS CORONET. The extraordinary peregrinations of the mysterious yacht Coronet, which was believed to have been lost in the Atlantic, have been discussed by shipmasters in Sydney recently. The Coronet visited Sydney some time ago and the peculiar behaviour of those aboard her- came in for a good deal of attention. There were about 35 men, women and children all told, and seldom was anyone seen on her decks —perhaps one person at a time, who would parry all questions with evasive replies. Now it transpires that the yacht (really a big and speedy schooner) has been roving the oceans, from Australia to America, then to Africa, later to Crcenland, and so on. No -one know whither she was bound. Her company would never explain, and all the while they were “cadging” provisions from passing ships—signalling that they were in distress and starving. 'These were the sect who called their creed “'The Holy Ghost and Us.” The captain of the steamship Lapland offered to take off the crew and land them in New York, but they refused to leave the vessel, and subsequently a boat containing 3001bs (if beef, 601bs of sugar, 4S loaves, 21 cans of spinach, 251bs of bacon, and quantities of cream, cheese, potatoes and mutton—enough to last the Coronet’s party for a considerable time—was despatched to the yacht. The Lapland was only one of many ships that reported speaking the Coronet, with her crew “starving,” and all sent off provisions. It seems to have cost the yacht’s chew very little for their extended round the world cruise in search of the “Promised Land,” notwithstanding that some of those in board were, while at Sydney, reported to be wealthy people. In nautical circles the case of tho Coronet is regarded as unparalleled. Shipmasters, several. of them old hands who have sailed all the seas, spoke of the action of the yacht’s crew in disgust, and said that it might possibly affect cases where vessels’ crews were really in need of provisions. Said one: “It must be nothing less than a ‘cadging’ cruise round the globe, and the publication of the facts may bring to light scores of cases where the Coronet has stuck up ships.”- None of the captains spoken to had ever heard of such a case before, and all were surprised that the true facts had not been spread broadcast before. In fact, one of them considered that tho masters of some of the vessels from which provisions were secured might like lo lay hands on tho Rev. Frank Sandford, who calls himself Elijah, also Admiral of the “Holy Ghosters,” who is presumably responsible for what has l)ecn happening during her meetings with other ships. [Yesterday we published a cablegram stating that the leader of the society of “Tho Holy Ghost and Us” had been found guilty of causing the death of six people through going to sea with insufficient provisions.]