MALAY CASTAWAYS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1930, Page 6

MALAY CASTAWAYS

LUGGER BLOWN OUT OF COURSE. '.'■ MONTH ON BIRDS’ EGGS. " _ Full details- of the assistance given by Captain Frame, of the Australian-’ Oriental liner Taiping, to 35 Malay castaways on the island of Manuk (Bird Island) were given by passengers when the vessel arrived at Sydney recently. The men’s presence on the island, it was stated, would not have been discovered if Captain Frame had not decided to steam in close to enable passengers to see at close quarters its hosts of birds. Manuk is a breeding ground for seafowl of almost every description, the birds making their homes on the inaccessible crags which rise sheer from the sea. When disturbed by a ship’s siren they rise in flocks of almost incredible numbers. It was to demonstrate this to those on board that Captain Frame put in toward the island. As the Taiping approached distress signals on the shore were noticed. The vessel was brought to a' stop 'and a small lugger at once canie 1 alohgside. The crew of the lugger stated that,while' cn route from Amboyna, in the' Celebes, to Seru, on Afu Island, 100; miles distant, across . thq. Banda Sea,' they were blown out'of their course and' forced to seek refuge on Manuk Inland. Owing to scarcity of water and provisions they had subsisted for nearly a month bn rainwater which was percolating in small quantities through the roof of one of the’caves in which'they were sheltering, and on seabirds’ eggs. The lO men in the lugger greedily con-' firmed two large tins of water. They then explained that the large number ■ of people aboard was accounted for by their vessel being a passenger lugger, of the type commonly used by natives for' inter-island communication.

The Taiping supplied' the Malays 'with '4001b; of rice, 1001 b. of flour, 301 b. of salt- fish, 2001 b.• of' potatoes,.', bread, matches./and 100 gallons; of water.; The captain of-‘the" lugger stated that; with That quantity of food bn board, he would have no hesitation in resuming; his'voyage to Serb. • . ’ -r■' ’•