THE FRENCH REFUGEES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8135, 9 May 1906, Page 3

THE FRENCH REFUGEES.

: Tbe story of the rerugees who escaped from New Caledonia and reached German New Guinea in an open boat, is, in some respects, siuguiatly lika many incidents one comes across in fiction, especially in that portion devoted td boys. The men were employed at the cobalt mines, three dayß' journey from .Noumea, aad being TIOKETOF LEAVE MEN, were not subjected to a strict watch. At thy same time it can be easily understood that their plan of bui!din« a boat and setting away in it was very difficult to keep svoret, even with lax supervision. I'u their spare time they felled trees in the forest near the mines, and constructed a 20ft boat. The boat was PROVISIONED FOE THRUE MONTHS, but how this was done remains a secret. They stole away one night, «and set sail for Now Guinea, 2000 miles distant. On the way a gale sprang up, and for about five hours the men " had to bale out for their Hveß, whi'e the provisions wore spoilt by the salt water. At length the little boat, was DRIVEN ASHORE in a storm on the const of German New Guinea, and was oaraaaed, and two of the refugees narrowly escaped with their lives. Their situation was a very painful one, bui after they had rested themselves and dried their food, their spirits rose, and they determined to repair the boat and make a fresh start. It took nearly a month to do the repairs and another mouth to reach Now Ireland. There, aftor walking many miles, they came into oontact with civilisation and obtained employment. They madw no SECKET OF THEIE ESCAPE, and eventually the matter came to the ears of the Governor of the Bismarck Arohipelago, and the men were brought before him. Several months then gelapsed, during wbioh two of the men were tfiven employment, and the others lived on the money they had, and eventually al> but one, who got away on a vessel, were sent baok to New Caledonia via Sydney. The curious part of the affair is the apparent apathy of the men after they reached German ter ntory. No novelist would dare to rnake such a tame ending to his tale. One can imagine the way in which Stevenson would have treated it. The men would probably have told a log and thrilling story of shipwreok and life on a desert island, and the building of the boat from the remains of the ship. By the time the tale was discredited, the men would have moved on.