ENTERPRISING INDIANS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 19 December 1912, Page 5

ENTERPRISING INDIANS.

DISAPPOINTED BUT DETERMINED

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "Chronicle.'1)

AUCKLAND., Dec. 18. The 37 Punjabis who left Auckland this morning by the Navua enroute 3or Wellington, have had a chequered career since they left their own sunny couniry. Originally they went out to Fiji to work on the sugar plantations, and they arc among the best workers in the many .different caster, which find •thon- way out to the sugar plantations. While amassing experience "and money they heard of far-aw;ay Buenos Ayres, where some of their compatriots were making good money. A party of about thirty or forty made un their minds to seek this Eldorado, entered into negotiations with Mr Humphrey Berkley, and th G schooner Clansman "was chartered to tafcp the Indians to far-away Argentina. Then their troubles began, lhe Fiji authorities decided that the schooner was an immigrant ship, and as such must, according to the regulations, carry a doctor. This was an effectual bar, and wrecked the expedition as far v.s the Clansman was concerned. Then followed a famous lawsuit, in which the coolios sued Mr. ■Berkley for the return of certain moneys. The finding of the Court was that Mr Berkley had acted as solicitor and not ;\s broker, and the ci.se was decided in his favour. Even this did not deter the Punjabis, who irade fresh arrangements. Alter a deal of negotiation, th-s firm of Brown and Joske undertook to finance the expedition, and lost week tho oartv of 37 time-expired nion said good-bye to their fellow-coun-trymen, wllected their strange cookirs^ oots, nnd bundled on board the mailboat Makura, the steerage of which h^s been give-n over entirely to tV> nilgrims. On arrival at AuoVlan* thov "era transferred bag and bagrrage to +bfl Xavna, which wiis about to'r.iil f-ir Wellington, the port from which departure was to. bo taken for the Argentine.