ROUND THE WORLD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20182, 26 June 1928, Page 8

ROUND THE WORLD

GERMAN OFFICER’S TRIP THIRTY THOUSAND MILES IN A YACHT. After an eventful voyage round the world the German yacht Hamburg, an auxiliary ketch of 69 tons, owned and commanded by Mr Kircheiss (who during the war was navigating officer of the German raider Seeadler), with a crew of four young Germans, arrived at Cowes on December 17 last, says the Spectator. The voyage of between thirty-three and thirty-four thousand miles occupied 689 days 20 hours. Mr Keicheiss, who speaks English fluently, stated: ‘*We left Hamburg on January 2, 1926. This is the first small vessel to make such a cruise and cross all the oceans during the winter period when southwest monsoons prevail. The route taken was Spain, Italy, Egypt, Arabia, Ceylon, Sumatra. Singapore, Java, Celebes, Philiippine Islands, Japan. China, Hawaii, California, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama. Havana. Florida, Philadelphia, New York, and Cowes. The journey from New York to Cowes I occupied 27 days. “Excepting for the loss of a few sails and a mizzen gaff everything went well, and there was no sickness on board. Everywhere I w r ent I received nothing but goodwill. 1 lectured at Colombo, Singapore, and many other English places with the object of restoring friendship after the ravages of war and everywhere met with a friendly reception. The people were very sporting. It is my intention to sail home to Hamburg to spend Christ-

“I am a German naval officer, and in the war was navigating officer of the raider .Seeadler, commanded by Count Packnow. which was lost in the Pacific Ocean. We completed a trip across the Pacific in an eighteen-feet open boat, covering a distance of 2360 miles, and we were absolutely being without food or water when we were captured at Fiji. We were sent to New Zealand and interned, but escaped from prison and got away in a motor-boat. We then captured a schooner intending to go to South America, but when eight days from land we ran out of provisions and made for an island.

“British ships had heard of our exploits and were sent out to search for us. Eventually we were captured a second time seven hundred miles from Auckland by the British cruiser Iris.”