A VISIT TO THE AEON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 543, 25 June 1909, Page 6

A VISIT TO THE AEON.

SAL VACE, £300: EXPENSES, £2000. PIRACY STJSPECTED. (By Tclcffraph.-ProBS ABBoclation.) Auckland, Juno 24. Tho fascination that always . attaches to tho search for treasure trovo, gavo an intorest to the expedition of tho auxiliary scow Zingara, that set off in February .last for Christmas Island, in an endeavour to salvo tho wrecked steamer Aeon. The romanco was not altogether eii'ased when tho first news camo through from Fanning Island that the Aeon was broken up, and hor cargo dispersed, sunk,-or stolen. Evcn'tben there remained tho clement of chanco—the expedition might yet recover:' somothing of sulfa'cient value to more than recoup thoso who had organised it —but chanco failed, and, to-day, the Zingara returned to • Auckland with a story of disappointment and practical failure. ■ ■

Tho Aeon, a Howard Smith liner, was wrecked in August last. She had only: been built four years, and. had cost between £50,000 and £60,000. On board sho had a valuable general cargo, ostimated to bo worth £80;000. A local syndicate negotiated for, and procured, the rights to salvage the wreck, and, on Fobruary 21, the Zingara, under the charge of Captain Robinson, who was a member of the syndicate* sailed from Auckland -in the hopes of * 'recovering tho lost treasure. • .-■■■■• ' ■' ■ .

Immediately on. the return of the,expedition, this (inorning, a i press representative waited upon Captain Robinson, who furnished tho following account of' tho voyago and search. . ; The Zlngara's Salvage Cruise. On the trip down, the Zingara called in at Niuo, and there shipped a full crew of natives, who, on account of their diving and swimming abilities, were required for working in tho surf. Tho vessel also touched at Penrhyn, where moronatives wore offered, there being a scarcity of work at tho time. When the Zingara reached Christmas Island, it was soon ascertained that all that remained of the Aeon was her bow, which lay capsized on-the coral reef, and-some of the after framowork, which was awash. All the timber that had been aboard tho steamer was spread-over tho beach. It was found impossible to land at tho• wreck , for, 18 .days after tho Ziugarn. arrived. In tho meantime Captain Robinson, with the mate and; engineer,' got ■ ashpro inside ono of the lagoons, and proceeded to walk across the,land, spme-32 miles to the wreck. ; It took two days to get there, and two to,come back, ...whilst ono day was put in surveying the wreck. Fortunately, tho party had ample provisions.' It was ascertained, that there was nothing of tho steamer s cargo remaining, and Captain Robinson then wont to Fanning Island, and reported progress to the local syndicate by cable. After that ho returned to Christmas Island, and managed to get ashore in a launch. Here, in the rough shelter .sheds erected by tho Aeon's crew,: were discovered . several hundred cases of general provisions—enough to have lasted his own crow forover twelvo months,'and; ho decided to salve these. • In order to do so, it was necessary to bring a line ashore and fasten it to some of the timber on tho beach, tho other end being affixed to the launch, and boats were then slung to this line, and.- thus secured, were hauled backwards and forwards between the lannch and tho beach. The work was none the loss dangerous owing to the surf and the heavy seas, and twico a.boat.capsized. On ncdtfhqr occasion wero any of the native boatmen injured, however. . The Zingara meantime was.. anchored outsido' in ten , fathoms of water, whore, Captain' Robinson stated, there was said to be lio anchorage at all. In the end all the , provisions, were got aboard the Zingara.'' ..■'■■■ ' ' . '" Difficulties at Christmas Island, Although satisfied, that the* Wreck-, cori.tained no cargo worth sa-lvago, Captain ■Robinson - stayed on. in the hope of being 1 able to load tho-timber. "Wβ might also," he said, "have been able; to get'tho Aeon's bailers, brass mountings, and fittings; ooppor piping, and so on. . Her two; propellers alonocost£lsooeach, and there were tone of brass work worth a lot of ' money. Had wo had fine weather wo Bhouldj beyond a a doubt, have also got a lot of stufi from tho bottom of tho sea. I had a diver, but was not;able to make use of his. services owimj to the high, seas. We hung round tho vicinity of the wreck for twenty days, but wero unablo in all that time to remain, close to it. Tho sea jumps over these coral reefs suddenly, and goes right- up on end, and you .have simply ; got' to wait for chances.' , Tho locality of tho wrock is tho worst which tho'Aeon could-have'struck from the point of "view of. salvage. It is" all coral roof, and tho water is full of coral nobs; ■ The Aeon had become embedded in between the latter. At one cast of the lead wo would have ten fathoms of water,' in another five fathoms, and,- close by, there would only, bo 5 feet of water. Finally we.got sick of it, aud abandoned all hope of salving anything. We' therefore started on the homeward voyago with nothing for our trouble, but tho provisions referred to. These would'be worth; I suppose; £300 or £400, but the expedition ran tho : syndicate, into close upon £2000. x - American Pirates. ' "I think," said Captain/Robinson, "that, in all probability, someone had visited the Aeon before we got thoro and removed tho cargo. In fact, I ani sure of it." On his return to Fanning Island, Captain Robinson learned ouough to, satisfy him that moro than one vessel had'boon employed in* tho removal of tho cargo from tho wreck. Ono small vessel, for instance, stated to have had dynamite, pumps, ; etc:, on board, was said to' have visited Christmas Island several times. Whilst the Zingara was at the istand a steamer hove in sight in tho offing ono night, y A blue flaro was sent up, whereupon the lights on til© stranger-won't' out,. ,and the steamer made off in tho opposite direction. In the opinion of Captain 'Robinson, tho pirates aro Americans, and ho believes that they have hidden the Aeon's cargo on an unfrequented island, and are awaiting an opportunity of removing it. He firmly believes that American or other pirates have exploited tho wreck, and that they blew up tho hull: . , ■ ■ ' ■ -•'■■' ■ '