BACK FROM THE MACQUARIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 881, 29 July 1910, Page 5

BACK FROM THE MACQUARIES.

TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS. (By Teteßraun—Press Association.) Invercargill, July 23. The men brought back by the Hinemoa to-day from Macquarie Islands, tell o rather gloomy tale of their nine months' stay on the island. They lived on sea elephants' tongues and hearts, and on a native plant known to them as Maori, cabbage, which, after much boiling, is edible. There are but few rabbits, on .the island, and the monotony of the diet seems to have been one of tho principal trials. The men's clothes wore out, and they clothed themselves in blankets and skins. When the Hinemoa arrived at the island Captain Bollons told the men that he was there to take them off if they wanted to go. They all did, and wore taken aboard. They express thankfulness to iMr. Belcher and all who have advocated their caso. Jlr. Hatch, in a, characteristic speech to a reporter, says that he thinks that the Government have made "a mess of Hio whole business," and that ho intends to make his explanation to the public from the platform. A great many of the things said in the newspapers he characterised as lies. He described the conditions on tho island ivith the object of showing that they were not eo severe as was popularly supposed. All tho men, he said, were well except Otto Bauer, the head man, who had been there longer than the others, had apparently been fretting, and looked a bit palo. Jlr. Hatch stated that the Jessie Niccol would probably sail again in about a month, and he did not anticipate any difficulty in getting men. He had now at the island about 600 casks of oil ready for shipment.

[The Minister for Marine (tho Hon. J. A. Millar) received a telegram from Captain Bollons yesterday, stating that the Hinemoa had arrived back from tho Macquarie Islands with all of Mr. Hatch's men on board, and that the men were all in excellent health.]