THE YACHT MATANGI.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1871, 3 October 1913, Page 8

THE YACHT MATANGI.

PUTS INTO NAPIER. DETAINED BY OWNER'S ORDER Last week Mr. H. E. White, struo tural engineer, mado arrangements for Mr. H. Rountreo to take Ms yacht, tho Matangi, up to Auckland. Mr. liouutree camo to an arrangement with three other men to mako the trip, and on two occasions tho yacht left, and put back again. As the arrangement as to the crew did not seem satisfactory, Mr. White telegraphed instructions not to allow the craft to put to sea again until lie camo down from Auckland. This was mado known to Mr. Rountree through Air. John Fuller, jun., and tho; vacht was laid up in- tho boat harbour. On Monday, however, the crew went'; on board, broke open the locked cabin,,' and went to sea, an -unsuccessful at-)' tempt to stop tho yacht as she. cleared! tho Heads being made by tho police. Under the circumstances no one knew ■ tho destination of tho Matangi, but yesterday morning Mr, Whito was ad-: Vised that she had put into Napier, the crow giving as reason for running into port that tho yacht was leaking aft, probably through tho hole of tho propeller shaft. Through his solicitors (Messrs. Young and Tripe) Mr. Whito ordered tlio detention of the yacht at Napier. It is his intention to dispatch Sir. Rountreo to Napier by this morning's express to make arrange- 1 ments there to tako the yacht on to , Auckland. CREW AMAZED. STATEMENT BY ONE OF THEM. (By Taloaroch.—Pr««! AsiooiMiot.) Naplor, October 2. The yacht Matangi, which was reported to have vanis'hed from Wellington, arrived at Napier on Wednesday oveniug. A Roberts, who is in charge, was amazed to read tiho account of the disappearance in tho Wellington papers. The vessel, he said, was bound for Auckland, but put into Napier because blio had sprung a leak. To-day the boat was taken possession of by solicitors for the ownors. Roberts says that Mr. Rountreo had a written agreement with Mr. White to tako tho vessel from Wellington to Auckland, and also had a letter,from Mr. Whito giving him permission to transfer the agreement to liim (Roberts). Mr, Rountree left the vessel in charge of Roberts in order to take up a position as engineer on tho Seagull. Sir, Whito arrives hero tor night. .

Tho Wellington Professional Orchestra. under tlio baton of Mr. Christian Hellomann, will give a performance at His Majesty's Theatre on Sunday evening next, at 8.30. A silver-coin collection will be taken at the doors. The Swedish sailing vessel Mura picked up in the Gulf of Bosnia a small eauiug boat, of which tho only occupnnt was a ten-year-old boy, who, with ft compass, a rifle, and a small bag of ship s biscuits, had sot out upon a journey to America. On the first d.iy a storm had swept away his mast, and ho had been drifting helpiittle ceremony took placo in tho offices'of. tho Audit Department yesterdav morning, when Mi. Webb, chief clerk, extended to tho Coiltroller Auditor-General (Mr. _R. J. Collins) the hearty congratulatioris of tlio staff on tho occasion of the completion of his jubilee in the Public Service (reference to which was made in thoso columns yesterday). In doing so, Sir. Webb expressed tho wish that the Audi-tor-General would live to enjoy a long and happy future. Mr. Collins, in reply, briefly sketched his introduction to tho Service, and subsequent career. Ho concluded by tjianking tho staff heartilv for their cordial wishes.