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Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 46, 18 November 1926, Page 6

Interesting experiences showing that the spirit of true' adventure is still to be found among the coral islands of the South Pacific were related by Dr. E. H. Bridgman, who has returned to Auckland after relieving for a time as district medical officer in Fiji (says an exchange). The Islands, he said, possessed a peculiar charm of their own, as much for the life and surroundings of the natives so strangejy contrasted with our own, as for the varied sorts and conditions of men in the seldom visited groups. At Wallace Island, near the Ellice group, Dr. Bridgman met A. Alain Gerbault, an intrepid Frenchman, “vagabonding’ the seas in a forty-foot cutter. A writer and student of ethnology, M. Gerbault was one of the French flying “aces” during the war. He also held the hard court tennis championship of France. A civil engineer by profession, he set out from Gibraltar for New York in the Firecrest, the voyage taking 102 days. Another adventurer Dr. Bridgman met was Captain Aitken, a retired solicitor from Manila, who is stranded at Lcvuka with his yawl-rigged yacht Elenor. Captain Aitken intended to goto San Francisco, but was frustrated by an unfortunate incident. He had dismissed a native at Levuka, and it is believed the man placed a plug of gelignite in the boat one night, for an explosion tore a hole in tlie vessel while at anchor and Captain Aitken narrowly escaped death.

There are evidently some good targains to be picked up just now in mining machinery estates the “Thames Star”). The management of a mine near Thames recently advertised for two boilers, and were deluged with correspondence in renly. Finally, a practically new boiler (lOfllh. pressure to the square inch), which had cost almost -£l5OO. was secured for .{lOO, and another almost now boiler (1201 b. to the square inch), which had cost <£l2oo, was secured for £5O. .

From Central China to Papanui (states th e'T.yttelton Times”) is a far cry, and the vestry treasures of St. Paul’s Church, Papanui, conain a translation from a banner in Chineses, which, in view of the recent nnti-British outbreak in China, is of interest. It reads: "Miss E. Searell, British Subject and Evangelist, oil June 4, 1900, laid down her life for the Gospel, and was burned on he 26th day of the 6th moon in the 27th year of Great Chinese

Emperor. Kuang Ssu. Offered with respect nnd revenece by the church members at Ssino-i and San Shuan Chan." Miss Searell was a Pananui "irl ami a member of St. Paul’s choir. She died at her post during the Boxer rebellion.