A ROMANTIC SEA STORY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3582, 4 January 1883, Page 3

A ROMANTIC SEA STORY.

THE HEEO AT MAKATOKU. A curious story reaches us from Makatoku, which, if true, is deserving of attention. It is to the effect that a few days ago a seaman, giving , his name as Henry Peterson, turned up there, and reported himself to the police constable of the district, before whom lie made a statement to the effect that, on or about September 2nd, 1878, lie joined a schooner called the Scotland, Captain Charles Oakham, hailing from Boston for Hong Kong, as mate and trader. During the same month lie was put ashore on the island of Pillau (?) to trade, and was in that vicinity until September 3rd, 1882, when he left the island in an open boat for another island named Jappe (?) for the purpose of trading, having with him two Malays as a crew. The boat was caught in a typhoon and blown to sea, and after drifting for nine days they were picked up by an American whaler, the Bellianco, Captain Smith, who kept them on board until the 19th of September last, when Peterson of his own request was landed on the West - Coast of this island, about three miles south of Foxton, the Malays still remaining on board the whaler. Captain Smith gave him, when leaving, £1 in money, and some clothing, and the man is now desirous of making his way to Wellington or Auckland, where he may lay his case before the American consul, he being a naturalised American subject. It is Peterson's intention to work back again, if possible, to the island from whence he came, where lie says there is a sum equal to about £310 due to him for labor done as a trader, <kc., and tliff c is no doubt, if his somewhat romantic ,sWry is found to be a true one, he will receive all the reasonable assistance he requires.