THE RAIDER SEE ADLER.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1919, Page 3

THE RAIDER SEE ADLER.

! VON LUCKNER’S PIRATES. The exploits of the German raider See Adler in the Pacific have been recalled by a report received in Sydney from Tahiti, on of the Society Islands, in the Pacific. Within a few days of the See Adler being wrecked on Mopiha Island, towards the end of 1917, Count von Luckner and the principal officers were captured on a launch in the Fiji Group, and after being interned ' for some months in New Zealand were sent back to Germany in the troopship Willochra. The crew of the See Adler escap- ’ ed in the Tahiti schooner Lutece from Mopiha Island. Conflicting reports have since been circulated regarding the fate of the schooner and those ■ on board, but the mystery has been cleared up by a report from Tahiti. In a letter from Rapanui, (Easter Island) to Tahiti, dated November 4th last, Parakati, a Catholic mission teacher, writes : ‘On October 3rd, 1917, a two-masted schooner arrived here with 58 Germans aboard, who, after a_ two days’ stay ashore, proceeded to break up and sink the vessel. Upon being questioned by the Chilian Government agent in charge of the island as to the reason for this procedure, they stated that the vessel was leaking and unfit for further ser- ■ vice.

“About two months later another sail ing vessel passed close to the island, and 15 of the Germans gave chase to her in a boat with the object of capturing her, hut they were unsuccessful. The Germans were all armed. The Government agent strongly remonstrated against this action on the part of the Germans, which he said, would bring discredit upon a neutral country. From this time on the Germans were closely watched by the native people, but luckily. no serious trouble arose. “In January, 1918, the* Chilian schooner arrived to take away a cargo of wool from the island. She left on February 3rd with the Germans aboard en route to Chili.”