Strange Incident at Cook Islands.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 25 September 1917, Page 1

Strange Incident at Cook Islands.

FOREIGN SAILOiRS AiRiRIVEE IN MYBTEORiTO'US LAUNCH.

(Auckland "Star's" Correspondent.) AITUTAKI (Cook Islands), Aug. 31. A stir of excitement was caused in I this island to-day at noon by the arrival of a mysterious craft, a motordriven launch, bearing no name and flying no colours. The launch was met at the wharf by the Resident Agent, several European traders, and a crowd of natives. Two men in khaki suits and helmets then landed, and informed the Resident Agent that they were Americans, and had left Honolulu on July 28, and that they were making the trip to these islands and back for a bet of £1500. They also stated that they had called at the island of Atui, in this group, yesterday, and obtained there a few ripe bananas, etc. The Resident Agent invited one of the two men in khaki who were evidently the officers of the expedition, to his house, at the same time asking Mr Low, a trader here, to entertain the other. Upon being questioned shortly after by two of the European traders, the Resident Agent admitted that the party (six in all) had produced no papers or passports of any kind, whereupon the two traders sent a letter to the Resident Agent pointing out that it would be advisable to make a thorough examination of the bona fides of the party that had arrived by the launch. In the meantime feeling had been growing strong among the natives that all was not as it should be. Between 3 and 4 p.m. the Resident Agent went down to the end of the jetty and held a cursory examination. Onlookers allege that the only paper of any kind produced was a partly written diary, or log book.

While this was going on a young native returned soldier, who is at present on a visit to his home, having been gassed at the front, told the Resident Agent that the party looked like Germans, and asked that the boat be detained a day or so and a thorough investigation made. Influential natives, namely Ruru (an Ariki and member of the Island Council), and John Rota, also visited the Resident Agent at his office and voiced suspicions as to the character of the launch party. However, the launch was allowed to leave at about 5 p.m., after a stay of five hours, although on first arriving some of the crew said that they would be staying overnight. Your correspondent asked a member of the crew, who in company with another one was in charge of the launch, while the other four were ashore, a few questions as to where they were from, etc., and was informed that, the party had left Honolulu on July 27 last, and were "yust" (just) doing it on a bet. The sailor then became the interrogator, and asked how many Europeans were on the island, what the population was, and if there was a wireless station at Rarotonga. Upon your correspondent feigning ignorance of late war news, and asking the sailor for some, he was informed that the Germans were building very big submarines, that England was nearly starving, and that America could not get her troops across owing to shortage of ships and the submarine danger. The crew of the launch claimed to be Norwegian-Americans; they certainly, from their acccnt, were very hyphenated ones of some sort, one of them apparently understanding no English at all, as he conversed with the others in a language which was not English, neither was it French, as your correspondent has a working knowledge of the latter language. As far as the writer knows no bill of health or clearance from Honolulu was shown.

The two officers were dressed in khaki, and were clean shaven. The four sailors had a distinctly smart naval appearancc. The launch was a capable looking boat of four or five tons, with whaleboat stern, cutter-rig-ged, with mast set up with wire rigging. As several native ex-sailors, also a European seafaring man, pointed out, she was beautifully clean under the water and out of it. The white paint on her topsides was quite fresh looking, and she had the appearance of having only been a day or two in the water rather than the 34 days claimed. She was an open launch with a fender all round her gunwales and a canvas covering that could be laced in the middle. The men did not appear blistered by the sun, nor travel-worn, being, on the contrary, fresh looking and clean. When one considers the long sea voyage of 34 days in the tropics, crossing the line in the course of it, this is distinctly curious. It is to be hoped that the proper authorities in New Zealand will communicate with Honolulu and ascertain if the party really did leave that place. It is also to be hoped that the Resident Commissioner at Rarotonga will be directed to obtain from the Resident the exact details as to what passports and other official papers they actually produced to him, and any other particulars he can furnish as to the party. It certainly appears very curious that a launch should have come to these little-known islands instead of to Rarotonga, the principal port of the group, or to Tahiti, Fiji, or Samoa. From any of the three latter they could have "wirelessed" to Honolulu their arrival —if they wanted to.