A WAIF FROM THE SEA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume VII, Issue 262, 26 April 1889, Page 2

A WAIF FROM THE SEA.

♦- In our issue of the 31st December last we published the fact that Mr Langley whilst on the sea beach a few days previous, hnd had handed to him a bottle, which on being opened was ound to contain a document printed in German. The paper having been brought ous we found that thefollowing was the translation ; viz " This bottle was thrown over board on the 3rd November 1887 in latitude 45.5 an \ 72 10 longitude of Greenwich, from (evidently the country) ship Luna. Port Hamburg Captain Huurdson on the voyage from to . The finder is to give this paper to the German harbour master in Hamburg or to the nearest German Consul, for him to forward it to the proper parties." In accordance with this wish, we sent the paper with the further information requested on the other side of the form, to Mr Castendyka the German Consul in Welington, who asked us to thank the finder, and inform him that the document would be sent home. Me Castendyke has just received a letter from the harbour authouties at Hamburg, informing bim that the Luna was sailing from Hamburg to Melbourne via Cailao at the d.*te named, but she has since returned to the German port in safety. We ventured to remark at the time, noticing tuat the paper was printed, tbat it was probable only thrown over to test the run of the currents, though one Wellington paper, having gleaned the intelligence fr m us, without acknowledgement, attempted to creat excitement by running in head lines, as to there having been ' a probable casualty, and other imaginary horrors The history of this piece of paper helps to show how very small the world now is, that a trivi 1 action in throwing a bottle into the sea in 1887 6000 miles away from New Zealand, leads to its being picked up, read, posted to Hamburg, and the whole particulars of the transaction obtained, within sixteen months of the act.