TRIP OF HORROR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 52, 23 October 1931, Page 4

TRIP OF HORROR

LUGGER SAILS THOUSAND MILES " WITH 18 LEPERS. ' DARWIN, Saturday. The world's worst voyage of horror has just concluded, with the arrival here of the lugger Colarmi carrying eighteen lepers from Cossack, West Australia, for transfer to the new lazaret on the site of the old quarantine station across the harbour. Under sail only, the lugger, with its terrible human cargo, was six weeks on the 1000-miles voyage. Ordinarily, the hoat carried seven coloured men, and the lepers had to be stowed in the holds, where pearlshell is usually stored, while the captain and his four white assistants | slopt on the fore-deck. * A woman matron also was on board. They are mostly aborigines, though there is stated to. he one Ghinese amongst them. Captain Scott, who brought the lugj ger along, said that he would not | have taken on the job but for the hard times. A white leper, formerly a telegrapliic linesman, is also being brought dcwn by train to-day for transfer to the lazaret at Channel Island, and the residents of Katherine, from where he is eoming, are indignant, and are endeavouring to have- him- thoroughly examined by the doctor aboard the steamer Marella, due at Darwin on Monday. The suspect is said to have i refused to go to Peel Island, Queensland. He had considerable savings, but 1 offieialdom is alleged to have stopped | payment of his cheques. It is ex-. j pected that half-caste female lepers, ' isolated in the vicinity of Darwin I Hospital for years past, will be sent I to Channel Tsland to assist Mr. and Mrs. Jenkinson, recently apointed superintendent and matron.