THE CANTERBURY.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 10, 8 December 1877, Page 2

THE CANTERBURY.

Is consequence of the protest of Mr. W. J. Hunt against the decision of the Naval Court in re the schooner Canterbury, which appeared in our issue of last Saturday, tlie following affidavits have been sworn and lodged at the British Consulate, and has been handed to us for publication: —"1 William Griffin Wright an American citizen born in the State of Massachusetts United States of America make oath and say—That on or about the twenty-seventh day of September one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven Walter James Hunt came to me in the store known as .Mr. Chambers' and asked me to come outside as he had something very private to say to me he then asked me to conic along with him to a place where we could speak without being overheard. We proceeded along the beach till opposite the lane which goes up alongside the French Mission land and here I stopped and said will this place not do there is no one about. He answered no there might be someone lurking behind that wall, referring to a wall that forms one side of the lane before referred to. We then went up the lane till we came on to the road that runs parallel with the beach down that we went a little-and then dived into the bush some little distance. Hunt then turned to me and desired me to take an oath not to divulge what he was about to say to me. I pledged myself to secrecy and he then said to me I owe about

seven hundred pounds stg. on the vessel in Auckland New Zealand find expressed an opinion that if the Canterbury was condemned and sold the debts would be annulled that what he was endeavouring to do was to free himself of all liability fur his debts and have the vessel also . clear that to condemn and sell the vessel was the only way he saw of attaining his object. I argued the question with him as to whether in the event of the vessel being condemned and sold he would be free himself of his liability to his creditors. He replied that he would be free as it was the vessel that was responsible anil not he himself personally. He then asked me that in the event of a survey being called and being on it whether I would condemn the vessel I replied that 1 certainly should as 1 considered that she ought to have been condemned long ago considering in what a stato she was in I having had a good opportunity of judging having been on board of her some few weekspreviously in Pagopago harbour where she lay some time leaking very badly I had a good examination of her there"and also on her trip down from thence to Apia. Walter James Hunt then unfolded his plans to me which were to have the vessel (Canterbury) condemned aud sold but that lie would not do so in Apia as there might be some competition at the sale of her t'-ercforc he would send her to Pagopa<'o harbour on the island of Tutuila about ninety miles distant from Apia so that there could be no chance of competition at the sale as there are only two white men living on the island and they are a day's journey distant from Pagopago Harbour. He then asked me if I would go up in the Canterbury to Pagopago and act on the survey. I told him that as I had other business at Pagopago I would not object to do so. He then proposed that the sale of the vessel should be held immediately after the condemnation. To this I objected and told him that it would not look well at all that at least three days ought to be allowed after the condemnation before the sale took place. He then proposed that the three day's time should be allowed but that the notice of the condemnation and intended side of vessel to the white men at Leone which is where they live should be withheld so long as not to allow them an opportunity to arrive in timo for the sale of the vessel that in case they should be there by chance I was to outbid them but that everything would bo arranged for Mr. Mair to purchase the vessel in and in the name of Eckford a clerk of Hunt's and that I was only to bid in the event of other persons being there so as to give it an appearance of a fair sale. I suggested that if the Leone tradprS were likely to be (here it was not likely they would he supplied with money and that the terms of sale should be'made out tush on the fall of the hammer. Hunt approved of my suggestion. Ho also told me that as he wanted Mr. Mair tp buy the vessel in ho would get him to go up as a passenger so that he would nave no connection with the vonel si the time of sale thai ho would clear Hie vessel out for Savage Island for appear-

ance sake but in reality to go no further than Pagpnago Harbour. Between the time of this conversation and the sailing ol the Canterburv for Pagopago Harbour we ha J several more talks on the subject and they were always of the same tenor. The reasel was to clear out nominally for ' Savage Island but in reality onlv to go to Pagopago be condemned and sold there so as to try and relieve him (W.J. Hunt} i of the incubus of the debts he was owing ! as it appeared the vessel was the only available asset his creditors Muld get hold of. That after the vessel had been sold and bought in he would send her down to Fiji to have ,Irt repaired. One day he told me he was afraid Kenison the ship-e.irpenter thought there was something wrong 88 he was going up to Tutuila in his cutter and that he might possibly bid for the vessel if such turned out to be the case on no account to let him get her but rather defer the sale a few days and so let Kenison go away as he would not be able to afford to wait long for the sale. I took passage to Pagopago in the Canterbury and was there called upon some days after my arrival along with others by (.'apt. Robinson the master of the Canterbury to hold a survey on her. I gave my opinion in favour of condemning the vessel as she was perfectly unfit for sea. She was condemned. No notice was sent to the white men living on the island. There were only Mr. Mair and myself at the sale as buyers. I offered one hundred dollars ami Mr. Mair offered one hundred and five dollars to whom the vessel was knocked down. He purchased the vessel in his own name. 1 heard Mr. Mair previous to the sale ask the captain of the Canterbury something about if the sale included everything on board of her and after the sale was over I heard him say that he was now owner of the Canterbury and all aboard of her which remark rather surprised me as 1 understood the vessel was to be bought in nominally for Eckford but in reality for Hunt. I fancied that Mair was joking The terms of the sale were the schooner Canterbury as she now lies in the Harbour of Pagopago. Cash on the fall of the hammer. The agreement was that tin: purchaser was responsible for all claims for wages due the master and crew and therefore 1 considered and still consider that as thenwas a claim for wages to the amount of nearly eighty-live pounds stg. for the master and crew that a very fair value had been given for the vessel. Previous to our starting in the Canterbury for Pagopago W.J. Hunt desired the vessel to get away as soon as possible and kept hurrying the captain to get away as he was afraid he told me of someone arriving from Auckland who would have power to seize tlw vessel for a hill which lie said was overdue. 1 make- this statement fully and freely having been released from my pledge of secrecy bv W. .1. Hunt on the day that the Naval Court was held at Apia at the. instance ~f \V. J. Hunt to try the validity .if the sale of the schooner Canterbury at Pagopago Harbour ami [ do so without any animosity or prejudice towards the said, Walter .lames Hunt.'' j " I William Saddler an American citizen horn in the State of Maine United States of America make oath and say — That on the arrival back of the schooner Canterbury when she broke her bobstay and had to return to Apia to get it repaired which was on or about the twenty-seventh (lay of September one thousand eight hundred and sevent-seven. Walter James Hunt came to me in the street as I was coming up from Laurcnson's Hotel towards Apia and wanted to know from me my opinion of howit would be with a vessel that had a mortgage on her it' sho was condemned and sold would it not annul the mortgage. I replied to him that I wus not qnito auro on the subject but that I was under the impression that it would annul the mortgage Ho then requested me on no account to mention to anyone what wo had been talking about. I bad afterwards several conversations with him on tho sauio subject on one occasion I distinctly remember Mr. 11. Mair being present on another in the course of conversation he told me that one of tho debts ho owed was a claim his brother had on him for having gonn as I understood as soouroty for him in somo business transaction and he remarked that as his brother had not acted fairly by him ho would as lief do him out of his money as not. Ho explained fully to me his intention with regard to the schooner Canterbury and his causes for doing bo. Tho causes wore simply to get rid of his creditors by selling tho vessel and bo evade paying them and at tho same ttmo havo the vessel also cloar. Tho vessel was to bo sent to Pagopago harbor on tho island of Tutuila to bo condemned and sold and that as it would tako a long time to communicate from thoro with Apia ho would be safe from anyone going up from hero to bid at tho salo of her there being as ho told mo only two whito mon on the island of Tutuila and they living somo distance away ho was afraid if sho was sold in Apia she would fetch too much as pooplu would hid against him. Tho vessel was to bo bought in nominally in another jmrson's name but that was to ho only a blind } IU being tho real owner though not appearing . in tho affair. Ihi told mo ho had no intention whatever ol sending hor to Savage Island that she would clear out for thoro for appearanoa mikn so as to givo tho whole '■ affair the look of a legitimate transaction but that sho would never attempt to go further than Pagopago harbor."