Valkyrie Takes Americans on Island Cruise

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 716, 16 July 1929, Page 1

Valkyrie Takes Americans on Island Cruise

Film Star, Monte Blue, Joins Yacht at Suva AN INTERESTING GROUP The Auckland built schooneryacht Valkyrie, which recently arrived at Suva after an adventurous voyage of five weeks from this port, has taken on board a number of well-known Americans. Private advice received here a day or two ago from the owner-master, Captain Ernest Gilling, states that a. party of five had joined the ship with the object of “filming the unknown islands of the South Seas.” . 9 The personnel of the Valkyries company now includes the noted film star Monte Blue, who is understood

to be fuming tor Alexander Marky the well-known producer. Then there is Professor H. C. Brown, Doctor of Philosophy, o f Stanford University, California. A journalist from Sydney, S. T. Gurr, representing the Asiatic and Consolidated Press, also booked at Suva. Another writer is Stanley S. Schnetzler, of the de Scrobe Manuscript Club, Hollywood. A fifth voyager is Thomas N. Richards, official secretary to the ship. Besides the Americans Captain Gill ing has with him Captain Townsend, of New Zealand, who is assistant navigator. Ou arrival at Suva Captain Gilling set about signing on a crew of Fijians, who make excellent sailors for this class of vessel because of their intimate knowledge of navigation among the dangerous reefs which abound among the islands. The captain, however, has been held up by the Govern-

ment, which will not grant him a permit to take the Fijians away from the Fiji Group. Captain Gilling had wished to keep the natives for the whole cruise among the Samoas and the Solomons, but this is contrary to regulations. If difliculties are satisfactorily overcome, Captain Gilling hopes to reach Apia, Samoa, about the middle of next month. Professor Brown was in New Zealand in February, 1928, and has a son-in-law in charge of a State forest plantation in the Dominion.