Stopped by the Russians.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7930, 20 September 1905, Page 4

Stopped by the Russians.

EXPERIENCE OF THE STEAMER | APAKIMA. A somewhat unique experience befel the Onion Company's steamer Aparima, which arrived at, Wellington on Sunday afternoon from Calcutta, via Auckland, during tlie voyage from Newcastle to India. The vessel, which had a full cargo ol coal, when in the Karamatta Straits, al.out two days prior to reaching Singapore, ; was held up by a Russian cruiser. At. about 2 p.m. oil Juno 27th a foreign warship was noticed ahead of the Apariina, and as the vessel drew nearer the stranger, which proved to be the Russian cruiser Terek, hoisted some .signals, \vhich were intended to convey ihe command for the Apariina to stop. Captain Scott, of the latter vessel, was unable to discern tlw signals, as there was insufficient wind to unfurl the flags. However, their true meaning was interpreted by a shrieking shell, which threw up a shower of water about a hundred yards ahead of the Aparima. Needless to say, the lalter immediately stopped, and tire cruiser, which had been lying stationary, steamed round to th.' stern of the Apariina, with the guns trained on her stcer•ng U'ar. A euttir was uuemi .■■.manly from the warship, and an of*:c r, with an armed boat s crew and two signalmen, put off to the Aparima. The officer came abroad and demanded to see the ship's papers, which he'systematically overhauled, and also compared the manifest with the hills of lading. Apparently barely satisfied that the was not lor their enemies, the Japanese, the Russian officer asked Captain Ser.n for a written guarantee that the car;o was for the il,situations stale:l in the manifest. The guarantee was giicn. After remaining nearly threequarters of an hour on board tli.' Aparima, the Russian officer, who spoke fairly good Knglisb, made an entry in the log of the Aparima, relating that lie had detained the ves set in order to examine the ship's papers, and then took his departure. It appears that the Terek had an unenviable reputation, having even at that time the crew of t':e Danish mail steamer Princess Marie on board. The Princess Marie, although duly certified by the consul as not carrying contraband to the Japanese —in fact she was hound for China—was sunk by this same cruiser Terek. S'lie had also sunk the Biitish India steamer Ikhona, bound trom 'laiiKoon to .'araa with n pnri'o o, rice fcfr an English firm. The Singa ore pa|>ers, in referrinir to the itna's rneounlvr with the Terek, stat-i ed that it would be interesting to watch ih-> career of this valiant mod ern pirate, which had "two wins and or,?, drew" to her endit. It trars?ir«l thai the Terek aft-nrnrsls ran •nto Batavia for fresh hunker coal being then On her last shovelful!.