AN EXTRAORDINARY TALE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1663, 22 November 1887, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY TALE.

A. remarkable occurrence was reported by Captain Doward, of the Glasgow barque Estrella de Chile, who arrived at Queenstown from Bassein on September 28th for orders. Captain "|ft Doward's statement is as follows : 20 W. and 45 N., we sighted a barque under short canvas hove to. She reduced ber sail until we came up with her, and then she ran up an Italian' * flag Subsequently she hoisted signs T. informing us that there was a mutiny on board, and requesting us not to leave her, but to remain sailing in her company. By ber signals 1 learned she was bound to Falmouth from Buenos Ayres, and was forty days out, but the name of the vessel I could not ascertain, as she gave us false letters.

Over the Btrange yeßsel'e port bow was placed a large piece of canvas like a sail, aa if to stop a leak. According to signals we remained in close proximity that night, each vessel displaying bright lights. The next morning I asked her if she was leaking, and after a greatdealof hesitation she signalleda reply that she was, and had been making water from September 2nd. The second night we kept in company, again burning bright lights. We then commenced to see that during the light of day the stranger would keep a long distance away from us, but as soon as darkness set in she would come up quite close again, and being a much faster sailer than ours she was able to do bo. We then concluded she did this for the purpose of not disclosing her name. About 12.80 a.m. she steered close to us, and to avoid her striking our vessel we held a light over our side. She then ran across our bow, and manoeuvred about in a most extraordinary manner which looked like as if she wanted a collision to take place. The next day the stranger again sailed away from us, and kept a long distance off, but steered the same course as we did until darkness had set in, when she again sailed up in close proximity to us, and exhibited flashlights twice in succession. We, however, made no signs in respoase. The stranger then suddenly put out her lights, and left us completely in the dark. Fearing that the foreigner would run into us, we at once extinguished all the lights on board the Estrella de Chile, and changed oar coutse to baffle the Italian vessel's pursuit, we succeeded in doing. The rest of the night we law nothing of her, and the next mornng she was nowhere to be saen. Judgng from the prevailing winds, this itrange barque ought to arrive in Faimoiifh to-day,that is, if she i» bound bere at all."