THE AEON EXPEDITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9556, 31 July 1909, Page 7

THE AEON EXPEDITION.

INTERVIEW WITH CAFTAIN ROBERTSON. The Aeon, a Howard Smith liner, was wrecked in August last on Ghristams Island. She had only been built four and had cost between £50,000 and £60,000. On board she had a' valuable general cargo, estimated to be worth £BO,OOO. A syndicate negotiated for, and procured, the rights to salvage the wreck, and on February 21st, the Zingara, urder charge of Captain Roberston, who was a member of the syndicate, sailed from Auckland in the hopes of recovering the lost treasure. Immediately on the return of the expedition to Auckland, a press representative waited upon Captain Robertson, who furnished the iollowing account of the voyage and search: — On the trip down, the Zingara called in at Miue, and there shipped a full crew of natives. The vessel also touched at Peurhyn, where more natives were offered. When the Zingara reached Christmas Island it was soon ascertained that all that remained of tne Aeon was rur bow, which lay capsized on the coral reef, and some of the after framework, which was awash. All the timber that had been aboard the steamer was spread over the beach. It was founfl impossible to land at the wreck for 18 dayj after the Zingara arrived. In the meantime Captain Robertson, with the mate and engineer, got ashore inside one of the lagoons, and proceeded to walk across the land, some 32 miles, to the wreck. It wa3 ascertained that there was nothing of the steamer's cargo remaining, and Captain Robertson went to Fanning Island, and reported progress to the syndicate by cable. After that he returned to Christmas Island, and managed to get ashore in a launch. Here, in the rough shelter sheds erected by the Aeon's crew, were'discovered several hundred cases of general provisionsenough to have lasted his own crew for over twelve months, and he, decided to salve these. The work was dangerous, owing to the surf and the heavy seas, and twice a boat capsized. The Zingara meantime was anchored outside in 10 fathoms of water, where, Captain Robertson stated, there was said to be no anchorage at all, In the end all the provisions were got aboard the Zingara.

Althouah satisfied that the wreck contained no cargo worth salving, Captain Robertson stayeJ on in the hope of being able to 1 ;ad thi timber. "We hung round the vicinity of the /{r?':!c fov w fay-, w.t? unable ill nil i'nai. liuii to i'CLah. o!ui2 iu lt«The sea jumps over these c>ral reefs suddenly, and goss right up on end, anu you have simply got tu wait for chances. Ttia locality of the wreck is the worst which the Aeon could have struck from the point of view of salvage, it is all coral ree r , arid the water is full of coral nobs. Finally we got sick of it, and abandoned all of hope of saving anyt::i"g. We therefore started, on the liCu.ervard voyage, witn nothing for our trouble but the provisions referred to. These would be worth, 1 suppose, £3OO or £4OO, but the expedition ran the syndicate close upon £2,000 "I think," said Captain Robertson, "tltat. in all probability, some one had visited the Aeon before we got there, and retrieved , the cargo. In fact, lam sure of it." O-i his return to % Fanning Island, Captain Robertson learned enough to satisfy him that more than one vessel had been employed in the removal of the cargo from the wreck. One small vessel, for iiiEtance, stated to have had dynamite, pumps, etc , on board, was said to have visited Christmas Island several times. Whilst the Zingara was at the island a steamer hove in the offing one night. A blue flare was sent up, whereupon the lights of the stranger went out, and the steamer made off in the opposite direction. In the opinion of Captain Robertson the pirates are Americans.