CHATHAM ISLANDS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9672, 21 December 1909, Page 7

CHATHAM ISLANDS.

(From Our Own Correspondent). Just as things are looking most promising for the establishment of a permanent fishing industry on these islands—and, goodness knows, they want something of the sort —cornea the lamentable loss of the Duco, with all hands, and gives the venture a most serious setback. On her first trip down she did well, as there are plenty of iish here and easily caught, and she was coming down to begin the trade in earnest. She was certainly a small vessel, and many people thought her too small to cross the ocean so far, but no one dreamt of such a sudden ciose to her career. The loas of life overshadows any other loss, but when it is remembered that she picked up all the ntails of about five weeks and started off to deliver them, you can also see the smaller loss that comes heavy on people who only get a mail once in two months. Mnny of the settlers! here sent for things they were in need of, seeds, etc., and, of course, everything is gone. Moreover, we know nothing ot the news of the whole of the month for crowds of newspapers disappeared. Nothing j that was lost can be replaced before December. As regards those lost on the unlucky ship there was one who was well known on the islands, in fact, he was a local celebrity, one might say. That was Jack Dahlborg, a sailor who had spent some years here off and on, had sailed in the regular steamer, the Ripple, and only left her to join the Duco because he was offered a good billet t > pilot the men to the best fißhing grounds, etc. He was as white a man as you would meet anywhere, and as much at iiome in a ship or in the water as if he were an amphibious animal. When living on the island he would turn his hand to anything and was a real "grafter." Sometimes he i would go out all day and catch a lot I of fish, and on his return would himself take it J to the settlers' b;uses,,some of. thehi miles away, 'and hand, over a few good fiah to each. ' fifeney he would-not take. "What's a few fisfa?',yie,wquld say. There awe. many who will- ; miss- 'he genial "Jack/" and wish he had nad better luck.

| We were all patiently watching j for the arrival of the Duco with an extra mail, and as day after day -went'by wtt;h no signs of her, were giving up hope that she would be here before tfie Ripple, when . a j steamer was s : ghted on Saturday, I the 25th September* No one thought of any other ship but the Duco. It turned out, however, to be the Alexander, from Westport, with coal for the Duco. When a boat came ashore the first thing the occupants Msked for was the Duco, and then we found that she had sailed three weeks before the Alexander. The latter landed the coal, (about 20 tons, showing the company meant business) and left on October 2nd. On October 3rd (next day) the Ripple came, and still no word of the missing ;ship As „ I write this (October 29th) we have no idea of what is being done in-New Zealand, but no boat has come to look for her. The weather about the titre the Duco left was very, stormy, »nd as she was well leaded, she probably foundered at sea with all hands.

It is a pity for the Chathams that such an unfortunate thing should happen. The constant running to and fro of bmts with fish would have put the islands more in touch ■with the mainland, and we are all hoping industry will not be abandoned. Thara appears to be a scarcity of fish in the towns in New Zealand, and iiere, yod might say, are virgin waters literally crowded with fish. Some of the daily catches of the Duco on her first trip were very large. Blue cod were caught with the hand lines as fast as the men could pull them in. I believe she only took up this kind of fish on that trip, and we are wondering why hapuka were not wanted. These latter are to be caught of immense size, many of them a hundredweight each, and very fat. There are other tish too, but the two kinds mentione d are the most numerous, unless we except crayfish. There are plenty of them.

By the Ripple there came down carpenters, and timber for the erec - tion of a residence for the constable stationed here. He is also the postmaster, and has been houseless for some time. The contactor also has the painting of the post office, courthouse, and Te One public school teacher's residence, and Kair#.kau school is to be enlarged. For about a month from the middle |of September we had very fine weather; since then we have had wind and storm in plenty. ft has been fairly'warm though, and the gardens and grass are thriving. Shearing is a bit interfeied with. If, as is here understood, the Government intend to close the duck Beason altogether next year, it will be none too soon on these islands, though there are more dacks than in any part of New Zealand. The slaughter at times was considerable, and the bags prodigious. if the close season is extended to black swans, however, one wonders what sort of a mob of them there will be on the Whanga lagoon at the end of that time. They are there now in thousands, and all the Killing that Maori and pakeha can do makes no appreciable difference to them, They will be taking charge of the place altogether, and will be something similar to the rabbits in New Zealand.