The San Francisco call., 1898-06-21
RETURNED
 WITH TALES
 OF RICHES NIP. Sorensen Relates Wonderful Things. MORE GOLD THAN KLONDIKE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS FILLED WITH MINERAL WEALTH. An Expedition That Had Some Re- markable Experiences-How the
 Sophie Sutherland Was
 Sunk.
MORE GOLD THAN KLONDIKE
SOUTH SEA ISLANDS FILLED
 WITH MINERAL WEALTH.

| If credence can be placed in the state ment made by N. P Sorensen, who ar rived In San Francisco from Newcastle, N. s. w., on the three-masted ship Bel ford on Sunday, and who left this city on September in charge of the expedi- tion sent out by the South Sea Commer- cial Company, a local corporation, on a trading and prospecting voyage to the South Sea Islands, the land south of the equator has mineral wealth that surpass- es the Klondike.
 MT. Sorensen, who was seen yesterday on board the Belford, on which he is | boatswain, told an interesting story of the experiences encountered by the party that left on the Sophie Sutherland, three-masted schooner, commanded by Captain Mclean, we'll known through his exciting experiences with the Russian Government. The boatswain was given a power of attorney by Henry Bowles, president of the corporation, and was virtually in command of the expedition. The story he told in his quarters in the forecastle is in part as follows:
 I've left this city for Apia, Samoa. and arrived there after a passage of thirty odd days The only trouble on the trip was that some of the members of the party refused to work. In Samoa they were informed by a MT. Moore that thir- ty miles up the coast there was river containing copper lode The steam launch was got out and an exploring party was sent up the stream, but met with disappointment. On our return we found Captain Mclean and many of the men drunk. While lying in the harbor a man named Cling went ashore ana con tracted a fever which spread among the passengers.
 T visited the German Commissioner and obtained permission to prospect
 lnft f1T lagi to obtain the British Consuls con- sent, which was granted.
 'We began mining operations at Moroo Bay. shaft was sunk, but water was struck at a depth of eight feet and no results were obtained, although we spent nineteen days in the task. Captain NC, Lean and myself manned Wnalepoat -ai and went up to Makra Bay. where l showed the captain fine red and white marble and also beautiful teak forests. on our return the King of Yanuta, who accom- panied us, informed me that all the speci- mems brought aboard the ship were rom one place He promised to send some one with our party to the mineral deposit. asked MT. Goldsmith, mining expert, to accompany us, but he refused. So the captain, myself and thirty negroes went We found reef through % Whicn the THer quartz We took away some beautiful specimens. and one of the negroes brought us one from point on the ree1 z0V Feet higher than where 1 stood.
 Mr. Sorensen then told of prospecting In places suggested by the natives, and pro- duced splendid specimens of gold-bearing rock, copper. boride of arsenic and other minerals some of which were analyzed in Sydney, and were proven to contain the substance named. Mir. Sorensen will to- day visit his employers and make his hs re re- port. He will tell of the treatment ne re. ceived while aboard, how he was put off at Tulagi without firearms to protect him. and with very little food how he ap- pealed to Captain Woodford. an old resi- dent there, and how he was advised to leave on the next mail steamer; how. he took passage on the Titus, and how when the steamer arrived in Marau harbor he found the Sophie Sutherland there with her topmasts gone and the vessel partly sunk. owing to the drunken condition of her commander and his crew; how he con tinued on to Sydney and went to New castle and shipped before the mast as boatswain. not having money to pay his passage. The tale will not only astouish his employers, but make them indignant at the treatment he received.
 Sorensen relates his story in a convtnc- ing manner, and supports everything he says by the most conclusive evidence.