The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-11-27
Mystery Launch
Claimed 4
Honolulu As Home
Occupants Of Craft say They Sc
cured Little Boat From Hack
field & Company and Made
Voyage To Win Bet

Residents of the Antipodes are seek
ing q solution to the Mystery
Launch which made a call at one Of
the Cook Islands and which those
aboard asserted they had secured from
Hackfeld & Company Of Honoiolu. OF
the mysterious craft the sydney Morn
ling Herald published the following
article ON October o:
"The cable in yesterdays Herald
Regarding the exploits Of the German
armed raiders in the South Pacific may
throw light on a mystery connected
With the visit of a strange vessel to
Aitutaki, one Of the Cook Islands, at
he beginning of last month.
Flies No Flag
con september l an oil launch,
wenty seven feet long, with mast
and jib and maihsail and with her
leck all covered with tarpaulins, put
into AitutekL She flew no flag. The
government agent, Mr.. Duncan, with
he other Europeans resident on the
sland, interviewed the arrivals to as
ertain the cause of their visit, and
we're informed that the launch was the
'ecilic, Of Honolulu, chartered from II.
| Iackfeld and CO., of Honolulu, by Mr.,
Sopthart and Mr.. van Houten. The two
after were on board. Mr.. Southart
claimed to be an American citizen, and
Mr.. van Houten said he was the son Of
q Norwegian shipowner Of America.
The story was that the voyage was
made in consequence of wager made
y Dutch club at San Francisco that
they would not make voyage from
Honolulu to Cook Islands and return
o Honolulu in an open launch. The
rev comprised four men, who were set
forth as three Norwegians and Dutch.
nan, with van Houten as commander
and Southaft as navigating officer.
Both these men spoke English with a
| strong foreign accent, They claimed
to have come from San Francisco to
Honolulu in new steamer named the
| Vancouver, and left Honolulu in the
launch Cecilie on July 28. They also
claimed to have Landed at Papeete
Tahiti, and entered that port under
he escort of French torpedo boat
From there they called at the island
OF MopehtS which is evidently the
'ame island as was referred to in yes.
erday' g cable, though it was spelled
Nopeha'' in the message y. II.
= Z This island, il may be mentioned
lies to the north-e east of the Cook
group, and is leased by an Auckland
drm, who have cocoanut plantations on
t.. After calling at Mopeha, the visi.
sors stated that they went to Baroton.
ga, but did not land, coming on to
Aitutaki instead. ..:.'
Explanations Are Peculiar
Now comes the mysterious aspect
Of the affair. The visitors we're asked
tor their log book, their reply being
that 1t had not been written up fol
hght or ten days, and had been blown
overheard. Their flag was asked for
put could not be produced. Their pass
ports were asked for, but could not b.
produced. Neither we're there any docu
| nents TO verify their call at rahId
No papers whatever could. be produced
] to- verify their statement that tney hac
come from Honolulu. The only bool
that could be found was the log of til,
vessel. w. G. Slade,' Smith, mas
ter, on q voyage from Eureka, Caifor
MIA. to Sydney. w., w.
| "On being questioned as to thei,
Possession of this book, they replied
that it had been piven to Them b,
Haekfeld Of Honolulu, as a guide 70,
their voyage. Their time book-chro
nometer-was printed in foreign Ian
guage, which they said was Dutch. Nc
name was painted or visible on the
boat. When asked for further creden
tials, they produced canvas bag OF
gold, which they emptied ont into q
kerosene can for exhibition to the on
lockers on the wharf. There appeared
to be about $500. in gold visible The
two men wore khaki coats, with brass
buttons bearing an anchor, and white
helmets, Revplyers were seen in the
| lockers, s...
| crew Speaks Norwegian
/ ga Norwegian living on the island
poke to the crew in the Norwegian
language, and appeared satisfied that
they were Scandinavians. No questions
were asked of news Of the war, neither
we're there inquiries made for news.
papers, The strangers reported that on
their return they would write up a mar.
rative Of their voyage for an American
napazipe. Inquiries were made as to
whether there was wireless at Aitu.
'ak or Barotonga. d..
Stay Six Hours e. I'D.
After a, stay Of six bours the Ce,
ellie Resumed her VOYAGE. The natiyc
population of Aitutak was much excit,
cd at this foreign visit, being of the
impression that the strangers were Ger.
man, spies. Threats were made bv cor.
tain natives that they wonld seize the
launch, but rs there was no direct evil
epee agaipst them the visitors were per,
mitted TO depart ip peace. III
"The men who landed on, the wharf
were very neat and well dressed, and
showed no appearance of having travel,
ed thousands Of miles in an omen boat
Both were cleanshaven, and had mora
the qppeaFaneP Of having Just stepped
off an ocean liner. They were not in
want of water or provisions. -