["A Bottle Story", The Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 05 February 1910, page 13]
A BOTTLE STORY.
CRUEL HOAX SUSPECTED.
"WARATAH SINKING FAST."
MELBOURNE, Friday.
The Premier (Mr. Murray) to-night received a telegram from Sale stating that J. W. McLachlan, M.L.A., while walking along the beach at Prospect during the afternoon picked up a black bottle, containing a folded piece of thin discoloured paper, on which was written, "Thrown overboard, while steamer Waratah sinking fast; lat. 148 E. (the 8 not very clear), longtitude 130 S. S. J. Milburn." The paper, which had no date, had torn edges, and the writing, which is in lead pencil, is fine and clear.
There is an obvious error in the latitude and longtitude given in the message. Assuming that the writer intended to say lat. 48. und long. 130, the position would be about due south of the Great Australian Bight, and just below the line of route taken by steamers travelling from Capetown to Hobart. A Mr. W. Milburn, of Long Gully, Bendigo, left Melbourne by the Waratah for South Africa, but he was booked for Durban.
