["Another Waratah Hoax", The North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times (Tas.), Friday 06 May 1910, page 2]
ANOTHER WARATAH HOAX.
Mr. Thomas Mildrum, of Benyeo, South Australia, has forwarded to the Melbourne "Argus" a cutting from the "Belfast Witness" (Ireland) of March 18, as follows--"On Saturday a lady, walking along the sea shore of the east coast of Lough Swilly, found a. bottle containing a paper with the following words:--"S.s. Waratah sinking, sail and steamer horizon. Latitude 24S; longitude 80deg. 20min. July 28, 1909, John Green, passenger." It is suggested that the bottle may have drifted from the Indian Ocean round the Cape, and been carried by trade winds to the Gulf Stream, thence finding its way to Ireland. But the hoax (one of a foolish and somewhat uncommon kind) is obvious. The position given would place the ship about half way between Natal and Westralia--to be reached two days after she left Durban.
