AIRLIE ISLAND BOTTLE MESSAGE

The West Australian, 26 July, 1913.

Captain Winzar, acting chief harbourmaster 

at Fremantle, has in his possession a piece 

of paper supposed to contain a message 

from the sea. This was found in a bottle on 

the beach at Airlie Island by Captain Williamson, 

of the Government steamer Una. during his

recent trip to the Nor'-West, for the purpose 

of establishing some new lights along

the coast. While anchored off the islands

a party went ashore, and in the course of

their wanderings along the seashore came

across a pickle bottle, which on being 

opened, was found to contain a water-sodden

piece of blotting paper. On the latter could be 

seen some writing, and with the aid of a 

microscope Captain Williamson made out 

the following message :-Vessel hove to. . . 

but can't live through it. I think it is no good. 

Good-bye. J. Shannon. As Airlie Island is 

only about 200 miles from Bedout Island, off 

which the Koombana was wrecked last year, 

it was thought at first that it might have been

a message from one of her ill-fated company, 

but no name answering to the one on the message 

could be found in her passenger or crew list. 

Shipping people at the Port are inclined to believe 

that it is only one of the many hoaxes that some 

people are so fond of playing on the public.

Cruel hoax.

courtesy Google Earth

the bottle message would have to have negotiated these islands to arrive at Airlie Island - unlikely
courtesy Google Earth