Adventurous Voyage

B.S.I. Resident’s Narrow Escape.

From a Special Correspondent, GIZO, April 10.

LEAVING Faisi, the terminal port in the British Solomons, on the evening of March 9, “Mataram” experienced unpleasant weather, squall succeeded squall throughout the night, and the driving rain greatly restricted the range of visibility.

About 5 a.m. the dim outline of land appeared in the distance, and Captain Williams was about to enter the chart room to take a precautionary survey of the ship’s position when his attention was attracted to a small, dark object directly ahead. A mariner’s life develops an instinct for quick action in emergen cies; a peremptory order was given and instantly the wheel spun round to star board. The “Mataram” responded to her helm not a minute too soon, for her deck lights revealed the launch that so narrowly escaped being run down that further helm action in the opposite di rection was immediately necessary to prevent the steamer’s stern from crash ing into the small vessel.

Captain Williams related the incident on his arrival at Gizo a few hours later, and added that the launch, which was under sail, resembled that belonging to Mr. Musgrave. Inquiry ashore disclosed that Mr. A. W. Musgrave had left port on the previous day for his home on the island of Rononga, and in normal cir cumstances he should have reached his destination the same afternoon. A few days later it was reported that he had not arrived, and a search of the islands and waters in the vicinity of the spot where the encounter with the “Mataram” had taken place was conducted without any trace of the missing launch being discovered. Fear was expressed that the small craft either had foundered or, with engine disabled, had been carried out to sea.

The latter contingency seemed the more likely, and anxiety was felt as to whether sufficient food and water was carried on board to enable Mr. Mus grace and the native who accompanied him, to survive a long drift. These fears were happily set at rest a week later, when the lone voyagers turned up at Gizo in a native canoe, and related a tale of adventure and privation.

It appears that the launch, after leav ing Gizo, encountered the full force of the wind and heavy seas, but continued to make fair progress, until suddenly the engine stopped. Investigation dis closed that the fuel tank had developed a leak and was empty. A spare tin of benzine was carried on deck, but while the vessel, deprived of steerage way, wallowed helplessly in the heavy seas, it was carried overboard and lost. Sails were hoisted but fierce gusts of wind soon reduced them to ribbons, and the launch was left at the mercy of wind and sea.

In the early hours of the morning the lights of a steamer were sighted and soon the “Mataram” bore down upon the launch. Mr. Musgrave endeavoured to indicate his distress by Morse signals but in the smother of rain and sea the puny flashes from his torch were not observed on the “Mataram”.

Fortunately, the weather moderated but currents carried the launch away from land, and for six days she drifted first in one direction and then another,

rolling heavily in the swell, and utterly helpless.

There was little food on board and no water other than the small quantity of rain which intermittent showers de posited. Mr. Musgrave at length de cided to abandon the ship, and with the native boy set off in the dinghy for the island of Simbo, nearly thirty miles dis tant. During the long, hard pull that followed, against conflicting currents for twenty-eight hours, the occupants of the dinghy were exhausted to the point of collapse, and, but for the timely as sistance of local natives, who put off in canoes on observing their plight, it is probable they would not have reached the shore.

Mr. Pybus, the only white resident on the island, apprised of the arrival of castaways, proceeded at once to render aid and, under his care and hospitality, they quickly recovered and obtained the food and rest so desperately needed.

Next day they were taken to Gizo in a native canoe, and a vessel was chart ered and Mr. Musgrave started off in what seemed a hopeless quest for his launch, drifting about —if not already foundered —in the wide Pacific.

By astonishing fortune he found her, half full of water, but apparently not seriously damaged. Pumped dry, the launch was towed to Gizo, and later proceeded on her interrupted journey home, having taken nine days on a trip which normally occupies four or five hours.

Rested and refreshed, Mr. Musgrave made light of his trying experiences and recounted an incident that now assumes a humorous aspect. When endeavouring to Morse a signal to the "Mataram”, he made several attempts to spell a word that would indicate his most pressing need at the moment, but the rolling of the launch and preoccupation regarding his position in relation to the oncoming steamer resulted in a number of false starts culminating in failure for some time to progress beyond the initial let ter “B”. The string of “B’s” which fol lowed one another in rapid succession might, in other circumstances, be con strued as a prelude to derogatory and uncomplimentary remarks somewhat familiar to islanders, but were really an

attempt to spell the word “benzine”, a supply of which just then would have saved him the many trying days and anxious nights that followed.