Castaways In

Oceania

How Schooner “Pro Patna”

Was Wrecked

From Our Own Correspondent.

Papeete, Dec. 15.

T'HE captain, crew, and passengers from the “Pro Patria,” one of the local schooners which was wrecked on the atoll of Timoe in September, as previously re ported, have now arrived safely at Pa peete, with the exception of one young man, named Hart, who was unfortunately drowned in attempting to board the cut ter-boat which carried the castaways from Timoe to Mangareva.

Hart, who was acting as cabin-boy aboard, and was a member of the well known family of that name in Raiatea, was unable to swim—a most unusual thing in a boy born in these islands.

It seems that the outrigger of the canoe broke in half, owing to a heavy sea, and precipitated everybody into the water.

Hart sank immediately, and, although the native sailors dived after him at once, they failed to locate him. Either he was seized by a shark, or carried out of reach by the strong current which was running at the time.

This misfortune naturally cast a gloom over the party, and spoiled what would otherwise have been anything but an en tirely unpleasant experience.

From the account given by the novelist, Mr. James Norman Hall, who was a pas senger, it seems that the “Pro Patria” left Pitcairn Island in weather which con tinued to be stormy and overcast for four days, during which it was impossible for the captain to take a sight. With night fall on the fourth day, therefore, the engine was shut off and the vessel put under shortened sail, and on a course which it was considered would keep her well away from danger.

The night was an extremely dark one, with rain, and the passengers were awakened by the shock and thrown from their bunks by the heeling over of the schooner as she hit the reef of Timoe, otherwise known as Crescent Island. As water was fast rushing in and nothing could be done with the engine, the people aboard set about getting ashore.

Fortunately, it was found possible to get one of the boats launched on the lee side of the schooner, and the whole party was safely landed. The following day most of the ship’s provisions were suc cessfully taken ashore, temporary shelters were made from coconut leaves and some sails from the schooner, and the party settled down to wait for a change of weather in order to make the crossing of about 25 miles to Mangareva, which they finally did.

Timoe has plenty of coconuts, and the sea thereabouts teems with fish, so that, apart from the unpleasantness of being tumbled unceremoniously out of bed, and getting ashore on an unknown island in the middle of a very bad night, the party were not called upon to endure any par ticular hardship. We have seldom seen Mr. Hall looking better than he was on his return to Papeete.