Water
p. 24 · Read in the full issue
Without Food Or
Natives’ 400 Miles Sea Journey to Tahiti
From Our Own Correspondent
Papeete, Aug. 14.
THE Maria Islands are a group of * islets scattered about a triangular reef, which lies some 60 miles north-west of Rimatara in the Australs (French Oceania). They are uninhabited, except at such times as people from Rimatara and Rurutu go there to fish or to clear land for the planting of coconuts.
One such party went to the Marias in July on their schooner Manureva. They had landed their food and water supplies and about 40 were still on the schooner gathering their personal belongings pre paratory to going ashore when a strong gale sprang up from the south. It made further expeditions through the heavy surf to the shore impossible.
There is no pass through the reefs into the lagoon nor any safe anchorage out side the line of roaring surf that makes approach to the islands perilous in even the best of weather. There was nothing to do, therefore, but make with all speed to Rimatara.
The Manureva is a clumsy craft in a head wind, and in the teeth of this storm she could make no headway toward Rima tara. The situation soon became desper ate. Without food or water it was only a matter of days before those on board would perish of hunger and thirst. So it was decided to set a course for Tahiti nearly 400 miles away to the north-east.
They arrived at Papeete on July 21, famished and thirsty; but, fortunately, before any of the company had succumbed under their privations.
They were more fortunate than were the crew of a vessel in the same seas a few years ago. This vessel voyaging from Rimatara to Rurutu was overtaken by a storm which carried away her mast and shattered her rudder. During 50 days this derelict drifted with the cur rents that brought her finally within sight of Tahiti, Some keen-eyed natives at Hitiaa. on the east coast of Tahiti, saw the drifting wreck as a mere speck on the water far out at sea. They went to investigate and found those on board still alive, but in the last stages of prostration. Another day or two and all would have been dead.