Epic Voyage In Open Boat

KINGMAN REEF, the second hop in the proposed Pacific air route from San Francisco to New Zea land, was the scene, nearly half a century ago of a wreck that was fol lowed by an epic sea voyage in a life boat that has few parallels in the history of sea navigation in the Pacific (said a writer in the Mel bourne “Herald” recently.) * * * AT Waitaki Boys’ High School, Oamaru, are preserved the memorials of that adventure. Captain Donald McDon ald, the hero of the exploit, on retiring from the sea in the late ’nineties, settled down to a quiet country life in the beau tiful district of North Otago. There he lived for 32 years till his death in 1931, beloved by all who knew the gallant old salt of the days of the wind-jammer.

Captain McDonald was mate of the bar que Henry James that set out from New castle (Australia) coal-laden for San Francisco in 1888. When the vessel struck the reef McDonald swung the foremasts round in the hope of getting the barque off but failed. As it was impossible to get the forward lifeboats, they had to be content with the two after boats.

The company delayed their departure from the doomed vessel in the hope of procuring from her food and clothing be fore their departure for the uninhabited island of Palmyra, some 50 miles away.

Because of rough seas they were unable to do this and set sail with meagre pro visions. The captain commanded the ship’s cutter with 20 of the crew and passengers aboard (the latter including women and children). The mate (Donald McDonald) took charge of the gig with ten seamen.

The latter craft was covering more mile age than the captain’s so that he sighted the land first, but awaited the captain's orders before attempting a landing. The captain, however, considered that the sea was too rough and the night too far ad vanced to land; he ordered the boats to lay to till the morning. McDonald thought otherwise, disobeyed orders and made for the shore. Taking two tacks, he landed successfully; the captain follow ed.

IF any measures were taken to mark the skipper’s displeasure at his orders be ing set at defiance, histpry does not record it. Subsequent events showed that he recognised in McDonald a mas ter mind. Palmyra Island provided no food beyond birds and fish, and, as far as could be ascertained, it was destitute of fresh water. Means to meet the des perate situation of the marooned com pany were considered and finally the captain expressed confidence in the abil ity of his mate to reach Samoa, which the captain indicated by the chart was 1,630 miles S.S.W. The hazardous nature of the enterprise set McDonald thinking, but he was spurred to the superhuman task by an incident he witnessed. To quote his own words:— “In the evening I returned to camp tired, hungry and miserable ... As I sat down one of the little girls was eat ing a raw bird. It ‘came against her’, and as she was exhausted with retching she threw herself in my lap and fell asleep. . . . The sight of the poor little girl gave me an inspiration—l was deter mined then and there to reach Samoa— but according to my own plan. I took my ring and gave it to her, saying: ‘Don’t cry, I’m going away with the boat to get you plenty of nice things to eat’”.

THE captain of the Henry James gave McDonald a free hand as to his course of action. The larger boat was loaded with coconuts, the masts and stays were strengthened and volunteers called for. Three Irishmen and one Ame rican responded, but as one of the for mer was considered rather young, a German took his place. The five men then fared forth on their perilous enter prise. The sea was rough and they had hardly got clear of the island when their rudder was carried away. The following few days saw the boat travelling well before a favouring breeze. It crossed the equator on the fifth day out, covering 150 miles the day before crossing. Tem pestuous weather again descended on the craft—the rain, wind and thunderstorms took the heart out of the company, but the mate heartened them to renewed ef forts when the sea abated.

FOR some days McDonald had follow ed a circuitous course to get the benefit of the trade winds, but mat ters became so desperate that he de cided to pick a straight course from the chart. After 19 days an island was sight

ed that gave them an indication of Samoa’s whereabouts, but the men were so weak that the mate forebore to tell them that it was yet 50 miles away, but he cheered them, and they responded.

“Never shall I forget your courage in sharing with me this terrible voyage”, he said. “Under the provocation of hunger and thirst you did not utter one word of complaint; there is the land of pro mise now in sight”.

A storm broke over them and delayed their arrival. Thunder rolled and light ning flashed, so they stood to till day light. As they neared the land they sig nalled a craft and discovered it to be in charge of a Samoan chief. He was shock ed at the spectacle he beheld in the con dition of the crew and astounded to hear

that they had covered 1,600 miles from Palmyra Islands.

The schooner Vindex was despatched with McDonald aboard for the island to rescue the marooned company. It took her 28 days to make the voyage.

Meanwhile the United States warship Mohican (which was at Samoa when McDonald and his crew arrived) passed on word to the mail steamer Mariposa of the plight of the people at Palmyra Is land. She made a detour of 1,500 miles and rescued the marooned people 13 days before the arrival of the Vindex on a similar mission. » * * AN interesting sequel occurred years later. McDonald was mate on the Glasgow-Downed Auldgirth in 1896,

when she was at Portland, Oregon. One day he was taking a stroll on deck when two women came to the gangway and asked for the chief officer. McDonald in formed them that he was that function ary. Then one of the women showed him the ring he had given to a little girl on Palmyra Island before setting out on his perilous enterprise. The two wo men were Laura and Ada Hastings, who were among the shipwrecked passengers of the Henry James, one of them being the little girl whose distress prompted the mate to set out for relief across the ocean.