Blown to Sea

Misima Lad's Wanderings Among Eastern Papua Islands

Prom Our Own Correspondent SAMARAI, April 5.

ON his arrival at Samarai last month, Frank Low, 23, of Misima Island, who was blown to sea in his 27 ft. launch “Hisiu-bada” and not heard of for 15 days, gave a graphic description of his experiences.

With four Papuans, he left Misima on February 24 to visit Kimuta Island, 14 miles distant, and when returning the following day the engine failed during a heavy squall. Tossed by wild seas throughout an anxious night, Low found himself at dawn off the eastern tip of Misima. He hoisted sails, but after four days of beating backwards and forwards the launch was still far off the island.

Taking advantage of a south-west squall, they beat westward and, finally, five hungry and parched men landed on East Island.

Fortified by native foods, they ob tained a supply of coconuts, sweet potatoes, and water and set off towards Duau Island. Sailing with the aid of a light breeze, they sighted a range of mountains at sunset —only to be swept to sea by another squall. Daylight found them among a nest of reefs be hind Egum Island. Eventually they returned within sight of the mountains, then for five days the “Hisiu-bada” see sawed back and forth at the whim of wind and current. Making a landfall, they learned that they had reached Basima, at the tip of Fergusson Island — not Duau, as expected. Low had hoped to get assistance from a European at Duau.

Leaving the launch in an anchorage some miles down the coast, Low took two boys in the small dinghy and started out for Mr. E. Harrison’s place, at Sebulagomwa. Exhausted after seven hours’ rowing, the trio beached their

boat and walked for several miles until they took up with a party of natives, who canoed them to Numa Numa, from whence they hiked to Sebulagomwa.

Another set-back—Mr. Harrison had gone to Duau!

Next day, Low sent Mr. Harrison’s whaleboat to rescue the two natives and the stranded launch. He himself rowed in a dinghy across to the Methodist Mission Station on Dobu Island, where Rev. and Mrs. J. C. Bundle treated him with every kindness. On learning that an R.A.A.F. flying-boat had spent a fruitless two-days’ search for him and that he had been practically given up for lost, Low despatched a radio mes sage to Misima informing his mother that he was safe and well.

When the “Hisiu-bada” was towed to Salamo Mission Station, Mr. George Har rison repaired the engine, and Low left at daylight on the 12th for Samarai.

Three hours later, down the coast, the launch “conked” again. She was about shipped and sailed back to Salamo, where Mr. Harrison, the following morn ing, located carburettor trouble, caused by a dirty petrol pipe, and soon had the engine chugging again. That afternoon, Low once more set out and this time the Fates were kind enough to let him reach Samarai without further mishap.