Astonishing People

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13326, 1 May 1941, Page 2

Astonishing People

WILLIAM WILSON A summary of his life is interesting. He was William Wilson, a Tynesider, and he began the voyage of life in 1760. At 15 he entered the army, and had many adventures in America. He fought at Bunkers Hill—and talked of it ever after. « He took part in the fighting at the battle of Lexington. After the American war he joined the Navy—a change, no doubt, from marching on land. He had command of four ships which narrowly escaped the French and succeeded in relieving Sir Eyre Coote near Madras. He was captured by Hyder Ali and was one of only 32 prisoners out of 153 who escaped alive. One day he sold his house at Portsea, bought a ship for £SOOO, and sailed off to Southern Seas. He had 30 missionaries on board. That was in 179 6. His passengers were the first Protestant missionaries to go to the islands of the Pacific. He crossed the Atlantic in 50 days. He then made a voyage of nearly

14,000 miles without once seeing land. On the way they only once sighted another ship. He left his passengers,at Tahiti, or thereabouts, and then sailed on to China, discovering the Fiji Islands on the way, and barely escaping being eaten by cannibals. At Canton he loaded his ship with tea worth £ 4000, and returned to London where he sold it. That is ail, except to add that he died in 1814.