THE MISHAP TO THE BENARES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1299, 30 November 1911, Page 11

THE MISHAP TO THE BENARES.

M 1 , ,. HIiSS'S Vi:i!MU,\. Mr. .1. T. 1.'.-'-s M'lliN Iho l"lln«iii;' 11'. triio viTMon-ii| thi! ii'i-ciil iiiiMuip l» the IvlllK'll IlnniT.v;"'.IV ltiMiiiri-» li-l( H'M.-.ig.-iiiiii nil 'IVv d.-iy, Niivcmbi-r 21, for Miilnliiui, »n I"'' , usiiul trip up-river, jvilh liinlwr. •■•■'•!. aud gtntrol enrso, which nil iindiT rover, us wen> tin , H»d vrrv heavy wc-illut, »illi .-ciiuill:- mid hiitn winds with i.iin :ill llii> w.iy up. .1 :iiiili-d passengers mid rargo «l. viiriniis pl.'iri's, and nl'lr-r landing e-iirxo <l Ifniiniliikn. took lior d'.-p;iilurc! iin'd proiinli-d. i">d when going along Hip lunik on tin , mip»-;-ito side a thundercloud bmsl, mid cinni' down in :i few .-cconds. wliiHi w;is follnweil by sijiirills and a I'urryiiis ii great body of wati'r. All Iliis. imiii" "i ono great force, which c.-uiiod lons ul water hi through Ihu slorn iiwninu. Jind flomlcd fbe Bmi.iri'x. Captain I!"-- »t onc.n called (ft his di'ck h.ind lo stand. by, whiciriu! dirl ou tho forivurd dock, and allowed the -Benares to iliift to Iho opposite shore. Wlimi Ihe Benares was within two yards of thn a Nativi- wi'iniin named Numia would iii.-isf mi jumping into tin? water and going uslhhv, sivinß "Give me the rope." lloss l< l her: "You have no occasion to go inl» t tio water. We will muk<> fast, nnd get yoii all ashore'.". After the ropu was niailf fast, the deck Imml lint (he plank out, and Ross.■ passed the-children one by oae tc. Thompson, who pas-oil them ashore, mid next "the adults wcro handed pcrsoiar ly by IJoss to Thompson nnd walked ashore. ■ Eoss then took oil' his coal, and put it around the children;to-keen them warm whjlii ho made a five. He then returned to the Ba-iuires iuidtook her lower down on- the -beach, as tho water, wa.v too shallow to get close in, and. so:. brought her nearer thn bank-wluiv it was deeper ami got her-close, in. Thcii I'onsa -larua went ami Natives"to cdmi'.witii a .catioc'Vaiid convey Hie.F-ssf»?<-'rs to their:.homes.'"ln" tho moauwhilo lhomr>saii and Ross iinlo:-.ded tin;'- timber, a:id lliah the' Natives arrived and Rave- a IniitJ. to : -(liicliar«c her.. There" was only one box of biscuits,, one bug.of sugar, and o'.ie bag-of flour danniKcd, all the other cargo of-food sluff-s beins landed,at its dssfin.v Hon. Hoss sent fn'r appliances hu reiiuired, which one man could carry in his hands. Ikss is- a certificated 'm«»tw and ali exuerieiiced-navigator, inaay_ ye_ar.s on tho N'ew Zealand coast, via V nllingtoiiCook Strait .wa-vice,'also five-years on the Wunganiii liivcr service.. .-..