LORD RANFURLY'S ADVENTURE.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 114, 10 November 1900, Page 6

LORD RANFURLY'S ADVENTURE.

• »"■ THE DANGERS OF THE SURF IN SOUTHERN SEAS. o During the return voyage from the bouth Sea Islands Lord Ranfurly met with the one disagreeable adventure' of his annexation trip. It was at Curtis Island, where the landing was extremely ....incult, and the sea. was breaking O u a rocky beach. Describing the adventure, the special correspondent of the Christchurch Press writes : — One of the boats came in foa" us towards a sandy beach upon which the waves were breaking. The captain and Lord Ranfurly waded waist deep through the surf and clambered into the boat, but she had no sooner go/t under way- than they found shallower water ahead, and several heavy seas rolling in just then, she became unmanageable. The first big wave that struck her turned her broadside-on, and the second filled her. Captain Baynes and some of his bluejackets were over the side in an instant. Lord Ranfurly followed, and worked wiih the others to save the boat. For a minute or two matters wore <a critical aspect, and those of us who were still on shore rushed in to the assistance of the others, who were struggling with the boat in the breakers. The other boat, seeing the danger, stood off outside the break, and one of the bluejackets, named Keel, stripping off his clothes, dived through the breakers and swam out Avith a line, which, however, did not reach. All attempts to get the boat out failed, for each sea filled her to the gunwale, rendering abortive all our efforts at bailing. It became evident that the only chance of success lay in beaching her. Captain Baynes, often up to his neck in the water, worked strenuously, and with the utmost coolness directed operations, while Lord Ranfui'ly, in a similar plight, worked away wtih the bluejackets as hard and as cheerful as anyone. Move than once while he was hanging on to* the gunwale, endeavouring to guide the boat in-share I saw a, sea break right over his head. Dr. May and the Hon. Hill-Trevor also worked hard side by side with the bluejackets. Eventually all the gear was taken out. The boat was then hauled uu on the <

beach, baled out, and re-launched. In the meantime a. cutter had been sent out from the fchip AAith anchors, a line of rope, and a buoy. The rope was made fast to the buoy, and Seaman Keel swam out antl brought it ashore. Lord Raufurly was urged to walk round the coast to a safer landing, but he pluckCy stuck to his own boat, and he and the captain, together with the crow, again waded out into the surf and clambered into the boat, which was partly rowed and partly towed through the breakers. (Seaman Keel, who was left behind, had to swim off to tho bout, this being his third trip through tho breakers."