CASTAWAY MISSIONARIES
(FIWK MX OWJI COIUtl»ON»IIJT.)
SYDNEY,' Ist March. The experiences of a small party of missionaries, who late last year set out on a cruise from Wyndham to Broome, along the north-west coast of Australia, on the lugger Henry, afford an insight into the risks and privations, which appear to be inseparable from the work among the semi-civilised blacks of this unknown' part of Australia.
Late in October last, when the lugger was sailing from the Drysdale mission station to the Port George station, she became a. total wreck upon the reef at Cape yoltaire. All hands got ashore safely and succeeded in landing some of their stores. Stranded on one of the wildest spots of the Australian coast, and surrounded by tribes of distinctly dangerous natives, the castaways' outlook was depressing. After considering the situation for three days, the master of the lugger, Captain Scott, with one of the party, set out in a small dinghy to seek assistance. . They rowed in this small^boat no-less a distance than 320 miles, in eighteen days, and finally reached Cape Levique. They suffered a .good deal, but were able to get.rest and fresh water by landing on tfie various islands and promontories. At Cape Levique they borrowed a 22-foot whaler, and sailed back to the scene of the wreck, their return taking place exactly four weeks after they left. Of the four whom they had left, only two remained. The other two, a week earlier,, had decided that the captain and his mate had perished, and so they set out on the almost impossible feat of walking overland to Port George. The two who re ; mained were in sorry plight. The stores had been exhausted long since, and the two had lived on such oystere and fish as they could obtain by improvised means. They set sail at daylight one morning, bound for Port George; and a few hours later.a steamer belonging to the West Australianl Government called to rescue them! The castaways made a slow, and painful trip in the whaler to Port George, where they rested and recovered. They reached Broome eighty days after tlioy had left, and arrived in the midst of the Japanese riots. They promptly enrolled as special constables.
Tho two men who set off overland for Povt George have completely disappeared. Search parties Jiave made one or two expeditions into tho wilderness, but .without finding a trace of .them t
CASTAWAY MISSIONARIES
Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 62, 14 March 1921, Page 7
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