MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE

Evening Star, Issue 20987, 29 December 1931, Page 6

MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE

THREE YOUTHS GO TO SEA SWAMPING OF A CANOE Three youths in Western Samoa one night recently, prompted by a spirit of adventure, decided to put to sea from Lepa in a borrowed canoe. They chose the hour of midnight to set out on their adventure, says the Samoa ‘ Herald,’ but eight or nine hours later returned to Lepa in au exhausted condition. Shortly after the party left Lepa it was discovered that the canoe was filling. While two of the lads stuck to the paddles, the other boy did the bailing. This was off the island of Nuutele. The canoo eventually swamped. The efforts of the lads to make headway were not altogether successful, but they struggled on in the darkness. Early in the morning a Samoan who was fishing in a paopao observed the distressed youths waving paddles. He paddled over to the boys and found them in the water alongside their upturned canoe. The lads were in an exhausted condition.

The Samoan rescuer jumped into the sea, and by skilful handling turned the canoe over and bailed it out. Nothing was saved from the boat, all provisions and other articles of clothing being lost. When tho canoe capsized the party was about halfway to Tutuila, and it was not until well after G o’clock that they were picked up by the Samoan. Th© paddle back to Lepa was a laborious job for tho exhausted adventurers, but the party landed about 9 o’clock, sadder and wiser youths. Given muchneeded refreshment ,they recovered quickly enough, and the next day they walked over the hills to Apia. The three adventurers Stephen George Young, Mathias Gabriel, and a Samoan named Sulu—subsequently appeared at tbo High Court before’ Judge M'Carthy to answer charges of leaving Western Samoa for a place beyond the seas without being in possession of an overseas permit issued_ by tho inspector of police, and for being concerned in the stealing of a bonito canoe, valued at £l2, a bucket worth 7s, and bedsheet valued at 10s, the property of Lalofie. of Lepa. On tlio first charge Gabriel was fined £3, Young £2, and Sulu £l. On the theft charge all were convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months. Ono condition was that Gabriel and Young make good any damage done to tho oaupe*