ADRIFT FOR MONTHS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 21 January 1928, Page 9

ADRIFT FOR MONTHS

LOSING FIGHT WITH DEATH

A LOSING battle with death in the Pacific is told in the sea diary of a Japanese fishing smack which for months drifted Islowlv and helplessly across the Pacific while members of its crew died, one after another. The diary, kept by iSutejiro Iza\va until his death, and then taken up by Gennosuke Matsumoto, told how the ship put out from Misaki, near Yokohama, on December 5, 1926, with twelve men, for a short fishing cruise. A week later, the engine broke down. The diary then goes on:—

December 20—iWlien the westerly winds were blowing, day after day, the captain began to talk of taking big chances, and heading for America. May we not be called upon to suffer too much hardship, especially the men with wives and children? I believe the home folks are worrying very much. It may be that everything might have been so fated. Words of tile ancients say the sins 'of the fathers are rested on the sons.

December 24.—From morning to evening we spent the day in prayer. December 26.—Unable to head west, we have at last turned towards the east. We have finally decided to risk all, and head for America.

December 2'B—Even our deepest prayers do not draw pity from our angry God. O Kompira (Japanese sailors’ God), have pi'ty on us, or we shall throw away Thy charms.' No, no. no, let us not .think of such heresy. Pity us, and forgive us.

January I.—New Year ’s Day. The sixteenth year af Taisho. We celebrated, by mixing rice with red beans, and enjoying the luxury of Kaiu Jofu (dried bean calce). January 4. —iPraise be to Kompira! He has sent us rain. We gathered it

in canvases, and shall hoard it as a miser hoards his gold. January 27. —A ship! A ship! Happy madness seizes us as we sight a steamer. We build a fire, we wave, we shout, wo dance. But, O Kompira, the stranger does not see us, and is gone. And again we drift. O Kompira, are You without mercy? February 13. —'Sickness is upon us. ,• ,Hatuzo. Tarada has lain in his bunk these last, five days, and is wasting away.

March 5. —To-day, at breakfast time, we had no food.

March 9. —Dcnjiro ITosai this day

died of illness (the first to perish). March 17. —There being no wind, we repaired the sails. (’Sutejiro Izawa, tho chronicler, died and Matsumoto takes up the diary). April 19.—Yoshishiro Udehira, wlvo was ill, died in the forenoon. ('He was the tenth to die, leaving only the cap-’ tain and Matsumoto). April 29—Praise Kompira! It has rained. We have water again. May 5. —Being ill, I could no longer stand at the wheel.

May 6. —Captain Tokizo Miki became very ill.

May 8. —The ' ship is adrift. -Only two of us, and we are both very ill. The ship is now running with no one at the wheel.

• May 11.—Cloudy. Waves high. Ship is adrift, with sails rolled up. I am suffering of 'the captain’s illness.

This was the last entry of Matsumoto 's chronicle. His uody, with that of the captain, with the whitening bones of the others, was found in the cabin of the ship when she washed up on the shore of the Washington coast.