AFTER MANY DAYS.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 206, 11 November 1896, Page 3

AFTER MANY DAYS.

THE MESSAGE FROM. THE SEA. A Botti-'e that uas Possibly been Floating 16 Years. The other day a porter hottle was picked up at the Orange estate, near •Cape Kidnappers, in which was the following message written in pen.oil : "Latitude 4Sdeg. 21mi. south, lOOdeg. 2-lmiu. west. Ship Mohawk sprang a leak 21 July.; ship waterlogged four days later ; pumps choked. Took to boats ; making for nearest laud. All safe. 3rd August. (Signed) W. Jenkins, master." If was stated that the hottlo was firmly corked, aud had the appearance of having been in the water some time. But no word of a vessel of the name of Mohawk being missing has been received, aud it is thought it was impossible for the bottle to have floated from the place V 5 liich would be very nearly 1300 miles distant from the Antipodes Islands. Yesterday it was pointed out that Lloyds Register only gave one vessel bearing the name of Mohawk—a wooden barque of 1338 tons, built at Quebec in Juno, 1878, and indicated as a timber carrier. Mr 1" Shields of Lambton Quay gave the following almost incredible fact covering a number of years. When in Scotland some lo or 16 years ago he remembered at that time a vessel known as the Mohawk, which traded, carrying timber, between tho port of Troon, in Ayrshire aud Quebec. The vessel was manned by Troon people, several of whom were married. The Mohawk left .Quebec about 15 or 10 years ago for Troon, loaded with timber, but has not been since heard of. When the vessel was considerably overdue the good people of Troon never despaired, and for over a year her arrival was anxiously waited for by mothers, wives and relations. The month, it will be seen, is g'ven in the note, found in the hottle as July. This is one o£ the months of tiio Quebec timber season. But it will also bo noticed tho year is not given. So that our corre-pondent's statement that the bottle could not .have travelled from the Latitude given in the note in the time would probably be correct, assuming that the months referred to in tho note were of this year. If, however, the bottle was cast in the sea by the crew of tho vessel Mr Shields speaks about it iias had ample time, and has ; taken it, for fulfilling its mission. As far as Mr Shields memory nerves him, the name of tho uaptain of the Mohawk is the same as is written on the note. Accounting for the lattitude given in the note being so far south, Mr Shields offers as an explanation that the voyage from Quebec to Troon is one might say, accomplished in a straight lino, hut that generally the vessels go southwarl to obtain failwinds. Through stress of weather, .however, tbs vo-sel must have become waterlogged, aud was driven so far out of her course that the captain took to the boats, thinking ho might reach the land, and then sent the message in tho bottle which has taken such a number of years before being found. It seems almost incredible that a bottle should drift about in the ocean for 15 or 16 years carrying a message that was at first no doubt meant to be of good cheer, but now must be only taken as one of ill tidings. There can not be the least doubt that the captain and crew of the Mohawk went to a resting place at the bottom of the ocean years ago, and it is only left for us "to hope that they had not to suffer that most terrible of all deaths —a lingering one at sea.-—New .Zealand Times.