SHIPWRECKED.

Marlborough Express, Volume LII, Issue 285, 20 November 1918, Page 6

SHIPWRECKED.

A PLAIN TALE 0¥ THE SEA

A stirring story of the sea is told by Captain. John Chugg, o: tho wrecked barquo John Murray, who, with others of his crew, was marooned on Maiden Island iov sixtv-rix days. Me sailed thence vi one oi' me ship's, boats in search of relief, spout about ten weeks on JPenrhyn Hand, and eventually reached Riiroinn^a, where he war-; picked up by the Moan.fi, and was taken to Sydney. Captain Chugg had with him A. Cameron, the ship's carpenter; J. Bell, able seaman; and Taunivn, a kanaka from Maiden Island, and a relief vessel was just on the point of setting sail from Melbourne in search of the adventurers" .'.vhon a wireless message from Karotonj:! gave the glad news cf their safety. AN ACCIDENT. In an account of the voyage given to a1 Wellington Pest reporter Captain Chugg spoke of an accident to tho boat during launching and oi' t"ie fact that some days were spent in effecting repairs. It was aot ur.fcil 27th July that they left Maiden Island, tho natives signalling their departure by giving three hearty cheers. The boat was only 2-3 feet long, with a beam of 7 feet, mid for quite a time heavy weather was experienced and tho crew were, as the log shows, "more or less sick." A.lso the pump broke shortly after leaving the island, and they had to bale out every few hours. "Managed to I oil some rice and hjid some food" is another entry under date 29th -Juiy; only to be followed by the entry next day that the wind and sea "- as increasing, "boat laboring heavily, taking water over all night." The weather moderated ne^t day. and they "boiled the billy and had some tucker."

At 3 a.m. on Ist August they sighted laud right ahead, and »:tv]y the next morning anchored in Penrhyn harbor. "Several", natives boarded us and offered us coeoanut:>, which were very acceptable,"' soys Captain Chugg in recording the molrentous event. "We then found that the natives had taken us for Germans, and that nearly all the women and children had fled for miles into tin cocoinut scrub. Only a few of the more daring remained, and the men left behind wore preparing to give the "Germans" a v.-rrm reception.

Once assured of tha visitors' bona fides, however, the natives extended j cheerful and most welcome hospital- j ity. Captain Chugg says he cannot spe-ak too highly of the way in wliicli they .were treated by the natives, i "They took us into their homes, provided us with water in which to bathe, gave us clean clothes and washed our old ones, vnd made us lie down and sleep, and olso sang hymns in thankfulne&s to God for our deliverance. Later, Mr Wilson, the [ liesidnet Agent, arrived, from j Omaka, the settlement at the otner end of the island, and took chnrge of the visitors, .after iellinjr them tl.'it only the previous afternoon a trading schooner had left the, island for Earotonga.. Also they ho::rd that Captain Vaughan, master .if the John "Murray, had arrived safely a-t Fanninf; Island. "Tl^at settled' our minds," said Capam Chugpj, "and we decided that it was no good going any further." ON FENRIIYN ISLAND. Captain Chugg speaks interestingly of the* ten weeks he- spent- cnEenrhyn Island—of the religious piety of the natives, th-3 "ar^ iments?' about landed properties, which avy. almost interminable; of the grief of: those whose relatives have to be sent away to a leper island; of such delicacies as land crabs, coconut crabs, and octopus, with coconut sauce, which tastes like a_ cross between swe6tbread and chicken.

On 25th Sep comber, Captain Chugg confided to the carpenter that if the schooner John Williams did not arrive the- following: \vee].c he would get the boat ready, and sail for kSairoti. And thon came relief. "Sail, oh!-' was reported at 4.20 p.m. on the 26th, and that night they_ know it was the Cook island tracing Company's schoono. • Awarua from Maiden Island, with: Mr Grice and native boys aboard. "The natives crowded together- and howled, find yelled, and .screamed for an hour," said Captain Giiugg.. That is the way in which they express- their supreme delight. The, next morning. they boarded th.> schooner and met Mr Grice. "It was a happy meeting" is the terse record' in the log, especially w.hen they heard that their shipmaster had been rescued, by the s.s.. Macedbn, fro o IMtish Columbia, and that they had safely readied Australia. After an uneventful trip: they reached Manihiki, where. King, Apolo, a lino old man, about 80" rears of ;.ge, presented Captaii Chugg with ono of his grand-daughters, -k fine, tall' girl, abo-isS IS'- years of tins. "Having regirc? to thY White Aus-I traiia, policy," said Captain Chugy, ! "I decided to loave her behind." NEWS ABOUT' THE WAR. It wa-s on l-itlb October that tlkn* ' had t'u> first hows about the war. That was I'rjm Captain j? asnr.i«sen and Mr 'Wilkinson, who arrived in the schoon ■]• Vaitrv, and gave them the gi'ad tidings that "our boys had got t'fte enemy «ri the, run." On the loth October t?u:y left Manihibi for liarotouga, otilled' in at Aitufcnki, nrul reached /hvarua on the 2oi.h October. M'r Stavenson, Ccffiector of Customs, put them up and treated them witft tTv- greatest I'Kospitr.lity. and sent si wwless message io Tttelbourno, announcing the i'«ct that '^the lost shc'Tlbii-r^s had turned il.])." , They were also woll receivevl !>y the ; .Resident CommLs^ior.er (Sir F. 'W. ■ Platts), a.nd laLer cpjiie. to Wellington, en ro»t--> tn Sj'dnoy, m the .s.'s. jMoana. ; There is no record in Captain Clnigg's lo;;; tif h;irdship or stern endeavor, or enduring' 1 pluck, and dauntless jjorsovorance. Those have to be_ wvA inf;r> the siyry, vdiicl-. was told hi a ph;:'n. unrarnTslv.'d rjiaj?- '' ncr, almost as if tne narrntur had had a rather tiiiplcasnr.t orui?o in n. Avell-i'nunil y.xi-i;'-, ;>(; n week-end, and had exnrriv'.'iced surncwliat inconvenient- delay.