ASSISTANCE AT SEA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 111, 10 April 1929, Page 2

ASSISTANCE AT SEA.

BOATLOAD OF NEGROES. BLOWN FROM THEIR COURSE. AUCKLAND, April-9. Succour to 20 negroes in an open sailing vessel in the Mozambique Channel was given by the steamer Flowergate, which reached Auckland i««m Naura Island at midday on Sunday. At the ' time of the incident the Flowergate was en route from Durban with a coal cargo for Singapore. She experienced stormy weather after leaving Durban, but when she was steaming through the Mozambique Channel the conditions had improved. The. sailing boat was sighted about seven miles from the Flowergate and was flying black, flags, which were thought to be signals for assistance. When the Flowergate approached the drifting boat it was seen -that the oocupants were in distress and they made signs that they were hungry. Tn case the negroes were suffering from an jnfectious disease or were piratically inclined the steamer was stopped some distance from the sailing boat* A life-boat, in charge of Mr B. S. Battershill. the chief officer, was then despatched from the steamer. The negroes could not speak English, but by signs they inferred that they had been blown out of their course by the recent storm and had lost their mainsail. They were also short of water and food. Their appeal was not in vain and they were given a liberal supply of biscuits, tinned meat and water and were also advised as to the direction of the nearest land. Before the Flowergate’s boat returned to the steamer the negroes were hungrily partaking of the food supplied. The Flowergate then hoisted the life-boat ■and resumed her voyage. The negroes’ boat was not much larger than a ship’s life-boat and was rigged like a Arab dhow. The only sail set .was the jib, which was made of very poor canvas. The negroes made it understood that they were en route from Madagascar to Mozambique, which are about 200 miles apart. When seen they were- about 40 miles from Madagasca, and about 160 miles from. Mozambique. The Flowergate unloaded her coal cargo at Singapore and then proceeded to Nauru Island to load her present cargo. ...