NO IDEA WHERE THEY WERE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 14 September 1909, Page 1

NO IDEA WHERE THEY WERE.

They had nut the faintest, i.loa as lo tlseir whereabouts, and tlioiv one hope was that, ilanrn wmiU break am' :-:ive t liPjn an inkling of their posi lion. The night wns pilch-dark, i nnd tho plight of the unfortunate* men was indeed pitiful. All through the long hours they kept at the oars,' simpy pulling the boat's head against •he sens that nt intervals half swamped her. Weary with their labours, wet through and chilled to the bone, they plucked up courage as a lightness ii the sky heralded the approach o dawn. The boatswain the>i advise the chief officer Reed to make fo land. With lighter hearts the men set to work, for they had gone well away from the coast, and the craft •.vas manoeuvred about in order that the best available landing-place might be selected. It .was eventually decided to stand 'n for what proved to be Chapman's Bay. The chief officer saw ahead what looked to be a stretch of white sand, and the bows of the boat were •turned in that direction. Immediately afterwards a heavy breaker struck Die craft from behind, and the next minute tlie lifeboat wns smashed upon a vock with terrific force. All the ocenpanta were flung into the water, aiid with what little strength

remained after the struggles of tlii night, all succeeded in clutching hole of the gunwales of the bout.