THE YAWL PANDORA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 29 June 1911, Page 7

THE YAWL PANDORA.

TROUBLE AT THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.

Wheff the ti'riy 30-foot yawl Pandora left Svdiiey a few brief months ago for a trip" round the world, old identities of the waterside shook their heads doubtfully and wondered how soon the news would' come through that she had turned over in a gale.- and had sent her "-crew" of two to- Davy Jones' Locker, or whether they would'hear no more of her at all, and"would have to plac'e her in the category of mysteries of the deep. There were no alternatives in their niinds. But latest news says that the little craft- is'still afloat, though she has had a- rough time, and been as near to doom as most ships, recounts the Sydney "Sun." Captain Geo. B. Blythe, who had with him Captain Arapakis, a Greek sailorman from West Australia, went away with the intention of encircling the world's waters and coming back again—some day. For a while reports came to hand "of the Pandora's doings, but for -a long time there has been a break in the title of information. Another letter has happened along to a Sydney gentleman. It was headed "Yacht Pandora" (Round the World Cruise), and is dated 31st March. 'll. from '<S.E. Trades, lat. 24deg. 30min. S.. long. 3deg. 2min. W." And Skipped Blythe tells an- exciting story of the last misfortune that befel his "frail craft and her occupants. It seems that the boat' was just- getting to the 'Falkland Islands, -whfen disaster swooped down on her. "How it happened I cannot say," he writes. "I was asleep at the time, and the vawl was hove-to under a reefed staysail and reefed mizzen. The mainsail was furled. All I can remember is that there was an awful crash, followed by sudden darkness. Then, the boat turned completely over, and how she righted, again God only knows. Bwt she did. The mast was overboard on the weather side, the dinghy was capsized, and her planks stove in—she also was on the weather side —and the bulwarks were smashed to splinters and floating to leeward. The.whole thing was jmost extraordinary. I cannot explain it. The gale, which we had been riding cut, was not particularly severe, and it was almost spent. In fact, we were thinking of setting more sail. Neither was the sea more than ordinarily dangerous. The only fact I can put the smash down to is that either a phenomenal sea rose and engulfed us. or that a huge whale rose under the beat, or that the upheaval was the result of some volcanic action. "Anyhow, we drifted helplessly about for a "couple of days, and were then picked up "by one of the Messrs Salvesen's whalers from the islands and towed into their whaling station at ixew Island. They were most wonderfully kind to H6>. giving us mast, rigging, and dinghy and'wßlpiai.g us to repair the bulwarks. But for their great help the voyage would have had to be abandoned. To try to makeup for loss of time we are- leaving out of our itinerary Tristan d'Acunda and Bermuda.'