WONDERFUL FEAT OF ENDURANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4254, 2 July 1875, Page 3

WONDERFUL FEAT OF ENDURANCE.

At this moment, while the feat of Captain Boyton in attempting to cross the Channel in his life-dress, or close-fitting canoe, is the subject of much conversation, it may not be uninteresting to call to remembrance a long swim -which was most involuntarily essayed some forty years ago. The hero of this adventure was one of the crew of a yawl of Yarmouth, and the powers of endurance displayed by this man are ccrtainly something to be remembered. It was on the Gth November, 1535, that the yawl went out to the assistance of a brig showing signals of distress, and in returning to the shore with nine souls on board was taken aback by a tremendous squall when about two miles off the Newark lightship, and immediately capsized. This happened about 6.30 p.m., and in about fifteen minutes the vessel and all the crew, save one, had disappeared. That one, named Samuel Brock, managed to get hold of an old rush horse-collar, which had been used as a fender, and with the slight support thus afforded, he was able with his knife to cut away his oiled cloth overalls and frock. His other clothing he kept on him, partly from inability to disencumber himself of it, and also because ho feared lie might become entangled in it and thus be drowned. The horse-collar he kept by him for a time, but finding it retarded his progress lie threw it aside, and struck out for the Winterton High Light. Soon he was driven out of sight of this light by the flood and nothing remained for him to steer by but two stars which he had noticed, and which shortly afterwards became obscured by clouds, leaving him battling on the waters in utter darkness. Fatigue and hopelessness were weighing heavily upon him when the moon shone forth, and, urged to fresh endeavours, he succeeded in freeing himself of his shoes and made for the land, swimming orer the Cross-sands ridge for Lowestoft High Light, going with the flood past the buoy of St. Nicholas Sand and making for the Gateway. But the strength of the tide took him to the westward, and by the increasing roar he knew he was nearing Corton Sand, where a tremendous sea was sunning, through which he actually passed, though nearly exhausting the little life still left in him. Hero he sighted a vessel, but when within two hundred yards of her he was caught l>y the ebb and was fast drafting away. His despairing cries, however, reached those on board, who lowered a boat and ultimately picked him up. This happened at half-past one a.m. on the "th November, when Brock had been seven hours struggling in a heavy sea at night, -.ritli a bleak northerly wind, during which time he had gone some fourteen miles. Such wor.derful endurance on the part of a seaman, heavily clothed, must in all fairness be said to surpass the recent attempt of crossing the Channel safely corked up in an india-rubber bottle.