SCHOONER'S ROUGH VOYAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14701, 19 June 1911, Page 4

SCHOONER'S ROUGH VOYAGE.

HARDSHIPS OF THE CREW.

[from our own CORRESPONDENT.] Nukualofa, Juno 10. Ax experience of the dangers which beset "thoso who go down to the sea in ships" befel Mr. Albert Cook, tho whaler from Haabai, recently. Ho chartered tho schooner Pamu in Haabai for the purpose of coming to Tonga and taking back his working gear for tho coming season in that island, and accompanied by his wife and a crew of five natives set sail from Livuka on May 18, expecting to arrive here the following day, the distance being under 90 miles from port to port.

Hardly had the little vessel cleared the Haabai Group than she encountered a strong north-east gale, with mountainous seae, arid for a time .she ran before it under double-reefed foresail. Then things got worse, and she was hove-to, and for days <dio drifted at the mercy of wind and waves. They only had a week's provisions aboard and not too much water, and before they reached their desired haven all hands were subsisting on salt beef and some copra, made from the nuts they had taken aboard for drinking purposes. The water supply ran short, and the pitching and tossing of the vessel stirred up the tank to such a degree that, the little water in it was almost undrinkable. Kerosene ran out, and the vessel was steered through the long night watches by the feeble glimmer of a bit of tarred rope to illuminate the binnacle.

When the gale blew itself out they must have -been very near to Fiji, and then ensued a long, dreary beat back, which lasted six days. Finally they arrived at the. Island of Atata, at the entrance to Nukualofa Harbour, more dead than alive, and with only one piece of salt junk left in tho harness ca<dv. When they got ashoro they found it was Sunday, dune 3; they had thought it was only Friday.