TWELVE HOURS IN SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22300, 24 December 1935, Page 14

TWELVE HOURS IN SEA

CREW OF CAPSIZED CANOE NATIVE WOMAN AND BABY [from our correspondent] SUVA, Dec. 18 The remarkable powers of endurance of Ffjians in the water was again illustrated recently, when a party of Fijians spent over 12 hours in the sea after their tiny craft had capsized. Among them was a woman with a baby six months old. They wore proceeding from the Island of Cikobia to another island in ono of the typical Fijian canoes equipped* with a sail. They left Cikobia early in tho morning and had not proceeded far when a strong squall capsized the canoe. From early in the morning until nine o'clock at night the natives were in the water. They managed to keep the canoe sufficiently afloat to carry the baby, which they kept in place sitting on top of the canoe. Heavy seas carried the craft along, and they went with it. After darkness had set. in they drifted close to the island of Vanua Balavu, and endeavoured as best they could to swim and steer the boat toward a light that shono from a house in the ■village. It was the houso of Pastor W. G. Ferris, of the Seventh Day Adventist Mission, and at nine o'clock the occupants heard cries coming from tho sea. It was dark and blowing a gale, but Mr. Ferris and his native boys got out their small boat and sculled in tho direction of tho shouting. The first person they encountered was a woman, up to her neck in water, making her way shoreward in an exhausted condition and carrying a baby. She said that the men were on the seaward side of the reef trying to save their canoe. After the woman had been taken ashore they returned and rescued the men, who were almost without clothing and exhausted. Some food soon restored their vitality and they told the story of their battle against the sea, which they appeared to regard merely as a matter of course. Next morning they were supplied with new clothing, and onco again they set out on their journey, this time resolving never again to tie down the mainsail in the teeth of a strong wind.