EXPERIENCES OF THE SEA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2167, 5 September 1895, Page 40

EXPERIENCES OF THE SEA.

By An Old Identity.

I.— A WRECK ON THE OTAUO COAST. • A well-known mediosil man in Otago once had a groom who at times was addicted to imbibing not too wisely but too well. One day the doctor, having been summoned to go and see a patient in the couutry, went round to the stable to give instructions to the groom to saddle his horse, and found him lying in front of the loosebox looking up at the doctor's favonrite hor*e, who was standing with his bead out'of the half-door. Before making his presence known, the doctor overbeard the following conversation :— "Billy," said the groom, addressing the horse, "you're an adjective fool. Billy, I'm an adjeotive fool, and I know it ; but, Billy, the doctor's an adjective fool, and he don't loioio it." Now, in some respect*— and lam sorry to pay my friends think in many— l acknow* jiedge to being like the groom, but in one especially— in that lam no sailor, and I "know it.

A life on the ocean wave has no charms for me ; I never go on the sea without being seasick, and even on board a vessel in port I feel squeamish, so it is not much to be wondered at that I do not leave term frma oftener than I can avoid. Bat Necessity, that stern master who knows no law, has during a chequered life in the colony led me into adventures by flood .as well as by field. It is now some 20 years ago that, in company with a mate, I was riding early one morning along tbe coast in tbe south of Otsgo. It was blowing a gale dead on shore, and in consequence a heavy sea was running, and the mist was so thick that we could not see any distance away. Just as we reached a point that jutted out into the sea tbe mist slightly lifted, and we saw something looming up to seawards which we soon made out to bo the Outlines of a vessel, and on riding as far as possible into the surf, we recognised her as a then well-known coasting steamer. On cooeying and receiving no reply, we at onco came to the conclusion that all hands had been lost, ac I knew she only carried one small boat which, even if they had succeeded in launching it, we felt sure could not have lived in the heavy sea. After a few minutes consultation I determined to make an effort to get on board ; so divesting myself of all ray surplus clothes, and telling my mate to wait till my mare came ashore and then to go for assistance, I turned my mare's bead seawards and plunged into the surf.

. I was riding a powerful and favourite mare which had over and over again carried me Bafely across flooded rlvern, and she, I believe, did not know what fear was. Indeed, when I think of her I can thoroughly appreciate the feelings which prompted that grand old sportsman, Major White Melville, to pen the following lines :— There's his hoof upon tho chimney, there's his

hida upon the chair, A better never bent him to the rein, Now for all my love and care I've an empty stall

and bare, I shall never ride my gallant horss again. How ho laid him out at speed, how he loved to

have a lead, How he snorted in his mettle and his pride ; Not a flyer in the hunt was beside him in the

tronti At the place where the old horse died. There ate men both good and tiue who hold that

in a future state

Dumb creatures we have cherished here below Shall give us joyous greeting when we pass the golden gateIs it folly?— but I hope it may be so ; For never man had ftiend more enduring to the

end, Truer mate in every turn of time and tide. Gould I think we'd meet again it would lighten

half tho pain At the place where tho old horse died.

I bung to her mane with one hand, and with the other guided her by pressing the reins against her neck. She never soaght to turn, bnt kept straight out, the seas at one time breaking clean over u>, at another tumbling us about so that I sometimes barfly knew which of us was uppermost. We reached the vessel after a desperate struggle, and as we swam into the comparatively still water under her bows a sea lifted us up and I caught hold of the bight of the anohor chain, whioh was hanging over, and let the mare go, and looking over my shoulder saw her making for the store, at one time buried in a big sea, at another being rolled about on the top of a breaker.

I was young and active as a cat in those days, and it nev«r crossed my mind that I should have any difficulty in going hand over hand up the chain, but I scon found that owing to the inwarcKrend of the bows, which prevented my using mj fee f ,«nd the difficulty of obtaining a grip of the chain, it was more difficult to climb up than I had expected, and after several ineffectual attempts I had to acknowledge myself beaten.

I then let myself bang at arm's length so as to get all the rest I could before making a final effort, knowing well that if I failed I should be drowned, as exhausted as I then was I knew I had not sufficient strength 1-ft to swim ashore through tbe surf. AH^r gaining my breath I tried again, and getting my knee into the bight of the chain, was soon on board, when I must have fainted, as I came to myself lying all in a heap on the deck. After pulling myself together I started to examine the vessel, and finding a bottle of brandy in the cabin, knocked the neck off, end after drinking some of the contents felt considerably b«tter. The cabin, main hold, and men's quarters were dry, but the engine room, which was aft, was flooded, and the water-

tight bulkhead alone prevented the vessel from filling. A lady's reticule was lying on the cabin table, plainly showing that a lady passenger had been on board, and that sho must have left the vessel in a great hurry. On turning out its contents I found her initials on a piece of paper, which I carefully preserved.

The vessel was ridirg just afloat, and the knowledge that there was a reef of rocks close at hand, on which she might diift and founder, and the thought that all the crew had been drowned, did not tend to raise my spirits, and I began to heartily wish myself out of my escapade and safe on shore. I determined, therefore, to prevent her drifting .out, bo brought the staysail halyards to the winch and hauled it up, and sheeting it home by the same mean?, kept her on shore. Hoisting a flag to the peak of the foremast, I loaded the gun, and watching my opportunity, when the mist again lifted and gave me a view of the lighthouse, which was some two miles off, I fired it, and afterwards learned from the lighthouse keeper, who was a great friend of mine, that he waß sitting at his broakfast when he heard the report of the gan, and on running outside saw the vessel, and by the aid of his glass read the number on the ting I had hoisted, which on referenco to his signal book he found denoted " Yellow Jack aboard." Yon may be sure that he did. not wait to finish his breakfast, but hurried off as fast as possible to the scene of the wreck, wondering what on earth wa« the matter. Later on in the day, the mist clearing off and assistance having arrived, I sent a small line aßhore by a cask, then a heavier rope, and going hand over hand, succeeded in again reaching the shore after having been half drowned in comingthrough the surf.

During the day when the tide was out we saved some of the cargo, but the vessel became a total wreck, and her boilers, which can still be seen at low water, are all that is now left of the good ship.

We all day mourned tbe loss of the crew, and towards evening were sitting round a fire diseasing the sad event, when one of our party suddenly jumped up and, pointing to several men who were coming along the bench, exclaimed, "By Jove 1 if old ," naming the captain, " i* in the land of the living, there he is. I kc o w he by his walk," and sure enough it was he, with all his crew safe and sound. They told us that in coming down the' coast on the previous night the weather was very dirty and thiok, with a strong wind blowing and a heavy sea runniog, and at 12 o'clock, as they were putting her about with the intention of lying to till daylight, she ttruck on a reef, and when the water rushed in, putting out the fires and flooding tbe engine room, they thought she was sinking, and all hands, numbering 10 souls, at once took to the boat, which by constant baling and keeping head on to the sea they managed to keep afloat, drifting along. When daylight broke they found themselves on a then uninhabited part of the coaat, where they at length succeeded in effecting a landing, and guided by the lady passenger, walked some 12 miles through the bush to her home, where it is needless to say they were mest hospitably entertained, and escorted on their way to where we had found their vessel.

The crew, one and all, spoke in high praiec of the courage displayed by the lady passenger, who cheered and encouraged them all through that miserable night, and when the boat grounded on the beach showed great agility in getting ashore. She is, lam glad to say, alive and well to this day, and anyone calling at her house will receive a hearty welcome, and can hear now from her own lips an account of her experiences on that memorable night, and I think I am correct in saying that she hat not taken a sea voyage since.

We were sorry for the owner of the vessel, whose loss was a heavy one, as she was uninsured, but were rejoiced that the crew were all saved and sitting round the fire. Cheered by a drop of Glenlivet whioh we had brought afthore from the vessel, we spent a pleasant night spinning yarns and recounting adventures by flood and field. Alas I Where are they now, I wonder, With whom those days were spent? Many of them have reached that bourne from which no_ traveller returns, and those still alive are scattered to the four corners of the earth, never to meet again in this world.

I have had my small share of adventures, and I know of no position in which a man feels so utterly helpless as he does when struggling for his life in a heavy sea. On land a steady hand and a quick eye will often pull one out of a tight pinch, but once get among the breakers and yon are tossed about like a cork at the mercy of the elements. I think one needs to have experienced in some degree the utter helplessness when battling with the sea to fully appreciate the noble deeds of heroism displayed by men and women alike at times tuch as the wreck of tbe Tararua at Waipapa and the Wairarapa at the Great Barrier.

{To bt continued.)