A PASSENGER'S NARRATIVE.
AUCKLAND, November 16. Arthur Robinson, a passenger by the Elingamite, in the hospital, Was also interviewed. He said: "I came from New South Wa'.rs with Jordan, who is my mate. We booked for Lyttelton, and intended to go up-country. When i *oke up on the Sunday morning it was very foggy. I went on drclc, and found that Captain Attwood— who was the true nero of the whole affaii— had i:«wl every precaution. No blame can be nttaeVd tc him in any shap^ or form." Fir H3? on the bridge tl:e whole time, and. r:«l a mm on the look-out and another ir"n on tb forecastle: but it was impos«ih!o for :• \')ody to ,-c* 10 yard 0 in front ■»f hi-.'i. I fii'i'k it ws about 11 o'clock that I went to have . Jie down in tfcp oehin I '\v\ !>nrd*y g'ur c'.ov.i wlkk t "'earrJ shoutinr. and. «" I ihoi'2 t. hr^n's. r»»pp'e in -h-» f.U ■-" in -i-ltT-:! *.ye I-rd ■-i^it-'l land. A* t! pin 1 -''t n->!-~c!y, fo f.>r f-= I coi'ld £--■, reidiaeU tu*t likes* yaw hiur tiaiuravi
1 I Trent up on deck, and us coon as I could make out rocks through the fog I remarked to my mate, Jordan, that it was all up, and ke agreed with me." After stating how he got on to the raft, Robinson proceeded : *' There were then 19 on the raft. We had two oars, but only one rowlock. We were immersed in. the water, the raft being much too heavily- laden, and it was hard work to do anything. About half, an hour later we came across the other raft, and asked them to take two or three off our raft and so lighten it. Mrs M'Guirk, the stewardess, appealed to them to take her off, and the men in our raft supported her appeal, knowing that we were in a terrible condition, owing to being half-immersed in, the water. The other raft did not come close enough just then, but soon after it came up pretty close, and three of our number jumped off, swain to the other raft, and were pulled on board. We had a keg , on board, which would have held about SO | gallons of water- Unfortunately it was empty, and the only use we got out of it was to give it to the stewardess to sit upon. It kept her dry. After a time, however, the raft being very deep in the water and the weight being a great consideration, it was decided to dispense with the keg, and we threw it overboard. Much has been said about our suffering from thirst and hunger, but I can honestly say that I did not feel in the least thirsty or hungry for J the fiwt two days. I attribute that to being continuously saturated with salt water. A terrible *]ting coim«eted with our voyage -on the raft was that tone of wreckage were strewn over 10 acres or more of Bern.. including cases of oranges, apples, and such things, and we could not get any of them, as we were unatle to guide the raft in any direction. We could only pull, and when we got into the stronger currents we could not even do that. Two apples were picked up. and each divided into 16 parta on two different days. I don't want to say muoh about that," continued Robinson, " because " (looking tip with a smile) " -what is a. sixteenth part of a small apple? Anyhow, I wish I had not had my share, because a. piece of it stuck in my teeth and the wretched thing tormented me. I think there is no doubt that some of thoee who jumped overboard did so through fear and want of religion. After we lost sight of the steamer that we thought was going to pick us up, one turned to the others on the raft and said, 'Where w your God now?' — this being 1 a reference to prayers that had been offered up earlier in the voyage. This was said by one of_ tJhose who afterwards gave way to deepair and jumped overboard. For my own part, I never doubted our ultimate salvation until the morning of the last day. That morning I took a turn with the others at the oars. Ther* were then only four or *ye of us capable of doing anything at all." Mr Robinson closed the interview by itfvinEr great credit to Mr Wetherilt. to - Danielson (quartermaster of the Elineainite, who, he said, was a very brave fallow), and also to Tom Mallin, fireman. All th*ee, lie said, did great service in oelping to Jceep th« «ft afloat.
A PASSENGER'S NARRATIVE.
Otago Witness, Issue 2541, 26 November 1902, Page 28
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