FIJIANS' POWERS OF ENDURANCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3448, 13 April 1920, Page 61

FIJIANS' POWERS OF ENDURANCE

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, March 30. Tlia following remarkable iJtory of the powers of endurance displayed by a party of Fijians is told in a communication received from Dr W. Ramsay, district medical officer at Ba, in the Fijian Islands: On -Tuesday morning, _ March 9, Manasa, the native medical practitioner at Yaaawas, his daughter (aged 12), and three men left Yasawas in an open boat to visit me. At 6 p.m. a strong -wind got up, and at 8 p.m. the boat was washed over the reef, and filled with water. The party hung on to the boat all night, and next morning found themselves opposite Vatia Point, about 12 miles from shore. Two of the men left the boat to swim ashore, and have not been heard of since. Manasa is quite sure they were drowned. The boat drifted all that day in the rough seas in the direction of Penang ?i and next morning found them off Malaki. For a while the seas calmed down, and the party —now two men and the girl—were able to get some of the water out of the boat by baling with thou." hands. They got into the boat, and went to sleep in turns. Next morning, Friday, between Nanukaloa Bay and Ellington, they sighted a small steamer. They put up a signal of distress, and the vessel picked them up. Manasa braised his right anHe on the reef, and it is still <riving him trouble. He was very thin and exhausted when brought into hospital, but is making good progress. The girl does not seem to have suffered any bad effects. Yet these people # had no water or food from Tuesday evening until Friday morning, &r*l they were in the salt water, clinging to the boat, most of that time. It ia a marvel that they were picked up alive.