AN ADVENTURE.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12469, 19 February 1909, Page 3

AN ADVENTURE.

Captain Williams, of a small lugger trading to Port Darwin, had an extraoidinary adventure in the wilds of the Northern Territory. His lugger was lost on a small island about 100 miles away from the port. He left the island for the mainland in- a small dingey recently, when a squall carried him' away into Van Diem en's Gulf, and being unable to make his way against sea and tide he was compelled, after drifting for three days, to land on Field Island, at the mouth of, the Alligator river. He had taken a very short supply of food and water and he had a trying time; ■■':■ There is.no water on the island, but, raih-f ell and <he was able to eke out-his supply ; for 12 days. For foqd ; he had, turtles' eggs. Turtles and alligators were both numerous: ■ Taking to bis dingey again, Captain Williams made his . way into the mouth of the river in search of water. He obtained sufficient liquid to sustain life from the bark of certain trees until. rain fell. He then abandoned the dingey and worked his way up', to^ the east, bank of the .Wildman river, living on yams and iguanas His matches having^ been exhausted, he carried nresticks with him. Eventually he crossed the Wildman / river arid came; on what he thinks was Lake Finnis, where he - found plenty of the swamp turtles, iguanas, , and pother native food! .-. .'Hisifeet^bfecaine swollen, and .sore | f rpiri walking Mbaref odted over the buxnii stumps of last season'sgrassf and was ''.-slow: r Or. striking the Adelaide river jungle he saw.^plenty of buffalo,- -but ; he .did. rioi shoot-any. He got down to the Adelaide river near what is-kriown as^liawfie's Whitestone. Landing there he built -himself a taft of baniboos, and crossed. He -bad not. long done so' squall. of cyclonic^ f character sprang? upj blowing timjßer" down all fou'n"4 > ''him, ■ and- he narrowly '-escaped scraie'of the flying debris. Ultimately h« worked hist-waycito/ i Port-;iD,ar : win; hayingJ been ne, arly.. two month s- -j away f ronv^civilisatiori. r "."He I ."'described' the CQuritry as. low lying 'and^.pp6i::' : There, was,. an' abundance of native foodstuffs' but-he'saw no blacks. , Captain Wil-. liajnS'-has spent" m'ariy -years" / in' - the : BustMsonntry . of the Northern^ Terrir tory: "and says that without his prac-tical-experience to help -him he-.would> haveperishedVr^; ; ' '- ; ; !v r<i . .■;■■.; '.;.. „-■ .'.: ■ / ""'- ■'■'*:-■•''•'• *-.VAa^v-.*v--- <j^'., ■.<-' .;- '--■■ ;■-