LAD'S SEA ADVENTURE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13749, 11 September 1908, Page 3

LAD'S SEA ADVENTURE.

THRILLING EXPERIENCE.

William Rowles, a Devon youth, has had a thrilling experience on his first voyage which He never will forget. For two days and .two nights he was tossed about in a ship's boat in the Bristol Channel, being picked up when half, .dead from exposure and hunger. He was landed at Barry by the steambarge Ludovick. Relating his experience, Rowles said his parents lived at Barnstaple, and a little over two months before he had walked from that place to Plymouth to try and get a berth at sea. "I was just "giving up, when one day the three-masted schooner Ella Owens, of Cardigan, was going out. A man on deck snouted out, 'Do you want to ceme on board?' and I jumped in and took my phance, and we went round to Swansea. , "On the Thursday I went ashore, taking the. ship's boat in order to row across the dock, and when I returned a couple, of hours later I could not find the vessel* No ,one seemed to know whore she had gone, and I thought I she might have sailed out' into the bay. I rowed out to -the pier in order to ' look for her, and when near the end of the Swansea Pier a big wave came and washed me out into tl^e bay. "I had only one oar to row. with, and could not, therefore, row back against the strong current. I was washed out to sea. I shouted, but failed to draw the attention of anyone on shore, a strong westerly gale blowing, the soa was rjinning very high, and I was in a perilous position. "The small, boat rode the waves splendidly, put was being tossed about like a corki I was/ drenched by the rain, and I gave up hope as night came on of beungipicked up until the morning. I spent that night in the bottom of the boat, clinging to the seat, baling out .the water, t "1 knew..! was in danger of being run down b,y/ anyyessel, so I kept a 'sharp look-out. When daylight came, however, I found I was on the open sea, but no vessels were coming near me,, and throughout that day I was tossed about on the waves. "In the evening a sailing ship appeared a mile away. I thought it was my last chance. I shouted,, and as the ship came nearer-I thought they would pick me up. You can judge my horror when no one having appeared on deck the vessel passed without seeing me/ "I .had been suffering from seasickness and, was getting very weak. The pangs of hunger were gnawing, and my thirst was painful owing to the sea water having got down my throat. I had a terrible struggle to keep in the boat, as the waves broke in and almost washed me ©Tit time 1 after time. x'ltx 'lt was only j\yhen, the boat got on the crest of a wave, that I could see anything around me, and then, I noticed' that all shipping was passing about ten miles'; away. "I was [bruised,, tired, hungry, and in despair, when the night came on for a second time. As I lay in the bottom of the boat looking up ; at' the sky, I prayed for the light to give me another chance, and indeea the night seemed very short* ' It was .scarcely . air hour that the darkness continued, and when the light came my hopes, began to rise again. [' - . "I cannot tell "you with what joy I saw the Ludoyick making towards me and felt strong a^ms. dragging me over the bulwarks oi)\ to %he deck. They gave me,',brandyjsnd foqd, . and* t. am stronger- n<?w.'\ •»> \i «; .