TALES OP THE MOLYNEUX.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 146, 27 August 1872, Page 6

TALES OP THE MOLYNEUX.

A NARROW ESCAPE. I once heard of a Dutchman who was relating an accident which occurred, when nine of his friends were drowned by the upsetting of a boat, and he alone escaped-, and who said "it vash a very narrow eshcape." When pressed for particulars, he coolly remarked that he " did not co in de poat." Well, the following accident which occurred to a friend of mine in the year eighteen hundred and—(no matter) —on the Molyneux, somewhat resembles the Dutchman's ; inasmuch as "he did not co in de'boat," and neither was he out of it, but, like 'Mahomet's coffin, he was suspended midway. It happened thus :

My friend, whom I shall call Brown, was agent in charge of the ferries on the rivers for a contractor who had managed to obtain a monopoly of the entire traffic from an accommodating Superintendent, under the j old Ferries Ordinance. Brown used to reside at Manuherikia, and being of a social turn, occasionally roused up the men at a rather late hour to cross him to his residence on the other side. This behaviour of his, often repeated, induced a civil growl on the part of j the boatmen ; so he told them one night, that in future they might sleep undisturbed I if they would, on their last trip at night, leave one of the boats on the town side, and he would pull himself across. They did so, and thus produced the event I am coming to. One night, "at the time when churchyards yawn," Brown went down as usual to where: the boat was hauled up in shallow water, cast j loose the painter, and shoved her off. It appears that the boat, after lying some hours, settled down in the sand, so that the act of getting her afloat required a considerable exertion of strength ; and as she immediately slid into deep water and a rapid current, — some agility was also necessary to jump aboard. Now, —whether from the darkness of the night or the effects of "John Stewart," deponent sayeth not, —but Brown failed to get altogether on board. He got one leg in, and caught the gunwale with one hand, the other leg being under the boat; and the current into which she had drifted passing over his body, effectually prevented him from se-1 curing an inside passage : thus, as I have be-; fore stated, he was half in and half out. The I landlady of the hostel from which he had pre- j viously emerged, was holding a light above her head, outside, the reflection from which ; shone across the water. She saw the boat passing apparently untenanted, and neither I seeing nor hearing her late guest, concluded he had fallen into the river. An alarm was instantly raised, and the hostess went into hysterics ; but leaving her to recover, we will follow poor Brown on his perilous voyage. Tiie boat, which was a light whaleboat twenty-' live feet in length, had now fully got into the swift current, and Brown found it impossible to get on board : so on they went down the dark stream, with frowning rocks on either side : his body, acting as a rudder, kept the craft end on and well in the middle of the river. More than a mile had thus been passed over, when suddenly one of those eddies which occur so frequently in the river caught the boat and whirled her in shorewards, half upsetting her. As she careened over towards Brown, he managed by an almost superhuman effort to roll in, and immediately ".Richard was himself again." An instant's survey showed him the shore a few feet off, and a small rock projecting above the current at the side of the boat. On this he placed his foot, and giving a good push, j the vessel touched terra Jirmi. He immediately jumped ashore, and holding the punter, he sat down to recover his wind. While thus engaged he heard another boat coming rapidly down stream, and from the sound of the rowlocks he knew it to belong to a local celebrity, who sailed under the rather rude but expressive appellation of " Bell-fire Jack," and who had been giving 1 i some considerable trouble by running his I boat illegally in opposition to the orthodox! i Government ferry. From an observation j dropped by him as he passed, coupled to an [expression more forcible than polite, Brown ■ found that they (there were two in the boat) were in search of him, and concluded to allow j them to pass unchallenged. They soon disappeared in the gloom, and he proceeded to tow up stream. After two hour's work, he | succeeded in getting back to his starting l point, made the boat fast, and going up the bank, rapped at the hotel aforesaid, lbs j ghost could not have produced more alarm. |as the worthy people had given him up for lost; however, a few glasses of " Hennessy" i sot matters to rights, and after being congratulated on his narrow escape, Brown retired to bed to dream of dangers past. The gentleman with the warm patronymic, and 'his mate, proceeded down the river about j fourteen miles, and then gave up the chase. 'They were two days in getting hack, and j were proportionally wroth at the "sell" of I Brown allowing them to go past. lie, howj ever, found means of appeasing them, and by | recompensing them for their trouble, restored i equanimity to Satan's deputy. When Brown ! related the above tome, I asked him if he | did not. feel afraid during his trip that it was • all tip with him. lie said he never 'rave it a i thought, and never lost his presence of mind : i but was mostly engaged in cursing his awk- | wardness in not getting aboard, i reminded 'I him of the proverb,—" Those who are born to be hung will never be drowned."—" Come, | come, none of that," said he " let's liquor." Hatieb.