LOOKING BACKWARDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 920, 13 September 1910, Page 6

LOOKING BACKWARDS.

BEFORE THE I DAYS OF THE SUEZ ! ~.,t : ...... V( J ANAU; ; ■-■' ; ; 1. / MRv SAMUEL . CARROLL-. / ...-'• . // REMINISCENT. , . ..There arc very-few. qctagonarians' in! ..Wellington attending daily, summer .'and winter and'all seasons, yet such .a one is Ma Samiicl'Carroll,'B3 years of age,.: who not only' at his oflico 'dailyi-but carries out the duties' of secretary: to the Wellington Chamber, of Commerce, with.singular satisfaction .to all .concerned,. aud , edits and supplies all the pabulum for! the, "New ..Zealand Trade. Review" .(a statistical trade journal 'and : ; prices - current). ■ Such a performance .■• caii 'only- be ; expeced from one! |W,ho has led/a, quiet, steady life, :remote. from' - that social. or. political excitement, which agos.-a'manas'it himries the rears .along.! ,'V-j' ' ; .:': ;•'■•;■ ~■■_-! •■ ,/ ;.;'•; /:::,■'; ; '.;':' Unique Experience. ;> r AlT..tbe -Eam'e. Mr: .'Carroll's' life'.- lias eventless. .Aftbra school,ing. at. Mincing Lane' (London), 'with.'his .father,,, he','; when -26 . years.of, age, went ;out. to Batavia-and .'Manila, .representing Scholfield./Dberingj -and' Co.,- of, Liverpool and Glasgow.,, ;Five:years later his" father died,.and,lie proceeded to-London; calling ,en ronte/,!at .:]robclioo.-».-It- -jvas or this 'somewhat ;jerky;,trip. Home;/'that' Mr. ; ()arroir had,,.,an> altogether unique experience. . .Having ', seen- his; brother, ,iit '.China,,.Mr. : ;Carroll shipped, : at/ :Hong-: jKong by. : ; the,'- paddlerstcamer Pekin : ',ipr ; Colombo,, whichtrip// was made ': under - . very; pleasahtVcohditions.,;-At'Colombo.-he' tiftnshipped/'to /the'p. .and Oi , : paddle-- ■ .'at:-.- the :head of/the .Red'.Sea.: .This :was in June;/ 1859,.: a, long .'iime';before:.the : Canal,i was, cut,'and -when' it:was. necessary,.to !makuthe. connection- between \ Suez'", and /./.the' Mediterranean! 1 by./ way. of 'that :>tract!;./bf! desert .'traversed 1 by the Children of Israel. in\,,their :flight ', from Egypt—the '; 'then justly-celebrated -overland route: -'l'liu- . steamer, whilst ...traversing, the , Red ■'■ Sea, .ran-jOn. a : -,reef y'off'.' one^^ofV'r-the,:■'.Little' .'and'lay thero'.i'-fixture: /until her back, ...brpjio,'; andi'she /slid-/off-ihto/!deep!/water.; .:>;:,■_' ;-.'/-:://:.:://',,:■/ : :- /;/-'//;.//:'*■•;Lite■ on/the ■'Island.//// J'':/,!^ ::."There was/no ,great,.-'.trouble," ;..' said: Mr.,Carroll, "over the"wreck,.and to:tell, y6u-the : truthno one. was. very ! :surprised. : All vhands. we're' I :saved,;-frbm. the/iwreck,'. and'-found shelter .on-the /very /large island without :a: blade /of any. kind: of . vegetation - whatsoever; . :,As- the 'ship, 'stuck-, fast. we were 'able!.';to.-,get plenty of '-.canvas: for ■•-. the -'V erection : ••of ; sh'eltersj.'-provisiphs,'/tools; ; etc.;:'so vth'at we ; fiWerel );not; in; any. want. V .There V- was ; , .plenty::of!:beer-~indeed,beer.-is':all ! we had! to.: drink';' :The: only thing -we -wanted'.was 'w'ater.'.-but!no./when we asked/for' water ! they; gave ,ns ;beer'. and one does'not knowhow., nauseous.!beer;'is,.when there '.js-lrnoT, 'thing else: to' drink.' ; Beer, beer;,beerr-in. !a:'temperature^over ,; 9o .;degrees'.'.:in >the, shade/on/a'sandy island 'in/the/Reci'Sea/

•:j : ',?We.-h'ad : l.sent.:a Island; to.' communicate, the news',of 1 our c'onditida-to/ V.British mari-'o-war-.that was.-bound, up, the,; Bed.. Sea, -and .after' three'; -days!,it put;in!an appearance and' 'tboKius- all*b'ack ;to. ; 'Aden,; v ■next 'P:< and/0;; steamer bound, to" Suez.:" ril.'i;never; forget/the ,landing;.'of;;., the' 1 sailors' .from -the: warship.:. They 'brought; seyer'ali-kegs ;of.;.w'ater;'■;.-with.', them—flat' pkegsp, slung .'between; two ; men.-arid ''.car;: ried : to'•■ the";camp;,'"c-There.- they "-■ wefe v halted, ■■ the', 'bungs; knocked.,out,";arid -;tho. eager crow'di: tired to death of warm beer, .drank": the, ■■-, nectar -jof'/the;/god's';; as'p/i'jfc, (seeiriedi":tJhadi'heen :'oft;my-feed,'/so/.to' speak,- for a day., or/two;/but,;as.soon/as/ I';/had;a:/ couple ppffiririgs of ;'water; : -;the.: ■perspjiratioh. began: to; fiow,,-a'rid ,Tp-'felt;, hririgrjv/ arid'/ down < I -.sat arid ',bad ■a : gooj' ieed;.of ..'cold mutton /and. ;'"'•,-:'

: ; 'v;:^:-:H c '™'-^: .PM!"?"" /' D i^v--']o- : :"C ''■'•'I said\that no'-lives"were.lost;at'-the: : wreck: .'.That .was so.'brit the>purser';died dri-.theiisland.i'iHeiwa's ; .a '-.very: bald.mari,' and being \worfied argood denl/by/'valuables. he nad:left on/the.ship,' hiade,:sey-P eral" visits"' to the...vessel'asi;ishe -lay;■:on the/rafi/withp.ut:^^ •'arid.;: died, ■there' oh' the -?and•; before'/us;' a11../.I ,re.T : ; 'mem^Br.;it.'ail;.LSfl' i sand,- th'e' ; jji U6 ;o'f' theV.'sea , ,..-,vtho : ;;-little.' crowd, : 'and .the/ .dying /mari; w"rithihg/; : at', •pur.; feet. <'/:Spme;;bO riot, stand; the'-, sight, pihd'/shduted 'to' : the ; ship's.\dc*tor'^^Blee^im;^bctpr/:;Bleled : birnj! :^W i hy;'dpn > t..'y.pu' l i-bleedy.himp':!:;But 'the-'doctor; staro'd; uriheedingly"vat's the /dy-; irishman;' knowing -. that'all; the-.'bleeding linNthe world:.;could;:not-;save,: driev whose brain: had been; seared it did; : . : not;:sberii. 'sb;,very. ndt;.to''us!; i ;.T-re-. .mehtber! one. -old /colonel; ..j.etjirriirig. / from Egypt;., who '■declai-ed-. it \ a'Vdelightful ■/ spot: ;and ajsplcndid;place'for a.sanatonu'm..-: i;: "Agpod l deal;of thieving., went, : bri. whilst ,we wefe-dnitlie island. ,i' remember one' his;gold'' watch.:: : ';Ali'. the crew.l.were,lined 'up..'bn/f the..'; beach 1 , " x and,,/were,'there ...and then/searched .withput;resulti-;. ; sVheri they, mpve.d..aw'ay.'from'the"sppt./heweyer./the w'a'toh "was.:'fpuiid (-on I .the '■ sandi:i ; :One;'df. them; must;.liaye.: dropped it!:.''.': 'p/-'-;'/ >~

'~' ''in;due..'cprirse ,we:,were, taken Ppri 'to. Suez, : ; ma'db'' ( our: way .'.across the p'bverland route' sdriiethingP.betweeri. .'a,' cab ':'.'an'd;:,a'' vwagbn-: ette;: pulled'pby mules,;,the)i' 'ddjyh ; :the Nile to:Alexandria,farid so"Hbme:::';When' . ; I ''TOT'ched-''"'Lo'hdo'n',vl'.'foun:d , .;-i.tha-t'vav. 1 . play called..'The.' Overland ;Rorite,''<>'arid;'bascd bri;' our.; adyentures'.rwas • being: played:. ',;I ■went,to' ■ see", it ■ out. of, curiosity .'.but it was. nothing ilike':; the preaK ; !■:'■ ' :, .'^Jp.