To California in a Dingy.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 223, 18 August 1884, Page 2

To California m a Dingy.

• (Thames Star.) A stirring incident occurred on Mr • Brodie's election trip m the Anne Millbank. He had been to Mercury Bay, and was returning three .days ' a»o, when off Cape Colville signals to v heave to " were observed to be flying from the brigantine Lizzie Guy, Capt. Stevens, which had left here the day before with a cargo of timber - for Oainaru. The sea was very heavy 1 at the timo, but Capt. Moore stopped the vessel, turned her head to sea, ami ' with considerable difficulty managed [ to lower a boat, which was pulled for the signalling vessel. Here the occupants learnt that the Lizzie Guy , ■ had on board an old Maori named Kapanga (familiarly known m Coi-o---i mandel as Harry Goody,), picked Tip , away outside all the islands, and • heading straight for California. He was m a small boat, his only com panion being a pig, and as he has but one arm, and the plug of the dingy had come out, he was entirely helpless, as he had to stop up the hole i with his hand. The sea was very i rough and by his own account he had 1 been drifting at the mercy of the ; wind and waves 24 hours when the brigantine picked him up. From conversation Capt. Moore had witli him he learnt that he had been on ' Great Barrier Island a fortnight, aud seizing a favourable opportunity, had started for Coromandel. He had covered the greater part of the dis--1 tance, when the wind changed and 1 blew him right oub to ?ea. He can only talk pigeon-English, and as none ] of the Lizzie Guy's crew could talk , Maori, ail they could understand was , that "His brother was manager of the Bank j" but it turns out that the old chap was grateful, and wished to inform his benefactors that he would like to pay them, but "his money was m the Bank." He was brought on to Coromandel. It is a remarkable fact that the old man got into exactly the same fix last general election.