MISSION VESSEL'S FATE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 87

MISSION VESSEL'S FATE.

SUFFERINGS OF CASTAWAYS. W© recently published a few particulars conoeming tih« loss of the Hiram Bingham, an American mission vessel, which capsized in a squall in the Caroline Islands. From the fuller accounts given in the Australian papers we learn that the Hiram Bingham was on one of her periodical mißsi6n trips, when she was overtaken by heavy weather. In a hurricane squall the vessel was thrown on her beam ends, and ultimately capsized. The passengers and crew, numbering about 20 all told, took to the ship's boats, and drifted at the mercy of wind and sea for many days, exposed to the rays of the hofe tropical sun. The castaways endured great suffering and privations, and when they at last landed on Ebon Island, ;n; n the Marshall group, they ■were in a shocking condition. The shipwrecked casta-.vay3 included the Rev. J. Walkup, a well-known missionary, who was in a very bad way when the boat reached Ebon, and despite every attention he died four days after landing. The other memhero of the ship's company were progressing favourably at the last report. The Hiram Bingham, which was named after a pioneer American missionary irf the Caroline group, was specially built in America for the Boston Mission, and she replaced the Morning Star in mission work at the' islands. GREAT PRIVATIONS. The story told by the castaways showed that they endured terribla sufferings Seeing that nothing could be done, they took to the boat, which was lift long, and with four or five cocoanuts they found floating around and" a 51b tin of dried apples for provisions they starred to pull to Butaritari. Tb,ey had no water in tl*e boat, but whenever it rained Mr Walkup took off his oitekin, and with it they caught euffifient to quench their thiist for the time being. After two days and nights' pulling they -sighted Burarifcari, and in the distance they saw a steamer entering the lagoon. They even got near enough to see the beach, and then %y strong currents were swept away. In a few days they became ipo weak to pull, so they rigged ap a sail with 14yds of cloth, fastened it to fin oar, and drifted before the wind. Once during a stormy day, and again the same night, the boat was partially swamped, and all save the weakest had to jump overboard and cling: to the sides while she was being baled out. "HOPELESS. WEARY, DYING." Large sharks of a particularly voiacious kind constantly followed tise boat, but, strange to say, did not interfere with those clinging to_ it. The castaways were shivering in their wet clothes, or again scorched unritr the tropical. sun till^heir lips cracked and their eyes grew bloodshot and dkru The days and nights slowly ' dragged by, 'and lengthened into weeks. Festering sores formed. Still they drifted on and on, whither they knew not, hopeless, weary, and dying. About midnight on May 25, 31. days after leaving the vessel, a native in the bow of the I oat said; "We are near land. I see a light." Instantly all eyes peered into the gloom, and, seeing nothing, concluded that the boy was mistaken. A little lat3r he cried out: "There it is again ; look, look!" Then all saw it, and with bursting hearts and streaming eyes fchey knelt in the littl-i boat, and thanked God for it. SAVED AT LAST Early next morning some canoes of Ebon out fishing for honito found them slowly drifting past the island, and passing a rope to the boat towe-I them ashore. All were very weak They reached land just ir. time, and with the care and attention tb»»v- re*-ei^-«scl fron. the people of Elwc jt!l, with the exception of the leader (Mr Walkup), recovered. He. however never rallied, but passed away on May 29, the fourth day after reaching land, and was buried the following morning in the little cemetery on the mission land.

— About 45,000,0001b of raw silk are produced in the world every year.