A TOUGH STORY.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4467, 30 April 1883, Page 2

A TOUGH STORY.

The following narrative appears in tho, Brisbane Courier; but we really think our contemperary muiit hare found it in an American paper, and hoaxed its - readers by changing names and places.:— The boats engaged in pearl shelling in Torres Straits are from eight to ten tons register, decked in with a hatchway about 5--9 ft. by sft. 6in. f wherein is fixed the pump" The crew consists of the direr, his tender, and four men, who, whilst at work, are employed as follows:—The direr at work below; the tender holds the life line, keeps up communication, and is supposed to be responsible for his safety; another man holds the air-pipe, two men turn the pump, and the other attends to cooking, &c. One morning last January one of the boats was at work when a waterspout Lore in sight. The tender not anticipating any danger, did not signal to the direr to come up, but kept on working. Presently, however, the men noticed that the waterspout was coming towards them, and a man went below for a musket to fire at it so as to break it, but whilst in the act of loading on deck the waterspout enveloped the boat, lifted the man with the musket off his feet, and dropped him overboard. Erery thing mor able was lifted out of the boat, such as saucepans, buckets, camp ovens, firewood, &c, and was taken sky* wards. the booby? hatch, which, as many will know, is fixed rery substantially, was torn off, and went upwards also. The men were almost drowned with the volumes of water, and, to make matters worse, the waterspout as it passed drew the boat after it, and as the diver was below during all this time, his position was certainly not enviable. Tha men managed to pump him sufficient air, but when theboat commenced to race after the water spout it took them by surprise. They endeavoured to pull tlie direr in, but could not, as the boat was rushing through the water too fast, so the tender took a turn with the life-line round the mast, and the direr was towed along, like an immense fish, for a distance of at least two miles, when the boat managed to get clear, and the direr,pulled in. He was awfully frightened, but none the worse otherwise for his tow. The boat hastened back to the man who was in the water. After proceeding some distance, they saw him, and picked him up, minus the musket. After the boat was put as straight as possible, nd the men had recovered, they remembered the sorry spectacle "the direr presented whilst beiag towed, and they laughed loud and long. The direr, however, did not see it in the same light, so made all haste ashore, acquainting all boats he saw of the mishap. Consequently he had a large audience that night under the lee of Badoo, who listened, breath* lessly to the diver's yarn.