The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-02-26

The Little Missionary Craft Drifted Into a
to Pieces-A Thrilling Experience of
Names Coastwise Missionary.
The life of a coastwise missio nary is
not much more pleasant than that of a
missionary elsewhere. There is danger
here, as we'll as in Armenia, but of a
different kind.
A letter was received yesterday by Rev.
Francis Southworth from Captain Allen
of the missionary sloop Alert, and
john" the missionary boy, who are now
doing special missionary work down the
coast, and the letter was written on one
of the outer islands. They went down
during the recent bad weather. ''Thank
the Lord" wrote Captain Allen, 1--WE
got here all rieht.'' The little e.aft was
driven ashore and the sloop was leaking
some when the letter was written. but
Captain Allen found comfort in the
thought that her sides were hardly
scratched and that the rudder had been
replaced. sit was all right he said,
s'until we left Belfast, and it did not
blow hard when left there, but as soon
as | got out into the bay it came with
great force, and I couldn't keep my
mainsail but settled away ON my peak
halyards and just as the worst OF the
sQuall came on, my mainboom top part
ed and let my boom down in the water,
and that made bad work for us, and the
two OF us took the wheel again to try to
keep her straight.
"We had got almost out of the reach
when a very heavy squall struck. AT
that time we were passing through
very narrow place with large boulders
on each side, and for about five minutes
it looked as though our voyage was over
MT get the anchor clear in time to let
go but He who doeth all things we'll
had made place for her to rest in un-
til things could be put in shape.
When I found that my rudder had
been disabled, I began to look for place
to run her ashore where we could at
least save some of our things, for l
thought she would go to pieces and not
be long in doing it. just as / saw
big sea rolling in, I noticed bend in
the rock and 7 told John to hoist the
jibs, and I trimmed aft, and she ranged
ahead so that got her above the little
cove in the rock, aud let go my anchor
and that held her head up so that she
just drifted into that little round hole
sideways. Mud was all around us, but
right under the bowsprit was a large
rock with but one foot of water over it,
and I could reach the rocks astern and
alongside with 70 foot pole
Sat last we got new top lift rose up,
got the boom up, hove out the small
anchor with 80 fathoms of rope, and
after I got two reefs in my mainsail
hove her off and started for here. We had
hardly got clear of the rocks when. our
rudder left us altogether. We had then
about Is miles to run, and We handled
her all right with our sail and large
oar we had until it became dark, and
then it was bad for US, surrounded as we
were by breakers. We were in hard
place through which to pick our way,
but the dear Lord helped us, and when
we got in the worst place boat came
to our assistance and took us to good
mooring, and the next morning the peo-
pie came and helped US to the wharf. "
Captain Allen got there just In time to
talk to tho people, and Monday, "John"
made new rudder. 1t will cost about
SIS to fully fit up the Alert, make her
seaworthy and in condition to do good
work. Captain Allen Is not bit dis
couraged despite the bad luck he has
had this winter. He has reached many
good.