The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-11-21
YARN OF A
SEA CAPTAIN

1t Is no wonder the small American
boy wants to run away to sea when
he hears thrilling tales of shipwrecks
and life among strange peoples in far
away lands such as the story told last
evening by Captain Josselyn, master Of
the American. bark Nuuanu now in Ho-
nolulu harbof. The story Is of the
wreck of the American ship Coringa on
the Malay Peninsula, which occurred
just twenty-five years ago Thursday
night, or on November 16, 1880. BY a
| singular coincidence the start on the
fateful voyage was made on Friday,
November IL, 1880, and Captain Josse-
lyn told 1t last night, which happened
also to be Friday.
Captain Josselyn has sailed the seas
since he was a small boy. He has
been used to shipwrecks having once
seen fourteen vessels driven ashore in
one afternoon. He has rounded the
Horn in all sorts of weather, well he
forgets just how many times. He has
been in almost every navigable sea.
The wreck of the Coringa Is a mat
ter of maritime history, and those
Malays who were so kind to Captain
Josselyn, his wife, daughter and sailors,
were rewarded by President Arthur.
The story was told last night as
benefit to Kunaluu Boat Club, COM
posed of charming young ladies, and
being a marine organization, Captain
Josselyn consented to talk for them in
public. The talk was made in the fine
Of 40 nn
school, large and appreciative audi
ence being present. There was a
musical program, Mrs. Shephardson,
wife of DIR. Shepardson of Central
Union church, playing a piano solo at
the opening. Mrs. Shepardson's play
ing was u marvel of excellence and the
audience was fortunate in being able
to listen to such a mastery perform
ance. Mr.. Hugo Herzer sang a BARI
tone solo in his usually pleasing man
ner, accompanied at the piano by Miss
Elsie Werthmueller. Messrs. r. c.
Brown and Hugo Herzer sang stir
ringly the old time "I4arboard Watch"
Captain Josselyn's story was told in
the language of veteran ship-masters.
Occasionally it was filled with tech
nicalites but 1t was generally told in
plain old English, the rough and-ready
kind which made the story doubly in
teresting.
The Coringa sailed from Bangkok on
November -, 1880, with a cargo of
rice. She sailed down the gulf toward
the China sea, and when near the
mouth and off the coast of the Malay
Peninsula, a hurricane swept by, and
then around into the gulf, an instance
never before known to shipmasters.
The Coringa was caught in 1t and for
fifty-six hours she battled with the ele-
ments The bulwarks were ripped off,
an opening was made in the side and
$50 tons of water went into the hold
The ship scudded almost under bare
poles. The captain lost his reckoning.
There was no food except canned stuff |
The crew worked away at the pumps
with the exception of Arthur Court |
ney, an English army officer who had ,
shipped at Bangkok. He showed the |
The boats We're smashed |
The vessel was hove to and finally she |
went far over on her side. Almost
everybody was dashed to the masts or
Sanctions. Mrs. Josselyn and her |
daughter showed wonderful courage |
throughout the storm. Finally as the |
sun broke through the clouds, man
In the wreck of the rigging of the
mainmast-two masts had been par
TALLY chopped away, shouted Land |
no." and sure enough there was land. |
Captain Josselyn was surprised to find |
he was far inside the gulf when he
made an observation, and that he was |
so close TO the shore of the Malay
Peninsula. With a portion of sail on
the foremost. he managed TO swing the /
vessel into the wind and choose his |
position to run the ship on the shore. |
This was at night. The one remain
ing boat was patched with canvas |
spars We're Joined together as RATS.
Finally the Coringa struck, then a |
little harder, than with crash and |
a piece of the keel fioated to the sur |
face. Then the rudder jammed up |
through the deck.
The man at the wheel grabbed the
compass and asked the captain what he
should do with it. Then some of the
-, 'NN ~ ty W get dsnore. |
The captain attempted to dissuade
Them but they insisted. He divided
sixty dollars among all the men. Three
men went off on the raft, but the cur
rent carried II seward. For six hours
they were buffeted about, but were fl
naily washed ashore half dead. The
next morning the captain made prepar-
atoms TO get the others ashore. The
first attempt to launch the boat was
Then he attached a rope
I" the boat, and several got into 1t,
including the captain, his wife and
daughter The boat would have been