The Washington herald., 1908-08-23
Rr ANDREW BoLLNAN.


London. Aug. 15.-On September IS. 1915,
vas at the Oriental Hotel, Perrin
Island. when native attendant casually
pointed 10 an Arab who was quietly talk
ing 70 several others
See that man. sall57" he said.
Yes I answered. Why
I looked at the man indicated, but did
not notice anything very extraordinary IN
his appearance except that he was clean
er and had a little more clothes than the
ordinary native coOIie-
That man swim two days and two
nights. sahib.' continued the attendant
Ny curiosity was Immediately aroused
al the idea Of such an unusual feat and
so sent for the man In order 10 hear his
story. BY the aid Of Mr.. y. Muir. Of the
Eastern Telegraph Company's staff. who
kindly interpreted for me. I was able 70
extract the following account Of what
consider a most marvellous feat OF human
endurance:
Seyed Awad was TIE mans name and
he was An intelligent. Ane-teatUrsd Arab
belonging 70 DUbaab. a native vIllag= on
the Arabian coast about twenty miles
south OF Mocha Seyed left Duoaa5 On
Sunday. September Il. al 3 g. n fl his
own galley "a native boat Ike small
dhovJ with six companions. three Of
whom were passengers he was taking 10
Perrin. They got out with Moderate
northwest breeze which. soon after START
ing. began 10 increase Til II was blowing
a moderate gale with a heavy sea The
small boat made very bad weather OF T.
plUngiug into the waves and sl-PPl1ls
auaat tities OF water
Whether il was owing % TIE unusual
strain the boat was subjected TO- or 70
the fact OF her being Overiaden- as she
undoubtedly was about 4 a m when on
Sheikh Berkhud. the most lortherly point
oF Perrin Island she spTaCg leak and
began 20 I'LL Ere long she became IN
manageable and capsized. throwing AL
the occupants into the water Lhey man
aged. TO scramble back TO the boat which
was row lying bottom Up and floating Ike
a log. with only a few inches OF the keel
out Of water To this they clung. with
the seas continually washing right over
them. No one spoke save when one or
another called on Allah. whose VIII they
awaited with the habitual calmness OF the
rrue Arab. After al hour and half Of
this tuo men became exhausted ana
slipped OF. and another one save way
after three hours
strain Was Enormous
The strain Of holding on was enormous,
owing to the force Of the waves. which
were now running very high As each
man slipped Of 70 sink beneath the
waters the survivors watched hin. pow
erless 70 render aid. for Il was as much
as they could do 70 retain their own
positions The remaining men held on
~
silently let 20 and were quickly carried
down out OF sight All this tine the
strong current. which runs at from three
TO four knots Per hour. had been carrying
the capslzed boat up the Red Sea
As long as there was the weight OF two
or three men on the waterlogged boat she
rode comparatively steadily. but as one
| by one they dropped OF Il became more
and more difficult for the survivors to re
tain their hold, as the waves threatened
10 turn the boat over and over like los
Seyed and his Sole remaining compan-
/ ion, a lad. held on bravely TIL midnight
when at last, absolutely exhausted and
benumbed with cold. the boy gave his
| comrade a last despafrins look. and. with
ont a word let 20 his hold and was in
stantIy lost in the inky blackness OF the
night Now commenced Seyed's terrible,
long. and lonely struggle for life Thir-
ions succunab to exha ustion and the strain
OF holding on TO their slippery. wave
washed support. Seyed himself was 10 ex-
perience another twenty-seven hours in
| the water before touching land The boat
no longer kept steady by the weight Of
two men. was constantly hurled over and
! over. the unfortunate Seyed being taken
from his hold. but each time with the
strength Of desperation he managed 70
struggle back
sharks Swan Near Him.
From time to time sharks appeared,
swimming close beside him with their
awful eyes. but curiously enough they
never offered TO attack him The current
had now turned and was taking him back
through the narrow straits, between
Perrin Island and the Arabian coast and
at daylight on Monday he found himself
travelling down into the Gulf Of Aden-
! The wind and sea we're mOderating by
this time, however. and he was better
able to keep his hold, but with the rising
| Of the sun the agony OF thirst was added
to his other sufferings. He had lost
sight Of land. but sighted several steam
ers but those homeward bound were too
far away on the Somali coast side, and
those outward bound were too far to-
ward the Arabian coast for his signals
| TO be seen But at last. ne saw one
steamer approaching him With all his
strength he waved and shouted. though
! his throat was so parched snd sore be