Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-01-27

pleasure 90 of drinking a bowl of
kava made by the old process of chew.
ing the root instead of pounding it.
OF For Sydney.
In due course the regular steamer
arrived at p. m. October l. we de
parted fo2 Sydney, Australia. distan.
1,74S miles southwest with full com
plement of passengers in the Storage
Next day we called at Lautoka. 1872
miles from Suva. to discharge some
cargo. | went on shore and locked
through the largest and most up 10
date sugar min operated By the Co
loniai Sugar company. Its nominal ca
pacity is 100 tons dried sugar per day.
II is constructed entirely of iron and
concrete, and its machinery is very
ponderous. In the storage room saw
5000 tons of dry sugar in bags stacked
up awaiting shipment. have been I'M
able to obtain official figures of the to
tai sugar production of these islands
later than 1904. For that year the
amount was 5213T tons valued at
e469, S91. But | am informed that the
industry has increased since then in
the same ratio it did for a like period
previous TO that year which would
make the figures for 1907 fully so per
cent greater than those given above.
In Distress.
A few hours after leaving this port
we sighted a steamer fyins signals of
distress. AS 1t was getting dark she
sent up a rocket. which was almost inn
mediately followed by the discharge
OF two from our bridge. When we
got near CROUCH we discovered it was
large cargo boat of the same line.
in ballast With broken tail shaft
that had been drifting helpless for 10
days. An officer had succeeded in
reaching land soon after the accident
happened and the facts were known
in Suva. Two small steamers had
been Immediately sent after her and
were out there on the search when we
sighted her. After getting as near as
possible a boat was lowered contain
ing the first mate and crew of sea.
men, who took line to the other yes
sci. This was hauled aboard by their
steam winch followed by wire cable
from us, but broke before much had
been received. Three times this was
repeated. At last. by usiro very
big rope cable, the large steel lowing
line was secured This was shaclIed to
the end of their large alchor chain
and 60 to so feet of it paid out. That
great might, together with the 300 feet
of our large steel cable, eau ed it to
sag down into the water and relieve
the great stain when the combination
of seas caused us to shoot ahead and
the other yes Ell to rear back 1t took
four and one-half hours to accomplish
all this, and it was 11:20 p m. before
we started back for Suva Needless
to say, | did not turn in till then The
night was clear but a strong wind was
blowing and heavy swell on. It was
| stated, at the time we discovered her
a while trying TO get a line fastened
to her. that she was all the time drift
| ing in the strong current, assisted by
the wind, at rate of between four
and five knots an hour; and from all
| appearances in six or seven hours
longer would have been on the rect
] surrounding an island directly ahead
Tie men in the rowboat had a hard
/ time OF it having to pull almost con
stantly, while al times, when betweei
the two vessels. they were tossed abou
in manner something wonderful tc
me. Then again. we did not drift with
the same speed, which caused us to
keep describing great circles, which
would enable us to get as near as we
could with safety Some grum ling
was heard from the officers because
the captain insisted that everything
should be done exactly as he said. |
reckon as long as his ship was in a
dangerous situation and he alone res.
lponsible for its safety. he should have
all the say, and the credit for the res.
cue when accomplished We had a
fine sea all the way TO Suva, where
we arrived at noon the next day. Aft.
er casting off the line we anchored
and two coal boats came alongside
from which we received so tons OF
coal TO replenish our bunkers Then
away for the second time just "a
hours after making tn yrevious start
/ That night we called at a port on
the west end of the Island and tool
on quantity of bananas. but were
away before daylight When morn
ing came we were out of sight of land
and / was completely turned around
for we seemed TO be going southeast
directly towards New Zealand. while
in point of fact we were going south
west. haven't got over it yet w
approached this coast from the wro :
direction: entered the harbor ditto:
the sun rises exactly where It ought
10 set and what is nor-h ought TO be
south.
The six days that passed before
| reaching this port were uneyentful
We had splendid weather and remark
ably smooth seas, which enabled us to
MAXI some good runs. The
one showed 32S miles, or - 2-3 miles
per hour. One day, minus coat and
vest, ! spent an hour down In the en-.