The Washington times., 1922-10-01

that the Grosvenor, a finely built
and fully armed ship, cleared with
$50 passengers and crew. Six
months later, on December 4, 1882,
five men crawled into Swellendam,
Cape Colony, after incredible ad-
ventures and hardships by land
and sea.
Three weeks later eleven other
men OF the ill.starred liner were
found. The remaining 134 were
never seen in Africa, alive or dead.
and their end remains one OF tn"
many tragedies OF British expan'
sion around the world.
1t was on August 4, in early
morning that the Grosvenor drove
ashore. A heavy sea was running,
and the great ship Of that time.
strong with the strength Of teak
timbers. began to break up.
A raft was quickly put together
but was smashed to flinders as
soon as II went oversize. A line
was finally carried ashore, and by
that precarious strand several OF
those aboard managed to reach
land, after merciless. buffeting
from the waves.
FOURTEEN DROWNED.
Later. a part OF the ship In
which most OF the passengers had
swarmed for safety, or a semblance
OF safety. was broken off and was
washed ashore by the pillows and
wind. But before that, fourteen
had been drowned.
Whatever joy they may have felt
at their arrival on land was quickly
diminished as the perils that faced
them on land were appreciated.
There were men and women and
some children. too, in the middle
OF a waste OF wilderness, without
weapons worthy OF the name, with
hostile natives sweeping through
the country, with no food fit to eat.
with no clothing save the rags they
wore.
Hundreds Of miles OF nameless.
dangerous land lay between them
and white habitations. But thev
decided to go on toward the Cape
settlement. Little is known OF the
nature of that journey. The
stories Of the survivors, carefully
preserved as they have been on
the reports Of the East India Com
pany and by local tradition, show
that natives were encountered who
looted all the valuables from the
party. taking even the trinkets Of
the women.
Every foot OF the wayfarers'
wanderings was watched by the
hostile tribes Of savages. Often
rivers forced the exhausted men
to the building OF RATS. Food"
At one time they encountered a
dead whale, washed ashore on the
coast and they devoured it with
glee. Another day dead seal was
found: on this the castaways gorged
themselves.
DAYS OF AGONY.
As days OF agony and privation
continued, the company grew
fewer and fewer. Many died along
the way. Some had to be left to
die because they were too weak to
continue. What happened to those
women and men, thus abandoned
is not definitely known and there
are few, even after century and
a half. who cares to speculate on
their fete.
But 1l6 days after the Gros
venor was broken up in the ser
after a Journey of horror through
500 miles, the squad Of survivors
reached a farm on the Zwartkops
river. and came thus to safety
bringing the first news OF tn"
wreck.
And now after century and q
half. the gold and Jewels that tho
Grosvenor carried may he ur
covered almost any hour. Ar
II there is auRht in the sur"rs''
tion that tragedy clings TO gem
the Jewels Of h" Gros' ="
would seem to radiate recollect'o"
Of horror. to transmit mtsfor'n'''
hut fear of scer Cr uns"cn d""'
IL not ~ 'hn u'"k".un r. '''
that are delvinG uni" T.
ward the rich wrcCknsc tolay.