Evening star., 1924-06-08

more frequent, perhaps, than any
where else-and to the native they
were the most alarming manifesto
tions Of nature. Many a canoe had
been sunk by them. There were leg
ends of destruction by them, and of
how the gods and devils used them as
weapons to destroy the war fleets
of the enemies of the legend-telling
tribes.
When I went to sleep at 10 o'clock
that night we were ranging up and
down between Takepoto and Taxa
roa, steering no course but that of
prudence, and waiting for the dawn.
1 came on deck again at 4. The
moon was two-thirds down the steep
slope of the west, a golden sphere
vaster than ever before. The sea was
bright and quaking, and shoals Of
fish were waking and parting the
shining surface of the water.
CUDDENLY from out of the gloom
~ of the distance there loomed as
strange a vision as ever startled a
wayfarer.
A huge ship. under bare poles. SOL
emn and lonely of aspect and almost
out Of the water. lifted black bulk
as IL bearing down upon us. Somber
and ominous, void of light or life,
fancy peopled II with a khostly crew.
almost expected to read upon it's
quarter the name of Vanderdecken's
specter ship, and to hear the mourn
full voice of the Flying Dutchman's
skipper report that he had at last
reached a haven.
The weirdness of this unexpected
sight was incredibly surprising. 1t
electrified me, dismayed me, as few
phenomena have.
Piri a Tuahine. at the wheel, called
down to the captain.
X "Paparai tie pahi natal" he an
nounced In the even tone OF the Maori
sailor. "The ship wrecked in the
cyclone."
Moet came on deck in pajamas, sur
veyed the spectacle of desolation, said
Bon jour" to me. gave an order to
the sailor to Keep her off," and re-
turned to snatch another nap. Kopcke
stuck his head through the COM
panionway to observe our bearings,
sQuinted at the somber wrath
through his heavy eyes-and replied
to my query:
"As you say. 1t is the County of
Roxburgh. that English ship. She
lost her reckoning. and in big hur-
ricane crashed upon the reef. Her
crew put over a boat but 1T was
smashed at once, and those who
reached the shore were badly bruised
and broken by the coral. When the
people of Takaroa rushed to succor
them, they fought them off, because
their books said the Paumotuans were
savages and cannibals. 1t wasn't till
they saw Takauha, the gendarme, and
he showed them his red stripe on the
sleeve of his jacket, that they realized
they were not on a cannibal isle.
"Takauha brought Monsieur George
Fordham, an Englishman, to interpret
for them and they were taken care Of.
They had broken arms and legs, and
heads, too Mapuhi bought the ship
from Iloyd's for $500 francs. Think
Of that! He took everything off he
could, but the hull. masts and
yards stayed on. He made thousands
of dollars out Of the ship, and in his
store you will find the doors and
chests and the glass. She was built
in Scotland"
/ was below washing my hands.
when the roar OF the breakers came
to my ears with the call of Moet that
! a boat was leaving. I rushed to the
waist of the schooner and. catching
hold of a Delayed ropes end. dropped
on the dancing thwart. Moet swore,
but we were away.
There was a high sea, and for a few
seconds it was pitch and toss whether
we could keep right side up. How
ever, we struck the gait of the rollers,
and, with PHI a Tuahine at the long
steering oar, moved toward the beach
| urged on by rowers and breakers, but
| opposed by a strong outsetting cur
rent.
The dexterity of the steersman
saved US a dozen times from capsiz-
ing. Often We climbed waves that
but for an expert guidance. would
! have crashed over US. Many and
many a boat turns over in these
landings" and spills it's life freight
to death or hurt.
| Nearing the passage. a white and
brawling 200 feet between murderous
| rocks, the boat had to be swung OBJ
| liquely to enter, and we hung upon
| a combers peak for a seeming age
| the rowers sweating furiously at the
| oars, until Piri a Tuahine gave a
staccato signal. Oars inboard, we
| rushed down the shore side Of the
breaker. and were at peace in a Lowell!
lagoon.
| OF the many miles of circumference