The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-10-17

OGIdlG Va MdSCAAoaAA'
During the morning Of the 18th
Service, who was standing at the
fore, cried out:
Smoke on the starboard!"
"The smoke of a fisherman's
fire." asked Gordon.
mo! more likely the smoke
of a steamer" replied Evans.
In that direction the land was
too far off for the smoke Of q
fishing camp to become visible.
Immediately, Briant, jumping
in the rigging of the mizzen,
reached the head Of the mast and
shouted:
"A ship! a ship! :"
The steamer was soon in sight
It was a vessel of eight or nine
hundred tons, moving at a speed
of eleven to twelve knots an hour
HurrahS were shouted from the
boat, and gun-shots were fired.
Their boat had been seen, for
ten minutes later the steamer
drew alongside. It was the Graf
ton bound for Australia.
In a few words Tom Long, cap
tain of the Grafton, had been told
the story of the Slough. Besides
the loss of this schooner had had
considerable publicity in England
and America. and Captain Long
fastened to take aboard the pas
sengers from the boat. He even Of
fered to take them back directly to
Auckland, which only took him a
little way off his course, since the
Grafton was going to Melbourne,
the capital Of Adelaide Province at
the south of Australia.
The crossing was rapid, and the
captain came to port in the harbor
of Auckland on February Is, 1862.
A little more than two years had
elapsed since the fourteen pupils
of the Chairman School had been
carried away eighteen hundred
miles from New Zealand with
Moko, the colored boy.
It is useless to attempt to de.
scribe the joy Of those families to
which their children were returned
. these children who were
thought sunk in the Pacific. Not
one was missing among those who
had been carried away by the
storm.
Like wildfire the news spread all
over the city. The Grafton was
bringing home the young cast
aWays!!! The entire population
came out to shout their welcome
when they saw the children taken
into the arms of their parents.
And how anxious everyone was
to hear in detail what had hap
pened on Chairman Island! And
their curiosity was soon satisfied.
First of all, Doniphan gave a few
lectures on the subject, lectures
which proved to be a real success.
and OF which the young boy was
very proud. Then the journal
which had been kept by Baxter,
one may say hour by hour. the
journal Of French Den. was pub.
lished, and thousands of copies
were needed to supply the readers
of New Zealand. And, the news.
papers of the two worlds told the
story of the boy castaWays, for
there was no one not interested in
the tragedy of the Slough. The
prudence of Gordon. the devotion
of Briant, the fearlessness of Doni.
phan, the resignation of all, young
and old, were universally admired.
1t is useless to enlarge on the
reception which was given Kate
and Evans. Had they not devoted
themselves to the salvation of
those children?
A public subscription was opened
and merchant ship was presented
to the brave Evans. He became
the proud owner and captain, on
condition that he would always
have Auckland as a port of de.
parture and arrival. When his
voyages brought him back to New
Zealand, he always found a most
cordial welcome in the homes of
his boys.
AS for the excellent Kate. she
was asked to make her home with
Brlant, with Garrett, with Wilcox
and many others, but it was with
Donlphan that she went to live.
for she had saved his life by her
good nursing and the boys family
would not have it otherwise.
With order, zeal and pluck the
boys had overcome every danger.
GUS situation.
Boys? The young castaways of
the Slough went away boys but.
on their return, ripened by the
trials and hardened by their ex.
periences, the younger boys had
matured nearly into youths, and
the older ones had become men.
THE END
Translation from the original "Deux
Ans de Vacancies" copyright, 1885, by
Celesta Hamer-Jackson; distributed By