Evening star., 1954-11-08

supplies-plus the fish I would
catch II would travel 6.40O
miles. My next landing would
be Samoa.
Before sundown I brought
some order to the cabin. I went
on deck and made the rounds
finding everything shipshape
We were ploughing steadily
along. ] liked the way the raft
took it. as sailors say. If the
logs did not sink from satura-
tion and the ropes did not dis
integrate, she would make her
way across the sea.
It grew dark. The San Mar
tins searchlights played on us
Through the night I lay awake,
my eyes fixed on the minesweep-
er's stern lights. alert in case
the line should part or the San
Martin should halt. bringing the
danger of collision.
At Z am. the sweeper swung
to one side and the captain
stepped on the bridge with a
megaphone.
"Mr. Willis" he called, I'VE
are so miles west of Callao. I'm
going to let you 60. Unfasten
the tow line"
My sailors slipped the fasten-
ings I had made to four Of the
mangrove beams. The San Mar
tin turned and approached me
again. It was rolling heavily,
although the Seven Little Sisters
rode easily. ~.
The captains voice sounded
over the water again. I'm COM
ing alongside to take my men
off," he shouted through the
megaphone.
Fears Collision.
In swell like that, a raftsman
must guard against maneuvers
that wouldn't bother the skip
per of "a bigger craft. IF you
come alongside you'll smash my
raft" I shouted in reply.
The captain changed his mind
and I relaxed. He agreed to put
a life raft over the side, heaving
a line to us first. We pulled the
raft toward. us. and I made a
jump for my cabin. There
Scribbled a last note to my wife.
Dear Teddy" I wrote, and
TRANSCRIPTS this from my rec
ords: RAFT doing iine. Stiil
have three sailors on board
Ready to. take them of" ]
instructed her to tell the Ameri-
can Radio Relay League-the
"ham" organizatior--"th that ! will
transmit my position daily at
II am. and 6 pm. Eastern
standard time"
My wife delivered the message
in good faith-but it was one
trust that was misplaced. 1t
was the last she was to hear Of
me or from me fer many months,
indeed until my voyage was
completed.
handed the, message to one
of the sailors, q man who had
told me he was soon due to re-
tire. even though he was several
years my junior. Under the
steady pull, the liferaft from the
ninesweeper was nearing the
Seven Little Sisters.
Sailors Watch Curiously.
Two Of the sailors leaped to
their raft, but the third. the
veteran sailor, turned to me.
"If you make it. Senior Willis, -
he said, s"you win come back
with your chest full Of ribbons,
like an admiral"
SenSed SomeGnlng In MS
voice. I asked: :Do you think
I'll make it?"
He remained silent. I looked
to the other men, in all likeli-
hood descendants Of the people
who for centuries had also put
out from these same shores on
RATS, sailing from Peru up the
coast to Panama, to the Gala
pagos and, no doubt in some
instances, either driven by storms
Or to escape enemies ashore,
voyaging westward into space,
taking the same trail that lay
before me-
The sailors watched me curl.
ously, perhaps watching for 9
sign Of weakness. Or was 1t my
imagination? They, were the
last mer + was ID b zee for many
Sense Of Time vanishes.
The San Martin was turning