JUST IN TIME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2611, 20 September 1909, Page 4

JUST IN TIME.

MAORI JACKED UP AT BE A

Piripi ITautaki, a Maori hailing from Tatapouri, has every reason to congratulate himself on tftfj iacfc that ho must have been born under a particularly lucky star, as yesterday lie had one of the narrowest possible escapes from an awful death. He went out from Tatapouri yesterday fishing in a 10ft dinghy alone. After he had caught a considerable number of fish, ho stood up in. hi*s boa for some purpose, and on attempting to reseat himself lie overbalanced the boat, with the result that he was thrown into the sea. Ha-utaki, who> is a good swimmer, swam back to tlie boat and, clutching the gunwale endeavored to get into it. liis efforts were fruitless, and only resulted in placing him in a still more precarious position, as the boat completely o\ci turned imprisoning its late occupant underneath. The native dived away from the boat, and when lie came to the surface tho boat was some little distance away. He again swarn to the boat, and endeavored to right it. /ut.r a long struggle with the overtume craft, Hautaki, finding his strength failing, endeavored te climb up on top of the boat, a feat which he only baiely managed. There was a fairly strong wind blowing off the shore, and the unfortunate native found In nisei f in extremely unpleasant and perilous position of being alone on the, bottom ot a frail, upturned dinghv. and rapidly drifting seaward. In this position he remained, lidding on for dear 1 while the boat drifted about four miles away from the shore. By great good fortune, however, the ketch Coronation. bound for Gisborne, sighted him, and his imminent danger was at an end. When picked up Hautaki was in an exhausted condition, and it is doubtful if he could have held on. much longer. The Coronation brought both him and his boat on to Gisborne, and the native was brought ashore m the Harbor Board’s launch, apparently quite restored to his natural equanimity. “All right.” he saul to a Times representative, “I only sorry I lose an niv lines and fish.”