1950-02-04 — Page 9

ADRIET

DAN

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY: 1950.

Castaways on an isle

of savages

Girl drags me from death in swamp:

:"

Jungle men feed us

:

Unknown

fate of Doris Lim, the brave Chinese

The story of the drifting lifeboat moves to its climax. Twenty-six days after the steamer Rooseboom was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean on March 1. 1942. land is-sighted.

Of 135 people in or clinging to the boat when the ship was sunk only five remain—WALTER GIBSON, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the author of this story: Doris Lim, a Chinese girl who had worked for British Intelligence in China, and three Javanese.

The real, British soldiers, police, Dutch, Javanese-and three

the women-perished on

lifeicin

AR

and urging me frantically to shake myself free.

Oddly, from the time we reach Jand, it Was she who seemed to take

the nail ve—she

who, from

the first day to the last day in the boat, had been completely passive.

Back on the beach, we looked out to where the lifebout iny staggered, fell, towards the grounded on the coral. beach.

We could not speak, but Almost voyage.

we made breathless. inarti- from the tortures ol sun and thirst. the Είναι c. culate grunting noises as we elvors drift towards

rged each other on. unknown shore.

Uppermost in her mind, E were in tears, all as in mine, she told me five of us, even the afterwards, was the prayer "Don't let us drown now, so Javanese, noise of the surf grew louder close to safety." and louder, and the shudow

W

the ILM

On hands

und knees Doris

It must have been about mid- yards or so oul to

tay that we saw, a hundred sea a figure in a rompan.

We watched

as the sampan

moved past the lifeboat and turned. up the

beach-which signified to me that over there must be a creek of some kind.

Walter Gibson today with fris wife Mary and daughter Ray.

America On The Election

By Frederick Cook

NEW YORK.

which attracts the largest crowds of áll!

INCE the date of the

British election was an-At last the famed service nounced, most of America's newspapers have been tryi ing manfully to remember that "this is a private fight —wo must keep out.” · And so far they have been un- usually successful.

Few lender writers have com- mented at all, though there have

TO BE CONDUCTED. 3 TIMES to accommodate a large, overflow aften- dance!

been many columns of Page One-A former Governor in the

reports of election developments,

In New York, biggest coverage so for has been given by

the

New York Times, with large battery of reportera Sntioned in England,

?

The Times'a Tania - Long enbled that the housewives' vole might prove decisive and that the election

be primarily over domestic .ssues like food, houslar, socialised' medicine, employment;

But ns 1

the Jaid down mirror, Doris Lim and I looked nt each other, and suddenly, They chattered, and grinned for the first time since the understanding.

would One of them torpedo struck, a smile crossed ran

to n coconut tree ahd her face. brought

two green coconuta . We were alive. which they opened with their.. machetes.

They watched us as we drank the Juice

wod até The 'pulp. Then they fetched others, cut them open, and laid them be- side vs. and returned to their

Canor.

WITH FRIENDS Stay six months.

EPILOGUE

is

Qir story is over; but here, for the record,

Walter what happened to Gibson and Doris Lim.

fortnight in the settlement Gibson

Liberals' chance?

In the same paper, Dentamin Welles had a one-column report on the Liberals' hope of a come- back. He pointed out: "Despite Its pre-election individualism, the Liberal Party is closer to the Labour concept of the wel fare State than to the Conserva- tive concept of free enterprise," than 1,000 to 1.500 yards away, NEXT morning there arrived and Doris Lim were taken to a Raymond Daniell, also of the but it took us the, whole of the another

canke with two larger village on the Island, Times, sald, the election was afternoon and for into the men in They picked us up, where they found

a medical going to be close and that even night to cover the distance.

placed us In their bout, and post established by a German the Socialists did not expect any paddled off.

taissionary.

landslide.

We started to crawl towards it, It cannot have been matc

We would advance a yard or

FTER

A Malay

J

The Javanese we did not of the land larger and larger. see from the moment the There was a jerk and a boat grounded. Afterwards

We must have travelled grating sound as the bont we found that one of the two and then stop exhausted.

along the coast of the Island Gibson received treatment The Times are commentator, grounded. Then she swung three was drowned in the

for three or four hours before for his wounds, but developed Anne O'Hare McCormick, in a round broadside, and the surf.

TATTOOED MEN

they turned into a bench, lifted her-beri disease from the island full

column of thoughtful waves tilted her over.

We hear the drums moniously dumped as down.

us from the canoe and uncere- diet of unpolished rice..

analysis, reminded her waders that the welfare State was not an While ill be They had placed us, we found addressed to the commander of both sides of the Atlantic, she

wrote a letter

issue at all. Conservatives on T. last, Together we

A ibere

moonlight, inter, whers we would be found there, gasping and

whatever relieving force might us were il by members of a Malay village sandbank and a wide stream, which was close by.

some day arrive on the island, said, lost the first round when sted.

The beach sloped down to the This island was used by the telling briefly of the incidents hey, twisted "this popular con- 1 Iried to stand up, but the water, and together we slither Dutch as a penal settlement in the boat and listing all the Cept into a term of reproach,

Everybody was for welfare. whole place seemed to be swayed down the decline,

as the Andaman Islands were names with which he ing abonat with the same motion

usad by India, The Malays

Argument in England was < the boat,

were transportees, who had

only over which system offered

or socialism.

We scrambled out, and Elm and 1 crawled the last few.

yards to dry land, fell into the surf.

I grabbed the girl's hand,

and together we crawled,

Two blades

of grass, where one

grew..

lay

X-

We lay

In the before

the shore.

Cambiar.

Once he asked Doris

was

1.Im

and gulped water, M 11 was fresh. It seemed as if

formed a settlement close to what she would do if the Japs the more of it, free enterprise We munbled unintelligible we would never stop drinking, the nothings to each other, Hysteric- Then we scrambler from the

That evening two ally we mouthed thanks for our creek and fell asleep, huddled carried us, wrapped in satungs,

Malays arrived,

"I?" she answered. "I will deliverance. We kept trying to together behind a free trunk on to their huts.

bo killed.

You will be all rise to our feet and collapsing the beach.

There,

11 verandah, right. You will be a prisoner again by the edge of the

water,

skeleton-like but alive, lay the of war." two Javanese from the boat.

At last we managed to

to

(3

of

We woke to find ourselves

by group safe distance from the surrounded water, and fell, clasped in each islanders. other's arms, Into an exhausted sleep.

OFF SUMATRA 1,000-mile drift

on

ing no greeting recognition,

sign of

They stared stonily at us, giv- JAPS COME Taken to cells

IX weeks

later a Japanese

Mrs McCormick saw only two big issues in the campaign— nationalisation, and the British individual's reaction to controls, austerity and the drab routine of daily life.

They were fearsome enough we ate ravenously of the fish

'Women will decide' figures. All were naked ex- Lept for

Papers throughout the coun- a G-string, all were and rice the Malays brought as tattooed In blue from the our first meat. We were to patro! landed on the island, try reported the Socialist mani- navel to the lower lip.

stay in their village until the und on May 18, just 70 days festo at some length and all ro Japanse arrived and earted after embarking from

the ported Churchill's return home They had no eyelashes and us off to prison camp.

of an Empire looseboom, and his pledge same port in the teeth But the one memory of the Gibson and the girt were taken come-back." THE island on which we had no eyebrows, and their

landed was Sipora, one of were filed to a point. They island which stands out above back to Padang (Sumatra, as many leaves as existing the Meataw group, which runs carried spears

and all others will always be the varieties.

down a line 60 ulfes west of the machetes.

dny, Just after

landed, We const. of Sumatra,

when the Mindy's brought me a We had

amirror. a thousand miler,

RITISH bolanists have|

strains

Bproduced new

of grass which grow twice

Farmers say this will drifted over

cause

an increase of beef, and we had been just a month mutton, and milk production in the boat. when enough seed is avail-,

able.

and

The girl woke me. All round us, the bench was lit by glowing At present Britain im-lights which advanced ports three-quarters of her receded every few minutes, The grass seed from Holland;ir was filled with an incessant Denmark, and other Sean-stling noise.

were

They Polynesian tribe,

and bows

Mantuwees,

It sounels Amtising? enough now, but it was deadly serious then, as thoughts flashed through my mind of Robinson

Crusoe and cannibalism and cartoons of native, stew-pots.

I

her

We pointed to our stomachs the

dinavian countries, because

As we lay still, the home supplies are short, and came nearer, and The noise Junong

Increased, it is cheaper.

10

British.

thry

-The-Scripps-Howard-column- They were interrogated that is, Ludwell Denny, in a dis- night by the

in 10 daily Japanese, who patch published that Suggested

were papers throughout the country. pgents put on the island by the predicted that women will de-

At the conclusion of cide the result, WE LOOKED

the questioning Gibson WILB Face of a fakir taken to one cell, Doris Lim to another, Ic never saw her IAD grown used to

the, again. sight of the Chinese girl.

once-pretty features face of un old

They

+

Wis

discussing what they could do and I looked the mirror, Straits of Malacca.

about us.

black,

Next in importance to

their

.of papers,

Thisדיי

U.S. announced, TRIAL BY JURY is the

greatest religious service ever to come to this city,

H. K. S. PC

KOWLOON BRANCH:

ANNUAL

CHINESE NEW YEAR CHILDREN'S

PARTY

February

Old clothing, toys ato. may be -A mighty challenge to sent to the Chinese Women's every thinking man and club, 402, Chung Tin Bullding woman!"

from 6th to 18th February.

R

T

N

D

A

Y

A

L

BY

J

UURY

00

P.M.

Hongkong

00 P.M.

& 10P.M.

Donations will bo Gratefully acknowledged by (Mrs) Vaterla Heywood, Kowloon Brandh Secretary, The Royal Obatrvi; tory, Kowloon. Chaques should be crossed.

"Society for the Protection of Children Party Fund.”

PANTEEN

ROCHE

ANDRUFF ?

FALLING HAIR

00 ROCHE

Kowloon

F

E.

B

Y 5

A jury of 12 men cho. by ballot renders public verdict. Every

a

moment tense!

Is Baptism

vote he placed Liberals, show- ing then the Socialists' success in getting the union vote. Denny, After two years inn pri- too, maintained that the welfare now somer-of-war camp

at Medang state was not an issue, woman, In Northern Sumatr Gibson und to our mouths, but they framed in hair which was lank

In United Press dispatch being transferred lights just ignored us, and chattered and matted her dark, expres 780 other prisoners when their fomer Jenks commented: Bri-

with printed by scores themselves, obviously alve eyes dull with suffering.

ship was torpedoed in the

tain has bad five years of Social- into it.

A

ism and will never be the same The Ministry of Agricul| It was an uncanny sensation,

high-cheekboned

face,

This--time he spent Then they turned and walk like the face of an Indian fakir, hours clinging to wreckage bo

four again." ture is soon to introduce

Then, as the light of dawn ext away from us, up the creek the hair

The New York Times's only control

and beatd which everybody spread over the beach, we saw towards the Jungle. We could matted, gazed back af

and fore long

being picked up by

leader on the election urged the mc

Japanese tanker. wants a qualitative restric- ¦ the explanation.

hear the thump of their drums,

Americans to brace themselves It was perched on a body tion on foreign imports of

and the sky was lit their completely

His last year by We were surrounded by huge fire.

as a prisoner against the next few weeks, without flesh, the skin stretched black and burn. We spent in a camp at Singa- saying: "We must expect some Necessary to Salvation? grass seed.

crabs, hundreds of them, the About an hour or two later a ed over the ribs, the buttocks liberated in September 1945.

pore from which ho was harch comments to be thrown sizu of inner plates. A triumph

The The canoe appeared In the ereck, completely gone, so that all one beach was covered with them. paddled by

our way by left-wingers and by What about infant baptism? about could see the framework after 17 years' service and is ranka." But, sald

the Artny In 1940 Imperialisis in the Conservative Striking results were ob-The glowing lights came from twelve or thirteen years old. of the pelvis.

the Times,

-Sprinkling?-Pouring?" tained when the new grass their eyes, the rustling noise They leaped ashore and curio

was enused by their movement. running

it, ivas for all the world like now a housing supervisor with the outcome would not make. (Renfrewshire) townrds

real difference

7:30 P.M. Thursday a test at Above the beach lay a man- we pointed to our mouths and furniture, some

Cor any Again looking at a charred pleco of pornlion.

Paisley

to Anglo- Market Harborough, where grove swamp,

American relations.

IN HONGKONG Beyond that the there is some of the best

slomachs, We crawled to Jungle.

salvaged from a fre the

-(London Express Service) bullock-grazing land in the that we could not even get to swamp. We were so weak now world.

our hands and knees, Farmers say that on poorer pulled ourselves along on our grassland the dilTerenes is bellies, dragging ourselves for- "terrifle."

ward by roots and bushes,

WAS

grown

ns

The new strains are a triumph for the botanists at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station, Aberyst- wyth,

Where Mr Gwilym Evans, officer-in-charge of seed production, sald:-

but wa

IN THE SWAMP Escape by inches

"Our seeds will revolutionise WE lay in the swamp as the

grassland. farming.

"For 300

Bun rose. The depression our bodies made in the mud years since grass quickly filed with black olly- -seed was first brought over from looking water, which we lapped

Holland In 1845-Britain has down in huge gulps. been importing nearly all its grass seed,

New strains

It was the Arsi brine-free water, in quanilly, we had tasted since the Booseboom was sunk.

pence of

A great peace, a

"Then, about the time of the first world war, Professor, how Sir George, Stapledon and Pro- utter exhaustion, fell on us, and fessor T. J. Jenkin carried out

a survey of grossland in Wales, I think we might have lain there "Afterwards they visited 'all and died had we not been:

of..odd

to further movement places studying spurred of pastures for mother first by leeches from the swamp, and then by the files, twice na With five original grass plants, | large as British horse. files, married hundreds of which arrived to attack us

They drove us back to the beach.

sorts types plants,"

they

trains

different grasses to got the new

They failed to find a grass

Which lasted longer and grew

Before we made the mová I

more blades until they married should certainly have died; but

with Pembroke and Wiltshire for Doris Lam,

It is from these marringes that many of the new strains

I had fallen asleep again, and

woke to find myself immersed

In the swamp wit head above the mua

two boys

us.

Was

twirled frame

A-BOMB

CIVILIZATION.

ile left

-fLondon Express · Service)

ENCE

8:00 P.M. Friday

IN KOWLOON

HONGKONG:

17 VENTRIS Rd.,

Happy Valley,

KOWLOON:

Chatham & Mody Roads.

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