Although the ship's supplies wore running low, it was decided to make for Ras Hafen immediately, as food would be obtainable there, The Helen Moller arrived safely, only to find that sanctions were in force, and that as she was a British ship, no food could be purchased at any price, The British members of the crew were not allowed ashore, but Mr. Smith, bearing an American passport, was not subject (o this order, and came and went at will. The two most notlecable things about the district, he said yesterday, were the heat, and the salutes of the natives.
"The average daily temperature about 110 degrees Fahrenheit, dropping to some 65 degrees at night, As the. majority of the able-bodied natives were inland fighting the Abyssinians, all the work of unloading the ships was done by imported Halisn labour. Tt was, he said, a common estimate that each ship, which took from three to four days to unload, cost the lives of ten men, who usually died of cholera, dyse tery, o the heat, The other Interesting point about Somaliland, he said, was the fact that all the natives, from five-year old tots running around naked to the greybenrds of seventy or more, saluted each and every white man with lose Imitation of the Fascist salute, No malter whether they were men or women, in the city or in the Gesorted country inland, every native dropped his bundle and saluted whenever a white man appeared, Mr. Smith said that he soon tired of reluming the salute of every person hie met on an afternoon's ramble, and after the third day affected not to notice them.
Almost Foodless Voyage Monnwhile, in view of the fact that no food was obtainable in Ras Hafen, the work of loading the ship was being carried out as quickly as posslbie, and she soon set sail for Colombo. Scurvy and other skin diseases broke out amongst the crew en route, and fas the captain had the misfortune to fan and break his leg, Mr. Smith found himself unexpectedly "pro moted" {o some of the duties of the second offleer—with no increase in pay, Colombo was finally reached, however, and the craw at Last had enough fo eat, After calls at one or two Intermediate ports, she arrived In the Philippines, where Mr. Smith went ashore and inland on a hunting trip. While wandering through the forest in Mindanao, he ssw something come hurtling through the alr, and the next minute an arrow was firmly embedded In his right arm, Needless to say, he did not stop to ask any questions or make any enquiries, although he might have had something to say if he had seen his unknown assailant, While on a python-hunting trip in the Moro country, Me, Smith suddenly came on. three children playing together, He stopped to watch them for a moment, and suddenly saw a wild boar come out of a thicket and charge them. Two of the children managed to get away safely, but the third tripped and fell, right in the animal's path.- Fortunately, Mr. Smith had his hunting ride with him, and he fired, killing the animal, The chieftain of the Moro tribe to which the child belonged was so Grateful that he presented Mr. Smith with his ring," which besides being uniquely made, possesses the added value of entitling the bearer of it to all the privileges and courtesies due to a chief. The ring is probably worth Htwo or three dollars in actual money, but it is perhaps unnecessary to remark that Mr. Smith would not part with it for anything.
His adventures were not over yet, however, for soon after the Helen Moller left Manila she ran into a typhoon, and had her steering gear carried away. A makeshift repair was made, and she finally reached Hongkong, considerably baltered, but otherwise safe and sound. Then on to Japan, where she discharged her cargo. of salt and was ordered to Hakodate to-replenish her coal supplies, Again misfortune stepped in, for she ran aground right in the middle of a fortified zone, and remained there, surrounded by warships of every description, for ten days.
Then, when she finally reached port, and Mr, Smith went ashore, he was arrested and kept in custody for over day. The Japanese passport officials. apparently, were worried over the {act that in his passport he was listed as "athlelle director of Columbia University" and yet he had landed in Japan as the "purser" of the Helen Moller. The American Consul-Gen smoothed matters out to everyone's satisfaction, however, and Mr. Smith was permitted to leave.
He is now in Shanghai, and will remain here for a day or two, pending. the departure of the States Steamship Co's s, Golden Sun, on which he to travel to the United States an more. particularly, New York, as a passenger with a host of reminiscences,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.