Samadora

Muriel was a 21.25-ton schooner built with two masts by William Chamberlain at Fremantle in 1901. She was registered as number 15 of 1902, and her official number was 102259. Her dimensions were 48.33 x 13.58 x 6 feet [14.73 x 4.14 x 1.83 metres]. She was built for the prestigious pearling company of M Rubin & Co.

In 1901 Chamberlains advertised for a crew via the newspapers for Muriel. She made her first voyage in 1901with her luggers before she was registered. She went to work in the northwest pearling grounds, based in Roebuck Bay. Rubin & Co. used indentured labour for their pearling crews, and they hired a crew of men of mixed races. Their shell openers were European or occasionally a very trusted long-term employee who had paid this indenture fee and was working as a free man. Their divers were usually Japanese or Malay.

On 26 April 1908 Broome was struck by one of the worst cyclones the pearlers would see. Muriel survived, but not unscathed. Her sails and masts were carried away in the storm and her decks were swept clean of all her equipment. That storm emaciated the northwest fleet, killing boats and 50 crew men.

She lost five of her luggers, too – Struggler, Louise, Langdon, Gracie and Ray.

Captain Lewis was washed overboard, but somehow the mate managed to get him back on board. Muriel’s crew survived, except for one man. His name was Samadora. Sadly, the only information we have about Samadora is his name. He drowned in the cyclone, and his body was not recovered.

Muriel was repaired and returned to work. She needed new luggers which were built and supplied. As one of only a few sailable boats, she was sent to LaGrange to aid stricken luggers affected by the cyclone. She lived to survive another cyclone in December the same year.

After a hectic career spanning 40 years, Muriel’s registration was cancelled on 23 March 1942. Her brave life ended when she was destroyed by the Royal Australian Navy at Broome under the wartime Immobilisation of Vessel’s Act. She was left where she lay until she was taken in pieces by the huge Broome tides, testimony to the seamen’s creed that in the end, everything returns to the sea.