WRECK OF THE BARQUE MESSENGER ON CAPE FAREWELL SPIT.

The pg Lady Barkly, -which sailed early.on Monday morning last to search for the missing boats of the wrecked ship Messenger returned into harbor late on Tuesday night, bringing the shipwrecked crew of the illfated vessel. The., steamer, haying skirted all the inlets between Motueka and Coilingwood, on arriving at the latter port information was obtained that the crew of the vessel were at the Lighthouse. The steamer immediately proceeded thither, and without loss of time the crew of the barque proceeded on board, and the steamer thereupon came on to Nelson. From members of the crew we have the following particulars of the wreck:— The barque Messenger was an American built ship of 925 tons register, although in one place her tonnage was marked on the ship as being 963 tons. She was 27 yean old, and had been a full-rrigged ship, but the yards had of late been taken down from her mizan, converting her into a barque: She was purchased at the Mauritius, at which port she was condemned by the authorities, by her present commander, Captain Miles, who was, we believe part owner, together with Mr 0. W.Turner, ofLyttelton. The vossol had made one trip from Newcastle to Lyttelton, as related in our last issue, and she left the latter port, bound for Newcastle, New South Wales, on the 11th September, her officers being Captain Miles, Mr 3feel chief officer, Mr Longwoll acting chief officer, and Mr Creamer Becond officer; sho also oarried a oarpenter, steward, 000k, eleven A.B's and two apprentices, consequently her crew all told numbered twenty. After light weather, the ship was off dope Farewell on Friday morning last, the 19th instant, when the weather looked dirty, its appearance boing threatening. They were about to take a tack off shore at 8 o'clock, but tho wind shifting they kept onttoirf'edursey laying along the shore, whioh was about-a mile' and a half distant, till about 9 o'clock. They observed <v steamer, the hull of whioh was disoernable,about two .or three, miles ahead, and they had'ihen passed the : some four or five miles. T,bey then tried; to come about, but the A ship'miisedl stays, andthe order was given to get ; tho, anchor clear, whioh being obeyod, an attempt was" made to wear tho ship, but ehoi would not fill, bo the anchor waa let go in about four fathoms of water, and as she swung she bumped on the sand. Thoy'then paid out the chain to 60 fathoms and Blipped thsoable to let tho vessel run right upoa the sands for eafefcy; sho thereupon became fixed, though she was rolling and bumping heavily, "being almost on her beam ends. Before beaohing her, however, the oaptain did his utmost to baok her off. Whilst aground her ■naste and yards were shaking and threatening to oomo down, and as the tide was ebbing, it was thought advisable to leave •in the boats before they wore damaged,l for there "Wai - a heavy surf ou the bench, Xtw first bwt to taw» vr»i

under command- of" the two chief mato?, and it also contained the steward, one apprentice and six hands, and it was provisioned with one bag of bisodits and one gallon of water. On loaviog the ship's side, they waited for the second boat, containing the ;captajn,'second mate, carpenter, oook, and eeren hands {{anjdjthjs .boat had one gallon of water sind a piece of raw beef. Tho men in either boat h^d but very little clothing,, for they bad stripped ready for swimming, and it was raining heavilyj The captain was the, last man to leave; the vessel, iind he having done so, both boats mftdfl out to sea, and thon; ( rounding the Spit, went in ,to- the south-east of the light.' ! The mate's boat pulled"over the;mudflats, and afterwards.dragged their boat two -or thre| miles towards the lighthouse, and' they got ashore lat five o'clock, after being eight hours in the iboat, and walked to the lighthouse. The captainfa boat,went further up the bay towards Pakawau, and\itheyflanded about;;seven* b'clook at. night, md leaving*'the Second m'at'd"and bafpenter' in the boa|t to take pare of it; they also proceeded to the. Lighthouse, where all were received and treated "with gr^at kindness by Mr Simpson, MriNelson, and Mr Reid, the light keepers.. The men werftallvvery cold and hungry, for, exposed to the rain and weather, they had tasted ;nolhing bui a very, Bmalt drop of water and a biscuit' all day. They sent a couple of hands to look,for .the, captain's boat, and to relieve its inmates ;'but.it, being,very! dark and -dirty they wore unable to find her, so that the second mate and carpenter remained in the boat 'till the ; fallowing morning, when they were found* pfe'iy well exhausted, and it was two o'clock before they got anything to eat, having then fasted Tibout 30 hours. On .the.Saturday,rnorning.they went; down to the ship, they;'found high and^ryat 16w, <tp».f 'The* : maintop and topgallant1 masts and yards w|ere down,^ as'also! was the mizzen'royal j'and the ship'sbaclc Was broken. They went on .hoard i and, got .some clothes dtfd provisions, arid they afterwards' made trips once or twice a day for .provisions, for they were afraid of eating-'their benefactors dut of-'hbuse aDd'Hdaie..., On, Tuesday morning a brigantine came close in, and hove to to see if v they wanted JUiy. assistance. She afteYwjards proceeded on her course, and shortly after, about noon, the Barkly came upi and.as soon as their boat would float, they went onboflrd! her, and came lon to Nelson. The ship; jwbb^ a splendid sea vessel, well found, and in.good condition, for although so old, Bhe was comparatively rebuilt four years! ago, and her copper , T wai ,nearly new. She left Lyttelton with 148 ton,? pt, stone ballast and 130 tons of coals, so that she was ; well,baHasted. When she struck, the distress ,flag.;Wasir,un,upinphopes that the steamer to be^seen ahoad, and suppossd to, bojhe LjttoHon would tomo* back .and render assistance, but it was evidentHheyr. wore inpt,seen from the steamer's deck. Dr Wallace, ■'svho.happened to have ridden out to the Spit, obaervpd.,the ship go ashore, and he rode to Collingwbod and gave the information which resulted in tho tejpgram .being forwarded to Nelsfln. The members of the.crew, who are stopping at th'o Albion Hotel, hftVo; either, lost or had spoilb the moat of their clothing,; but they are unanimous in their praise of the treatment they/received at the Farewell Spit Lighthouße. ,;';'", Kl j „[,,,,., <;< The Messenger was in^iired;in the, New Zsaland Insurance office for £3000,, part of which was reinsuried. The local agent-fpr,, the. above (?j)mpany, Mr Carter Webb, proceeded to the wreok yesterday in the Lady Barkly, whioh failed a Becpnd time for the Spit at 1 a.m, and returned justbefore midnight. No change had occurred in the position of the ship yesterday, and hope 3 arerentertained of saving a good deal jfrom the wreck. The Aurora, manned by the Naval Brigade, after searching for the missing boati, ran Motueka late p,n Tuesday nighb, and having heard yepterday morning that ;the orew were safe, they]returned to Nelson,,arriving last evening.