Wreck of the Ship Surat.

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1222, 5 January 1874, Page 2

Wreck of the Ship Surat.

270 EMIGRANTS ON BOARD. The Surat, a fine ship despatched from London by the New Zealand Shipping Company, has become a. wreck at Oatlin River, in the province of Otago. She left Gravesend for Dunedin on the 2Sth of September, and the Pilot was landed off Portland on the 29th, all well. She had a valuable cargo, three chief cabin passengers, and 271 Government emigrants. All appears to have gone well until she reached the New Zealand Coast on Friday last, when she struck on a sunken rock, and was afterwards beached. The Surat sailed down the English Channel in company with the Star of India, another powerful ship, chartered by the same company, with immigrants, and both vessels made the coast about the same time, the Star of India reaching Lyttelton on the afternoon of the 31st December, and the Surat early on the morning of the new year. Our agent has forwarded the following brief particulars of the wreck:— The ship Surat struck on a submerged rock ten miles north of the Dog light. Her speod carried her over the rock ; the captain put to sea ; the crew and passengers, including the women, pumped all night. Distress signals were tried to a passing steamer, but were hauled down by the captain, who threatened to shoot any one who signalled, and stopped the women from waving shawls, &c. The chief mate was disarmed by the seamen ; he was about to scuttle the boat, and ultimately the captain beached the ship and landed 60 passengers, when the vessel drifted again. She was beached at the mouth of the Catlin River. The passengers have all lost their luggage, etc. When found in the morning she was sinking in the sand. She is likely to breakup. The chief part of her cargo is railway iron and plant for the Kaikoura woollen factory. 2 p.m. The Vire, French man-o^war, arrived with the shipwreoked immigrants from the Surat. All were sent to the barracks by the train. The Governor visited the Vire to-day,