WRECK OF THE RANGATIRA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 4126, 24 September 1883, Page 2

WRECK OF THE RANGATIRA.

Two Mon Drowned,

An Exolting Narrative

We last week announced that the well« known cutter Rangatira, owned and commanded by Captain Tenetahi, had been wrecked on Great Barrier Island, but were unable to give any particulars of the occurrence. By the arrival in town of the captain and the other .survivor?, weare placed in possession of the narrative of the Ratlgatira'B last voyage, and the hardships which her .-kipper and crew had to undergo the fearful exposure causing the death of two of the crew. Tenetahi states that on the 2nd of September he arrived in the Rangatira at. Maori Bay, Great Barrier, in order to take away some "try puts'' that were there, and which were wanted to melt down tome whales. In tha evening lie sot .sail to reach the eastern side" of the island, but a strong wind getting up; he was forced to run back to his former anchorage. The wind having changed next day, he again set sail in the evening, &nd safely reached the place where the whales were. Having taken on about 15 tons of firewood, lie again got underweigh, the wind being from the south-west. After going about three miles the wind shifted, and blew strong from E.N.E., while the sea began to rise. It was pitch dark, and there was no room in which to "tack" so as to get the cutter out to sea. From 1 till nearly o a.m. they beat about under shortened sail, struggling to get the vessel out to sea; but the captain saw that all efforts were hojxjless, and told the men to strip and svjim for their lives, as thsy were going on the- rocks. This was on the morning of the sth inst., and shortly after, the crew, embracing the captain, his wife, and three men, had taken to the water, the vessel struck on the rocks.

Inhospitable Natives on Great Barrier.

The Rangatira immediately began to break up under the force of the waves beating her on the rocks, and by ten o'clock the mast had gone lay the board. All the people on the island turned out to see the vessel breaking up, and this crowd, which embraced many Europeans as well as Maoris, do not seem to have treated the wrecked people witli overflowing kindness. The chief of the tribe, John Palmer, took the wrecked wayfarers to his settlement and hospitably entertained them, but the bags of the men, which had been washed ashore, and contained all their worldly possessions in the shape of clothing, were opened and rifled in their absence. The two daughters of Kino are blamed with committing this mean theft ; but tho other residents of the island who allowed the robbery cannot be absolved from blamo in the matter. Tenetahi, however, blames no one but the women, and speaks gratefully of the treatment received in other respects.

At Sea in a Whaloboat. Returning to Maori Bay on tho 10th inst., Tenetahi, with his wife and the crew of the wrecked cuttei-, set out in a whaleboat with a view to reaching the home of the former on Little Barrier Island. This involved a sail of some 20 miles in an open boat; but the weather being calm and apparently settled, nodanger was apprehended, and they set out in high hopes. They had first intended to try and reach the mainland, but the wind was favourable for taking them to Little Barrier, so for it they shaped their course. They were not long at sea, however, before the wind rose and chopped round to the south-east, where- ~ upon they attempted to reach Whale Island. They had started at nijjht, and by 2 a.m. the wind was blowing so hercely that they had two reefs in the mainsail—the 6ea , >■ meanwhile running very high. Instead of 1 abating, the storm increased in violence, the sea continually breaking over the boat. An attempt was then made to run before the gale, but the sea broke repeatedly over the boat's stern and finally she was swamped, § Thrco Men and a Woman in the Water.

Tho whole of the occupants of the boat were now thrown out, the oars were turned adrift, and everything on board was lost; 1 but the boat not being ballasted, kept afloat in a waterlogged state. This hap- ; pened shortly after two in the morning, in the midst of thick darkness, and with a high sea running. Tenetahi cried to the jg others to hold on while he swam to recover the oars ; two of the orow wero Europeans, and could not swim. Rahui, the captain's wife, dissuaded him from making Blj the attempt, as he was too heavily weighted 8H with his clothes. She was lighter, and ■: !<M would swim for them. The boat mean- jl while was rolling over and over through the :wEj! men catching hold of it, but the captain *":; ordered them to go an equal number to S either side so as to balance it. Kahui - bravely swam off, recovered an oar, and pnfr 11 it into the boat. All shortly after got on , board, but again Tho Boat Was in Danger o Sinking. ■ Tenetahi therefore ordered them to jump ,; again into tho water and hold on by the boat's gunwale, getting in when they felt ~; , ; their legs cramping, and when the boat was in i, danger of sinking to jump overboard again. This ho conceived to be the only way of preserving all their lives, and it was accord- 1 ingly done for some time. Tiie terrible exposure began to tell on them, and at 4 o'clock the steward died, and was placed in H the boat. Another man, a Spaniard or '. , Portuguese, whose name ia not known, also M showed signs of exhaustion, and, despite every encouragement by Tenetahi, and support afforded him by the indomitable 0 Kahui, he also succumbed to the exposure |I and died. He died some two hours after B the steward, and his body, after being I taken on board, was washed away by the ■ sea. Tenetahi kept calling to his wife, "Be strong and save yourself;" and toshowthat ' she was both strong and daring, he tells that j I she managed to get hold of the jib and hau it on board the boat. With great labou g they kept baling out the boat, and at last •{' managed to make the shore at Hauturu, Little Barrier. This was at eight o'clock g| at night, after haying undergone so much ;V; exposure and fatigue, and it was with eon-: Hi siderable difficulty that they were able to,, land. The body of the steward was buried; 93 next day—a sum of £2 10s found in his. ..• pockets being given to the natires who per- ■.. formed the last offices for him. The Rangatira is, of course, a total loss, I and we learn that there was no insurance - 5 whatever on her. Tenetahi, who was owner aa well as skipper, had frequently been advised to have her insured, but his I reply always was—"Oh, no fear of her. being lost; I know all the coast and can .;■'•'? take care of her."