ARRIVAL OF THE S.S. ARAWATA.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 257, 31 October 1888, Page 4

ARRIVAL OF THE S.S. ARAWATA.

About 5.30 a.m. to-day the s.s. Arawata arrived from Fiji. She left Lcvuka at 10 a.m. 24th, and arrived at Suva 3.15 p.m. Proceeded to Navua and loaded sugar on the 25th. Embarked mails, passenger.., and cargo at Suva and left at 1 p.m. on the 26th. Passed Mount Washington at 6.40 p.m. : sighted Cape Brett at 11.30 a.m. on the oOth, arriving in Russell at 3.30 p. m. Discharged through mails, passengers and cargo for Sydney, and left at 5.30 p.m. Passed Tiritiri at 4.10 a.m. on 31st, and made fast to wharf at 5.30 a.m. Experienced strong south winds till 28th ; thence variable winds with line weather to arrival. The Arawata bring-, the following passengers : —Mis.es Dawson and Whitby, Messrs Harper, Hill, Cramoud, Henick, and McKenna. We are indebted to Mr A C. Walker, purser, for report and Fiji files.

STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA.

Twelve sailors of tho British barque Gylfe, who were rescued by the steamer Persian Monarch and landed at Now York on August 26th, have made the following sworn .statement to the British consul there: — They abandoned the vessel 500 miles off the Banks of Newfoundland, taking the barque's lifeboat and going aboard the Persian Monarch. The barque had signals of distress flying when the steamer sighted her. At the request of Captain Tait, tlie skipper of tho barque, all bands, excepting one man, left the craft. The second mate, Robinson, refused to leave the ship, declaring to the officers of the Persian Monarch who had boarded her that he considered the vessel in fairly good condition, and he thought ho could take her into port. When Captain Tait and the first mate reached the deck of the Persian Monarch, being asked about parallin, they also suddenly refused to abandon the barque, and called upon the crew to return. The sailors of the Persian Monarch advised them nob to return. Tho rescued men declare that the captain of the Glyfe deliberately scuttled his vessel, and saturated her with paraffin preparatory to firing her, requiring the crew to declare that she had 15ft of water iv the hold, which statement was untrue.