A TERRIBLE TALE OF THE SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 5, 7 January 1889, Page 2

A TERRIBLE TALE OF THE SEA.

SHIPWRECK, STARVATION AND CANNIBALISM.

CASKS OF SALTED MAN,

(PltOM OUB SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

London , , November 31. Xot even the vivid imagination of Mr Clark Ruseell hae ever invented a more extra"

ordinary series of adventures than were re. labed laefc week by the survivors of the iron barque Glenmore, which loft Maryport for Buonoa Ayres just a year ago to-morrow, with a cargo of iron. Captain Lawrence was in command, with Thomas West as first tnate, and James Morgan aa second. To the lat.ter we are indebted for the following narrative :—We arrived at Monte Video, where we discharged cargo, took in ballast, and sailed for Talcaherauo,* Chili, on the 24th of March last. On the 7th of April we sighted land, being ten to twelve miles from Cape Diego. We had hoveto to wait for daylight, in order to enter the Straits between Stateo Island and Tierra-del-Fuego, which are known as the Straits of Lβ Maire. Shortly before midnight we eefc all sail, and tried to put the ship round the other tack. Owing to a sudden shift of wind she became unmanageable. At 1.15 a.m. she struck on a sunken reef and commenced to break up. It was blowing a gale and snowing at the bimo. We got out the lifeboat, and the whole crew, 16 all told, embarked in her. We left in such haste that we were not able to obtain any provisions or any clothing except what we stood in. At daybreak we pulled seawards, for tho frowning precipices on every side, towering thousands of feet above the sea, seemed to render ft tending hopeless. Several of the crew wece prostrated, and lay helpless in the bottom of the boat. The weather was excessively severe, there beiug ebarp froet with high winds. AN UNPLEASANT PROSPECT. Atone point, where the clifls lowered somewhat, a party of ten or twelve Fuegnans, naked, and all men over six feet high, appeared on the cliffs. They gesticulated and shouted, but all the seamen could distinguish were bhewords " knipe" (knife) and " biscuit." Not liking their appearance, and knowing that they had a reputation for cannibalism, the crow again put out to aea, and the following morning, the 9th, sighted Staten Island, .the extreme south-eastern portion of South America. We succeeded \ in landing there about Ove o'clock, at Flinders Bay. Here we obtained the first drink of water we had had since leaving the ship, about forty hours. During the night we sutiered intensely from the extreme cold. The next morning we found a case of curry on the beach and this, with some berries, which we found on stunted buthes, made us a sorry breakfast. We then launched the bout, and proceeded down .the land intending to make St. John's, where there is a lighthouse maintained by the Argentine Republic. By. four p.m. we wereolt utterly done up, and we landed ab Port Cook, where we ' feasted ' on mussels and limpets, which was all we got that night. The next day we proceeded, and landed at St. Johu's 'utterly exhausted. This i« a lighthouse and li e-bpat station, the community numbering about 30 people, including four women, and duriiig our stay there the first infant bom on the island made its appearance. We were most hospitably received. SEVERE SUFFERINGS. Mosiof us were # suffering severely from froes bite, and all of ut= from utter prostration : but we were carefully tended, and in afcoub a fortnight had well recovered. On our arrival we were informed that wo had come at a good time, as the relief steamer from Buenos Ayres, which is suppasod to visit the lighthouse evory three months, was due in a few days. She, howover, failed to arrive, and it was afterwards ascertained that sho had been wrecked on the voyage out from Buenos Ayres. Provisions" soon began to fail, though we had fair shelter and fire, for which abundant fuel was tound on the beach. Among other things stranded we noticed two pianos, three or four parts of coaches or carriages, furniture of various kinds, cases of spirits, and a great variety of other articles, including ships' timbers. We &t tiret had biscuit and tinned beef, but gradually come down to seaweed, boiled or raw at choice, a few fish, caught with hook aud Hue in the bay, now and aeain a seal, an unlimited supply of musaele, penguins, and "steam birds," in the capture of which, two dogs on the island were very expert. They had, however, to be soaked in vinegar, of which there was fortunately a good supply, for 24 hours before they could be eaten, so strong was their fishy flavour. LOSS OF A BOAT'S CREW. When we bad been on the island for two months, and things were about at their worut —£or there is a nine-months winter ] and three months bad. weather —a passing ship was sighted, and ten of our party put o!f to intercept her. She signalled their arrival, nnd we nupposed that they would put back with provisions and to fetch us off, but we never saw any more of. them, and could only conclude that' the boat on her turn was swamped and her crew drowned. Shortly after this our troubles were increased by the arrival of the crew of the British barque Cordova, which was lost close to. the same point us our own ship. Ultimately, on the 13th of September, the relief steamer arrived, and on !he 15th wo- bade farewell to our inVoltary quarters. Morgan tufded :—During our slay on the ialan 1 a etory was told to us by the lighthouse people, which I simply repeat. About IS months before our arrival there the crews of two vessels landed at Staten Island, about 25 miles from the lighthouse, and were apparently ignorant of its existence— indeed, ithas only been established about five yeare. After an interval of some weeks, 16 of bhe 32 arrived at the lighthouse - with a report that the others had died. Thoy were taken off by the relief steamer. Tho sequel ia that shortly before our arrival the lighthouse people, exploring the region of the reported landing of these men, ! found a little above high water level three or four beef barrels, which, on examination, were found to contain human remains, salted flown. 1 hesitate to say what the inference must be.