Wreck of the Surat.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 561, 6 January 1874, Page 5

Wreck of the Surat.

. Between eleven and twelve o'clock on Friday forenoon, a rumor began to be circulated in" Milton than an immigrant ship, the Surat, with some 300 souls, had been wrecked "somewhere between Catlin'a River and the Nuggets. On its reaching us, we made enquiry as to the foundation of it, and found that a man had come up from Catlin's River as a messenger from the signal master there to forward information to the Government as to the loss of the ship and safety of the passengers. Instead, however, of giving -immediate notice < to the police* authorities!, either at Balclutha when he passed through there, or at the police station here on the Thursday night when he arrived at Milton, it appears as if he was anxious to keep the fact — for some unknown reason or other— a secret, so that he should be the personal bearer of the news to the Government. Not, however, being able to gefaway with the morning coach, owing to its- being overloaded, he 'allowed liis secret partially to ilip out? but from his strange reticence not much importance was attached to what he said. However, it so happened tnat Mr Taylor, tinsmith, of Milton, had b brother coming out on board of the Surat, and he observing in the Dunedin papers a couple of days before that a ship bad been seen outside, supposed to be the Warrior; Queen or Surat, telegraphed in tKe forenoon of Friday ta Port Chalmers Jasking if the Surat had arrived, and - then ascertained that she was reported >s .wrecked /at Catlin'a .River. On receipt of this intelligence, he at once informed Sergt. Smyth of the police, who also informed us that he would at once proceed to the wreck. Being entirely ignorant of the particular situation and circumstances of the passengers, . we determined also to reach the scene of the wreck as quickly as possible. Here let us remark that fortunately the position in which the wreck took place was such that no evil results flowed from the delay in giving information at the nearest settled districts; but there can be no justification of the conduct of the messenger in not giving notice at the nearest police station, so that some constituted authority might be as speedily on the spot as possible, to maintain .order and propriety, or to secure the speediest succour and assistance. Full fifteen or sixteen hours were lost by the messenger's neglect or reticence, which might have been a matter of serious import under circumstances less favorable than those which happened in tbis case. Before making 1 a start, we telegraphed to the Provincial Secretary stating our intention of proceeding to the wreck, and offered to render any assistance,, but we presume this was considered impertinence on our part as we received no answer or acknowledgment. Having' mounted, and left instructions for any telegram to be forwarded to Balclutha, we got away by half- past twelve o'clock, and soon overtook Mr Taylor and Sergeant Smyth. Government hones being: proverbially slow, and those kept at Milton station, being no exception to the rule, Mr Taylor and our reporter determined to make tracks, and so parted company with our friend the Sergeant. Two o'clock, reached Balclutha, and there found that there was no doub? as to the fact of the wreck, and that Sergt. Finnegan, ot Balclutba, had proceeded to it; but no particulars had reached as to the situation of passengers, &s., excepting that they were all landed, and many of them had reached Outbrie's sawmills, Catlin's River. We decided then to take a buggy and fresh horses, both for speed and convenience, and while it was getting hitched up telegraphed back to Milton, but no reply from Government. Quarter-past two o'clock, we were again tr -veiling, and reached Owake Bridge by a quarter past 5 o'clock. According to advice, we here unhitched the horses, and took them tip to a settlers homestead (Mr Mlntyre'e), about two miles off. This piece of road is in its natural state, and /not fit for a machine; however,: we Kece glad to learn a con- j tract b a* been let for va formation. JJavinp got our horses put up, and partaken of Mrs M'lntyres kind hospitality, wespeeiily got on our track, which, we were t°ld> led some three miles through the busb, and would, take us to a point on the river opposite to the saw-mill. At Mr M'lntyre's we got but little more information, excepting that all were safe, and that most of the passengers were at -the saw-mill, where there was at least plenty to eat, there having been a supply of flour there, and Mr M In tyre having promptly killed a bullock, and taken it down to them. On reaching the river, about half-past 6 o'clock, a distance from Milton about 50 miles, we had to wait some little time before we could get across, but at last succeeded. Mr Taylor was not long in 'finding out his brother, and his narrative of matters, the main points of which were corroborated by the statements of others w*e append, knowing that Mr M'Puerson, formerly of Mr L'ewia' saw-mill here, was at Ltbjs mill, we soon found him, aad in reply to ouf ntst- in? quiry a|B to the state of the ; stores, ascertained; thaVhe'had plenty of flour fora day or two, and that Mr; M'lntjre, who was there, could . Iceep them in butcher meat. H^ had, however, distributed the whole of liis stock of tea, . As soon as our name became known, the doctor and miny of the passengers were anxious ia their inquiries as to when relief might be expected, and we- confess we folt yexed that we pouid not ajlaj their anxieties more definitely fbajj aw»rjng them

that no doubt a. steamer would be sent rouud at once for :thein, and explained bow that she could* not^have reached them by that time ; but, as many said, it would have- been more satisfactory had we been able to say that a steamer was actually coming. By the time we had concluded our inquiries, we found that it was getting too late to visit the wreck that night, and that even if we did, there was little to be seen or any good to be do73e by. it; so, notwithstanding Mr M'Phersoh's Irind offer to provide us a blanket, we determined to make back homo as quickly as .possible, taking Mr Taylor's brother with us and. a telegram from Mr M'Pherson to his employers, Messrs Guthrie and Co., for a supply of stores as soon as possible. The telegram wo forwarded on reaching Balclutha. Before giving Mr Taylor's account of the wreck, we may say that the kindness and hospitality that was shewn to the shipwrecked passengers by the people settled and employed in the Catlin's Eiver district was the theme of general comment, the conduct of the doctor also being spoken of in terms of the highest praise. On. that coast nowjiere could they have been more fortunate in obtaining a more immediate and abundant supply of provisions. At the. mill some fifty hands are usually employed, but mostly all the single men were away at Dunedin or elsewhere holiday-making, which enabled a considerable amount of accommodation to be placed at the disposal of the unfortunate passengers, whilst the wives of the married residents spared no exertions in baking bread and providing for the bodily wants of the sufferers, and when it is remembered that 300 had to be provided for, the labor they had to perform was no light task. "We truly hope the Government will not be slow to acknowledge it in some shape or form. Amongst those we heard specially mentioned for their kindness and exertions were Mes dames Heyward, Green, Thomson, Philip?, MKenzie, Day, and Skeddan. Others there no doubt were at the other saw mills which we did not go to. On crossing the river, to return, we found Sergr. Smyth and another officer of police had arrived, and we may state that since his return from Milton he speaks most favorably of the orderly conduct of the passengers, with whose appearance and behaviour, from what we saw and heard, we were most favorably impressed. On our return to Mr M'lntyre's, where we reached about 11 o'clock, we were again most hospitably entertained, and after resting for a couple of hours were kindly accompanied by Mr M'lntyre's brother back to the Owake, where, having yoked up, on a beautiful moonlight morning, we made the best of our way back to Balclutha. The buggy— a light single one— being overloaded had, of course, to be relieved by one of us alternately, walking over some of the roughest of the road, but reached Balclutha in time for breakfast and Yeend's morning coach. Mounting our horses, we reached Milton about half-past 10 o'clock — just 22 hours from starting. We regret to have to report that from the statements we heard there are matters of a serious kind that will no doubt be made the subject of judicial' inquiry. We will, therefore, refrain from giving very minute details f or expressmgany opinion as to the conduct of those in command of the ship. Nothing has been saved by the passengers, and many of them, we are told, have lost considerable sums of money and valuable property, which will ba a loss to the Province as well as to them.

From the ' Home News ' we find the Surat was a ship of 1,000 tons, and sailed from the port of London, her date of clearing being 27th September. Her cargo — a valuable one — consisted, besides 270 immigrants, of apparel and ready made clothing, export va]ue, L 5020 ; blankets and flannels, L 46 0; cotton goods, L 43 0; Haberdashery and hosiery, L 2,050; boots and shoes, L 5.011 ; cordage, LI 00 ; Ba wn woods, 20 londs ; paints, and varnish, LSB ; glasb, L 27 0; earthenware, LBS ; pipes, 9 cwt ; agricultural implements, Ll3O ; hardware and ironmongery, L 4.620; machinftry, L 270; upholstery and furniture, L 2 240 ; pianos and musical instruments, L 48 0; toys and fancy goods, L84O; oilmen's stores and provisions, Ll,020 ; salt fi<h, L 37 0; candle?, 137 cwt ; oil?, 3,120 aallons ; perfamery, L 22 5; cork, 1,430 lbs ; gunpowder, 134 cwt; fruits and ppices, 58 cwt ; sugar, 220 cwf ; .confectionery, L 500; chemicals,. L2lO ; drugs, LBS ; tobacco r 6.000 lbs ; sgriculfural speds, L 2-3 ; hops, 23 cwt ; beer, in glass, 88 barrels ; brandy, 500 gallons ; red and white wine, 770 gallons; bar and rod iron, £> tons ; galvanised iron, 7 tons ; sheet and plate iron, 1 ton; iron pipes, 3 tons; lead, 2 tone; nails, 5 toes ; tin plate?, 127 tons j wire, 16 tons.

The 'Guardian,' of Saturday, says that Port Chalmers was thrown into a state of considerable excitement yesterday morning:, by the sudden announcement that the Harbor Master had received a telegram to the effect that the ship Stirat, from London, with 270 emigrants on board, had gone ashore at Catlin's River. On the matter being made knoyn to Captain Jacquemard, of F.R.W. ship Yire, he, with great k:'ndness ? placed his ship, at the service of the Government, who accepted the kind offer, and she immediately prepared an 4 sailed down about § p.m for the scene of the wreck, taking with her Csptsiq Thomson, _■ Health-Officer and Harbor-master $ ifoQ^ Aljenj jpjcpjgration Agent; Mr Begg,- ship's agent $ Mr Elliott, New Zealand Insuraoce Office j Mr Weldon, Coaomiesioner of Police j and a few others. ' ./ . It algq furnishes tlie following inventory of cargo : — Per Siirat^ From London— 5,000 jbiTn t s, 1 case tools, 2,491 Tai.ls, 292 caseg/552 bars irop, 6 casks, ll^bgots, >Jfon. ; 3|lipisterrt^ubl;c i j iQQ •casks icer f 0 basw/ Tw?nb«l| . |ijc| Qq. j } 2 caeee.

H» worth; 154 casks, Robertson and Co.; 140 casks, Wrighv Stephenson, and Co.; 20 three- quarter-boxes, JDalgety JSichols, and Co.; SO^ots wire, ?4 kegs nails, 411 cases, 5 bales, 47 casks, 85 drums, 100 boxes, 25 tegs, order ; 125. boxes, Hughes and Harvey ; 189 cases, 12 bales, Ross and Grlendining ; 5 bundles, 3 casks, 1 case, Parke and Curie ; 2 boxes tin plates, 55 bundles, 1 box,, 1 case, 1 crate, A. and T. Burt; 25 crates Heeles and Co., 23 cases, 1 iron cylinder, 4 iron swifts, 5 do doffers, 5 frames, 1 package, 3 tanks, order ; 91 trunks, 6 packages, 93 cases, Heytnanson, Low, and Co.; 10 trunks, 86 cases, 303 planks, G-uthrie and Asher; 17 kegs nails, 24 bundles wire, 1 cask, Gunn and Ross ; 33 bundles "bar irooj 2 cases sheet iron, 7 casks, 2 crates, Oliver and tJlph ; 250 boxes, lQ cases, 50 casks, 5. bales,.2O quarter-casks, W. and J. Scoular ; 9 casks, Moore ; 42 boxes^ Walden 41 cases, Robinson and Co.; 3 bundles; 30 tanks, 2 boats, New Zealand Shipping Company; 262 packages, R. Wilson and Co.

Mr Taylor informs us that the ship sailed from London on the 26fch, and Q-ravesend on the 28th Sep., and then proceeded right on her course. Nothing very remarkable happened during the voyage calling for special mention, excepting that on one occasion they were nearly run on "board of at night by another ship. Sigbted Stewart's Island, saw a lighthouse, and were in sight of land . all Wednesday* the 31st, until dusk. About haff-past nine o'clock on "Wednesday (New Tear's Eve), the ship under full sail, suddenly struck upon a rock, and at every rise of the rolling waves she moved on and bumped again. This was repeated some six or seven times, and then she appeared to get clear of the reef. The first and second mates then ordered most of the sails to be taken in, and the ship was hove too. When the ship struck there was a great panic on j board, and everyone rushed upon deck ' r but on the ship being hove too the decks were cleared of the married people and young women. The first mate then came down between decks, and arranged that eight married men and eight single men should work the pumps alternately every hour. Without a murmur this proposal was agreed to, and pumpiDg was gone at and maintained with vigor till about twelve o'clock next day. When the ship first struck the weather was cloudy, and a slight rain was falling; but after the pumping was started the weather got much worse. The passengers and crew kept pumping all' night, and wearying much for daylight. When daylight broke the position of the ship was seen to be about a mile from land. No attempt was then made to move the ship out of ihe position she was in, and no attempt on the part of the captain or officers to take steps to save the lives of the passengers. Early in the morning a steamer was sighted going south, but the captain would not allow any signals to be made to her. The second mate, with five of the crew, then ( lowered one of the boats, and kept, alongside of the ship for some time, and then pulled off towards the land. He did not return to the ship to his (Mr T 's) knowledge till after the ship was anchored. After the second mate had apparently abandoned the vessel, the lifeboat was got launched, under the direction of the doctor of the ship, in which were the doctor, third mate, one of the single men, a married man, and a Bailor. The women and children were then passed into the boat, and while this was taking place the first mate came forward and stopped the embarking of the women, and said that the first one that got into the boat he would shoot, and at the same time picked up a . hatchet. A colored man, called Phillips, then interfered, and the mate aimed a blow at him ; but a man named Donovan caught the mate round the arms and wabt, aad prevented the blow being struck. When the mate was let go, he then drew his revolver and threatened to shoot Donovan, when Phillips rushed on the mate and, after a severe struggle, secured the revolver and handed it to the carpenter. The life boat then pushed oft with the women and children ihat were on board of her and made for rhe land. The passengers seeing that none of the proper officers of the ship were, in their opinioD, inclined to take steps to save life, requested the sailmaker to take command of the ship and do what was best under the circumstances. The sailmaker ordered sail to be made, and a man called Morris was at the helm, Tbe officers did not interfere witb the 'action of the sailmaker, as the passengers promised to protect him. While this was going od, the first mate ordered the pumps to be stopped, but the passengers refused. The ship was then steered ior 'he land under orders of the sailmaker. The •doctor not being aMe to find a landing returned to the ship, but shortly after a beach was discovered, and the vessel steered for it. - When the beach was discovered, the Captain threatened to shoot the first man that would leave* the ship, and drew his revolver. All that were in the lifeboat then came on board. The ship was then standing in for the beach. The Captain then ordered the anchor to be got ready, which was quickly obeyed, 'phe doctor again manned the lifeboat, and took a load of females and children, whom he landed on the beach to the south of Catlin's Eiver, The Captain in the meantime | prdered the anchor tq ba let go, which was done. The second mate was then 6een coming with bis boat, and the Captain orderea him to come alongside, and. he then took a load of passengers to the same beach. Another boat also wa9 got out, and all three boats kept plying between the shore and the ship t\\\ 'most of the fetaales were landed. ' The anchor chain then gave way, and tbe ship was drifted ashore on a beach nearer to the mouth of Clatlin'r aH hajids v?&s ]aoied flatly tbai^ ? excepting tiW'.flffV

mare and two sailors', wht> were left on hoard lying in/their bunks, until next day. Whfin landed a hut was seen.some distance up the beach, which, was njade for, and they were there informed of the position of the saw mills, to which, in the course of the day, those that were landed on that beach made their way, and, as well as circumstances would permit, were most hospitably and kindly, treated. Those that were landed on the first beach, being principally young -and married women, however^ did not fare the first night so wjjjjjj^as they had to remain in the scrub all night, with the exception of a few who got through the bush behind, which was very dense, being unable to get round the beach, which canrot be accomplished, excepting at low tide, as a large mass of rock intercepts the two beaches. They, however, all reached the mill safely next day, where every attention was paid to them. The doctor, carpenter, sailmaker, and some of the hands were very highly spoken of for their conduct ia working for the safety of the passengers. We have omitted a great many serious charges, which, no doubt, will come out in a judicial inquiry that is sure to take place. In the meantime, we add a graphic account of the rescue, taken

(from; txlb special correspondent of the | guardian.) I do riot expect that I need say anything introductory to the departure of the warship Vire, of the French Republic, for the scene of the wreck, as the circumstance* under which she left must have been made fully public by this time. It will be but fair, however, to mention what will appear inf erentially; and that frequently, further on, namely, the debt of gratitude which this Province, and indeed the Colony, owes to Captain Jacquemart, and his officers and men, for the manner in which they have done their duty as Bailors of a great nation. Of coarse what they have done was but their duty, and perhaps was no more than British officers and seamen .would have done for a foreign nation under similar circumstances. But there is a manner and a way of doing duty that elevates it into a loftier action, and this manner and that way Captain Jacquemart, and those who serve under him, possess. There was, throughout the whole work of fetching the immigrants by the Surat, a kindness of disposition, and a desire to be always doing something kind manifested, which I can scarcely describe in words.

We left Port Chalmers under eteam at 2.30 p.m., and cleared the heads at 3.15, shortly afterwards sighting a ship, evidently from home, and coming down on us at a rapid rate. Passing close by her we found her to be the Agnes Muir, after a passage of|9o days from London. There was a wind almost dead ahead for us, and as we were under easy steam (there being no use in getting to Catlin's River before daylight) we did not make very great way. In addition to jthe above •vye labored under the infliction of what ia nauticcJly known as "a ground swell." Personally t can aver that I never knew a more appropriate name if by it the idea is meant to be conveyed of bringing up, as it were, the very " grounds " of one's stomach.

After the delicate allusion to the Btate of your correspondent's health, above mentioned, I need not mention that it was with peculiar pleasure I learned at daybreak we were there; and, sure enough, as we stood in to a small indentation of the land, we could plainly see ahead of us, more on to the beach, where the surf broke white and high, a stately vessel with her foresailand fora an amizsntopgallant sails hanging loose. But that every now and then a wave bigger than its fellows broke upward and spouted in from above her counter, and ran along her rail and decks in a sweeping wash to the forecastle, where it again burst into foam, she presented no appearance of that broken or dismal condition which we almost always ascociate with chip-

wreck.

Catlin'a River runs into the sea over a bar close to a small rounded head, and sketching northward from the opposite side of the river is a spit and sand- beach of a couple of miles in extert. The Surat was beached about half-a-mile, at the furthest, from the entrance to the river.

passing to the southward of the head above mentioned, we come upon a small bay, and note at its southern extremity a point known a3 Bloody Jack's, after Borne notable and excessively sanguinary hero of olden and Maori time. We could, in the grey morning, make out the Wanganui at anchor under the point I have named, the name of which to repeat would be to render myself liable to an accusation of loving strong language. The b.b. Wallabi; which came in from the southward at the same time we arrived from Dunedin, ran close in to the stranded ship, and then describing a circle passed over the bar and entered the river. Oar party on board the Yire consisted of Captain Thomson, Chief Harbor-Master ; Mr Weldon, Commissioner of Police ; Mr Collin Allan, Immigration Officer ; and Messrs Reid and Elliott, insurance agents. Some of us at first could hardly be persuaded but that we saw people on board the Surat. Nautical eyes and telescopes, however, soon settled that there were no such thing, and accordingly, \t being necessary, if we would cross the bar at all and go. into the river, to do it quickly or the tide would fajl ua, one of the Vire quarter, boats was lowered, and the party I have mentioned, with, the addi'ion of your correspondent, after a tough pull, were landed inside the Heads, ' .

4n.(| her^ w.% cmickly. cam.c upon evidences of shipwreck. Camped unde? a few rough sails an 4 r.ui?.e coverings, near the. housg ftf, the Catlin's Riygr psp#, \^ere. some men and th,at peculiar, pergoflal appearance of new-ohqmishness kn^wft so. wel} to cqlqt njajs, $$ flot \fnfreq^i#y deaorjbo4 ftjr

them as liine-jucineoß. To the usual somewhat dazed appearance of new-chums, these people added a woebegone Janxl washed-out leok which made us feel at once that to be shipwrecked was no matter for joke. In the foreground an old man of Jan'acclimatised appearance was busy cutting up a pig for breakfast, and before long 1 learned that he and his wife were old residents of Dunedin, who had gone home and taken the trouble of coming out again in order to lose everything but the clothes on their backs at the end of the voyage. Standing on the bank of the river, a little further up, was a group of sea # faring men, and towards it we made. One of the group was |the captain of the Surat and, in answer to questions from Captain Thomson, he said that on Wednesday night the ship struck a rock off Chasland's Mistake. On Thursday morning he anchored in Bloody Jack's Bay, and landed some of the passengers. Finding the vessel was sinking, slipped the cable and ran ashore' in Catlin's Bay at 10.30 a.m., and then landed the remainder of the passengers. Nothing was saved except a little bedding and a few odds and ends. The mate and two men remained in the vessel until Friday morning at their own request, when they made a signal of distress and were taken off. The Catlin's River Harbormaster, on the captain of the Surat 1 s landing, proceeded by boat to Bloody Jack's Bay, and brought round six sick people who could not walk. The others, with very great difficulty, came through, the bush. At a latej period of the day, the captain stated further that he had sent a boat to the Wanganui steamer, which passed the Surat whilst in distress, and hoisted the ensign union down, but that the steamer did not wait for them.

This report of the^captain^s, as being'in a manner official, I give 'exactly as he made it to Captain Thomson. As a judicial inquiry will of course be made into the wreck, it would be manifestly most unfair on my part to say a word anticipatory of the evidence which I may believe will be given at that inquiry ; but I may say that, if this same cvi dence be founded at all upen that which nearly every shipwrecked person beside the captain was only too willing to tell us, then the evidence will be, to say the least of it, most, conflicting. For instance, passengers on board the Wanganui deny in toto that a signal of distress was shown.

As soon as the passengers had got together at Catlin's River, the main portion of them was sent off in two parties to the mills, a little up the river, whilst a few of those whom we now saw remained at and around the Pilot Station. It was decided that we should go up the river at once in the Wallabi, and collect these people, as it would be necessary to take them over the bar in the steamer before 3 o'clock, if they were to be put on board the Vire that night. With this in view we got on board the Wallabi, and about two ;inile3 up came to what is known a3 the new mill, where a large party of the immigrants were. We had previously despatched a couple of boats, under charge of Captain Thomson and Mr Reid, up a branch stream to the old mill for the other party. On landing at the new mill, we found the immigrants in as comfortable a state as was possible under the circumstances, owing to the very kind reception they had met with from the people there, and from Captain Thomson and Mr Reid. I subsequently iearned that matters were in a precisely similar condition at the Owake Mill. When the immigrants arrived at these places they were cold, wet, and hungry, and had been without food for over four-and- twenty hours, which, considering the number of children and infants among them, made things even more serious than they otherwise might have been. But, in every instance, the mill hands and employes cheerfully! turned out of their quarters and gave them up to the newcomers ; and what with plenty of fresh beef, bread, milk butter, neither man, woman, or child was long in want of substantial comfort. The coffee and other stores were also freely and fully afforded from- the stores at both mills, for which Messrs Guthrie and Reid should be thanked.

At the mill to which we had gone in the steamer were some of the married people, nearly all the single women, and some of the men, under the charge of the surgeon superintendent, Mr Teague, of whom, it may be as well to mention, every one spoke in the highest term 3, and who certainly seemed to us to |have been most attentive under the trying circumstances in which he found himself. He reported to Mr Allan that, so far aa any infectious disease was concerned, the immigrants were all right. A couple of newborn infants had died during the passage, aiid the mother of one of these, whose accouchment had taken place only a few days previously, was then lying in one of the huts very weak in consequence of the pro • tracted trouble and exposure which she had so recently undergone.

The steamer had towed up the Surat'a boats (amongst them the long-boat, which, I fancy, had Been water for the first time on the occurence of the wreck), and all haste was now made to get the immigrants on to the steamer by- means of these boats, as weliad to catch the tide at 3 o'clock, in order to go out over the bar. It was decided to leave the poor woman above-mentioned, with her husband, sister-in-law, and children, behind, as ?h,e wanted nothing but nourishjneqi ajud rest, which she coiled g«t on the spot, " and as moving her in.her^hen very weak condition would have been most dangerous. With the. assistance of a couple of policeme^ vKo had come overland^ thf> immigrants were quickly mustered and put into the boats, and tafceift to the steamer, under the supervision of Mr Co'mnji^sio^r WftWon,

And here I nifty be permitted perhaps to '-notige. Jww, «ye^ ujider. dangQrpy^ apd. dfch

tressing circumstances, human idiosyneracies always make a certain ludicrous side come uppermost. Few of these poor -people had saved more of use from the Surat than the mere clothes upon their backs; Yet in nearly every instance the immigrant had some precious two-penny-halfpenny treasure of peculiar value to himself or herself. ' The girls had each and all preserved little items of tawdry finery in the shape of feathers, [ke , which, after much manipulation to get the creases out, they disposed in the shockingest of shocking bad hats. Throughout all, male - and female, there was quite a mania for umbrellas, though why, in the excitement and clamour of a shipwreck, the human mind should dwell upon, and the human hand should clutch, an umbrella, lam unaware. Still the fact was so. From fashionable and slim silk down the gradations of alpaca, gingham, and cotton, there were umbrella* in great variety. One old lady, who had to be helped about, clung tenaciously to a bundle of four umbrellas, as if the personal safety of all present depended upon her preserving them intact.

As for the children, they evidently did not realise the extent of their misfortunes. Those who had the pleasure of walking and talking yet in prospect devoted themselves to intermittent researches after sustenance, either from Nature's font, or tho substitute of glass and indiarubber, which modern science has supplied. Between rfha researches they howled or crowed, according to their moral bent, and reached for things in an aimless way. The children who could walk and talk evidently regarded the whol» affair as a kind of life in the woods, or prolonged picnic, get up with a special eye to> their enjoyment; and as they had homemade bread and butter in such quantities that they distended themselves to painful tightness with the former, and grew •leagin* ous externally from the latter, they were, for the most part, in the seventh heaven of children's paradise. Bottles of milk were of no account, so many were there.

Having got aboard the Wallabi, on© crowd of passengers camped around upon the deck, where they were speedily joined by the number of others brought from Owake tinder Captain Thomson and Mr Reid ; and I noticed amongst these latter the sama umbrella tendency as amongst the former^ whilst in addition they had some live stocky in the shape of a thrush in a cage, and a smutty poodle dcg, rescued from the Snrat. The poodle bore his misfortunes peevishly, declining food except such bits of human flesh as came near ; but the thrush must have got used to being shipwrecked, for ha lifted up his voice and sang against time all the way down the river. The Bailors |wera mixed up with the passengers, but wera easily recognisable. Fratly, because, with the exception of two or three who had hurt themselves, and who, I learned, had worked like bricks, they had all saved their kits, and looked carefully after them ; and secondly, for a resolute disposition which they mani fested under no circumstances to lend a hand anywhere. One of the mates did turn to work like a man, and the captain had helped a female or two down the bank from the mil], and into the long boat ; but, with these and the foregoing exceptions, I cannot say much for the readiness of the crew, who, as Bailie Nicol Jarvie said, to Francis Osbaldistone, seemed to have " taken deeveleesh quid care o' themselves." The captain had found time in the hurry of the wreck, too, to aave a certain quantity of jewellery, which was visible in the shape of a gold chain and pendant, and I believe he did not lose his entira wardrobe. In connection with the above, it may ba noted that a jury of wrecked matrons who had assembled in the cabin discussed the captain's merits, amidst such distractions as shedding tears and' giving each other brief memoirs of the narrators' lives, and, in his (the captain's) absence, were unanimous in condemning him to all sorts of torments, here and hereafter. I have said something : from which it might be inferred that I thought some of the Suratfs seamen wera rather selfish. A few of the immigrants I have no thought about : of their selfishness lam certain. More than one great hulking fellow munched bread and butter and drank milk whilst he let his wife and children " fossick " for themselves. I heard Mr Reid address an individual of this nature ia a manner more pointed than pleasant, and, as, .. the address was coupled with a warning of probable personal consequences in case of neglecting its advice, it had a very happy effect. As a rule, however, the behaviour of the immigrants was very admirable, and they showed a most desirable unanimity in what is popularly called " keeping up their pecker \ When we arrived near the, river's mouth wa found we had an hour fully to wait before wa could, take the bar, and accordingly it waa determined to hold a survey of the wrecked vessel at the request of the captain ; and in pursuance of this resolve Mr Reid, Captain Thomson, Harbor-master, Captain Leys of the Wallabi, and Mr Mills accompanied by a few of us who went unofficially, landed and walked along the beach until we got Apposite the Surat. Having ascended a small sand hummock, we had, with the aid of fieldglasses, a capital view of the lest vessel. Except that she seemed to have bedded herself deep.W ia the sand, her appearance had not at all altered since the morning, and her gunwale and sides showed no twist or deflection, it being qxute plain, that, barring the injury to her bottom., she was still whole and sound. Her saloon, we learned from those wh.q h.ad last left her, was quite gutted , but this, was not to b@ wondered at considering that every now and tLen a great green sea wo^d break and divide on her stern and * then seethe and hiss along her bulwarks, . dosing in and washing her decks until it met v resistance forward > and agaia dashed into the air. Theie she lay, tajl and stately, classed Al for 30 yeajra *4 years ago, a strong, good shi|> worth I^QQOtf she WB| worfo ■ p« W

' with a cargo worth over LIOO,OOO more. Money should take the romance out of every : * thm^b^^bmehow, ;when I saw a.fine craft worth 'all those thousands of pounds, as much 'beyond our present reach for rescue as if Bhe were at the bottom 6f the sea, it did seem a -* Bad and pitiable sight. . Afer making as care- *' ful a surveyas was possible under the circuni- : atances, the following document was drawn «P : — '■'' ■':■.-'. '• '■■■■■■

"Survey held, this third day of January, 1874, at the request of Captain Johnston, on the Jihip Surat,, as she now lies beached in Catlin'fl Bay, by the undersigned, and we report as follows : — . . "That the vessel is waterlogged, and the teas breaking over her. "That the Captain reports having struck " upon a reef down the coast, and finding his Teasel in a sinking state, beached her to save the lives of passengers an . crew* "As the vessel now lies on an exposed part of the coast^ and is liable to break up *at any moment, we recommend that the Vessel be abandoned and sold for the benefit of whom it may concern. * . "G. F. Reid, Master-Mariner. ' - ■ "Wac, Thomson, Harbor-Master. "James Lets, Master s.s. "Wallabi " Robert Mills, Shipwright." As there was a very heavy ground swell coming in, to which the Vire was pitching and rolling in a decided but dignified manner and to which the Wanganui, anchored abreast ©if the wreck was capering quite lively, it was agreed, on getting again abreast of the Walabi, that the passengers would have to be transferred to the French man-of-war by jsoata. after going outside. Therefore, the Suraf s lif e-boate were taken in tow to help, and we passed over the bar and out into the ocean with a parting three cheers given by a .number of settlers assembled on the beach. r All speed was made to the Vire, to whose ■tern we were soon fastened by a hawser, and then the work of transhipment commenced, "aided by the French vessel's boats ; and a work it was seeing that the only way of get- ' -ting from the Wallabi to the boat, and afterwards from thebpat to the Vire, was by a sort of leap for life, when a wave brought boat - and steamer together as the latter rolled backwards and forwards. But with the help of Mr Weldon and one of his policeman, of Mr Reid, Captain Leys and some volunteers, all was accomplished with only an average amount of ducking. The style in which the two lieutenants and the boats' crews of the Vire didjtheir work was quite wonderful when contrasted with the clumsy manner adopted in the Surat's life-boats. The French Bailors stood upon nothing and nursed babies caught in a dexterous manner, whilst they helped the mothers into the boats, and bore their (the mothers) weights upon their toes and other portions of their figures, and apologised all the time, as i£ they were the injurers and not the injured. Not one who aawhow carefully, quietly, and admirably they managed but would have said that as teamen tliey were a credit to any nation. The Vire/ having been employed in the transport of troops, has a spacious 'tweendecks and here provision had been most •xtensively made with blankets and bedding, 00 that the women and children were no Sooner on board than they were sent below, and made comfortables Cookery on a large acale must have been going on for some time, too, fora good meal, with plenty of meat and half-a-pint of yin ordinaire, that would have been first-class claret in a Dunedin hotel, was served out to all, with tea and medical comforts for those who required them, under the constant attention of a quick, kind French doctor. And still there were gome who, as the comic singer sings, were f« not happy." I saw one lumbering brute take up a bit of meat which, as having been cooked by a Frenchman, he eyed in an offensive and hostile manner. Presently his appetite overcame his patriotism and British «pirit, for he took a good a good bite, when, with an air of the utmost wonder, he turned to a companion and said, " I'm blowed if 'taint good meat." The manner in which he irent for the joint baffles description. The Wallabi, haying done her work, headed for home with one or two of the immigrants, who were too sick to bear the tough though short passage in the boats, on hoard, in charge of Dr Teague. For the Vire : as there was no good to be pained by getting to Port Chalmers before daylight on Sunday morning, we set off under easy •team, and as night came down the weary immigrants settled to rest. " And above ihe funnel's roaring, And the fitful.wind's deploring, 4 I could hear the 'tween-decks snoring With umVsrsnl nose."

So fdi? illy 6c.ii'riptioa of the loss of the Surat and the rescue of her passeugars may lack the element of interest which could be easily lent if I told half of what I heard on good authority concerning the same. I have plainly stated above my reasons for giving no more than the official account famished by Captain Johnston to the Harbor- master, and taken down by the latter and myself, and compared and .found subsequently to tally exa&tly. 1 tell the mere truth, however, '■when;! say that in casual conversations afterwards I heard CJaptain Johnston amplify and vary this same, statement very considerably. 'Whilst any matter is sub judiee nothing ■ihouldbe told in anticipation of what will* I ha,ve no doubt, be shortly presented as sworn testimony. If any person choose to present ■tich for the (Sake of causing excitement, he is .; welcome to the fame and publicity which he jnay acquire thereby . I v am not aware-that ihere-was on board' another newspaper cbr_ Xf|^ohdeiit besides myself. After 'the Tire haa s^ted it is true a : gentleman emerged from the^ forecastle, flitted abput.for a while, «in 4 wM not seen,, certainly^

the quarter deck, or in the ward-room or captain's cabin. „.., He turned, tip in the boat going ashore, and I heard him- making assertions as to the probabilities of raising the Surat. Further, he mentioned that he* was a correspondent for a newspaper, but as such he was not known on board by Captain Jacquemart or his officers, who would, I feel certain, have accorded every possible courtesy to a duly accredited representative of the Press, Should any sensational accounts of the wreck, &c, be published in consequence of the few incidents I have mentioned, I caw only take my stand (however true they may be) on the rule I have laid down above.

I observe that 'some erroneous items have been published (not by the 'Otago Gaardian') purporting to have been received by telegraph as to the Surat's cargo. The plain facts are these : She has on board, I believe, a large quantity of railway iron and plant for the railway workshops, to the amount, so those say who ought to know, of L 75,000. Further, she has a plant fora "woollen factory belonging to a -saloon passenger, Mr Booth, whose evidence, I may say, will be interesting ; and she has besides a quaiitity of drapery and miscellaneous goods. The New Zealand Insurance Company stand to lose L 13,000 by her. As to what will becpme of her, that is a difficult question for even an experienced seaman to tell. Should wind and weather prove fair she is certain to remain whole for some time, and much of her cargo could be saved. But on© good gale from the nasty quarter and she would go under the yellow sands. It would be possible to say this much in many more words, and wrapped up in much conjecture, but I prefer not. to do so.

There is not much more to be told. We had a beautiful trip to Port Chalmers, *nd before the immigrants left the Tire they had each a coffee royal of good proportions, and something to eat into the bargain. A special train conveyed them and their scanty belongings from Port to the barracks afc Caversham. It would be unfair to conclude without a further reference to Captain Jacquemart and his officers. I have read that Government are to pay all the expenses of his trip. I may be wrong, but T think I am tight in saying that Captain Jacquemart declines such a shopkeeper mode of proceeding, which is characteristic of the publishers of the rumor, and which would "sell his good offices for gold." The people and Government will repay Captain Jacquemart and his officers as the people and Government of British colonies know how to repay such work as hia ; but I scarcely think it will be by coals and meat. Fcr myself and those that were given passages by the Vire, I do not care to express at length the sense we have of the more than kind manner in which the French gentlemen treated us. I have every desire to etilarge upon the matter, but refrain in order to avoid egotism.

A special train was despatched from the Dunedin station at about 7.30 o'clock yesterday morning to convey the immigrants to the barracks, where they arrived between 9 and 10 o'clock, accompanied by Mr Allan, Immigration Agent. On Saturday the Government, in order to provide for the wants of the immigrants, sent the following supplies to the barracks :— Fifty pair of blankets, two dozen bed covers, four pieces of calico, three pieces of flannel, twelve dozen socks, twelve dozen shirts, four pieces calico ticking, ten dozen hose, one parcel haberdashery. His Honor the Superintendent visited the barracks about two hours after the arrival of the immigrants, and went through them, in order to ascertain what was required in the way of clothing, &c. Instructions were given to Mr Allan to obtain to-day any further supplies in the way. of clothing that might be necessary, The barracks yes terday presented a rather animated appearance, the matron and Mrs J)uke and others being diligently engaged in distributing the flannel and other articles to those whose needs were greatest. Mr Allan himself also remained at the barracks until the afternoonThere were about 49 married couples, 50 to 60 single women, and about 70 men inclusive of Ithe sailors, who also received accommodation at the barracks, to be provided fo» ; but, notwithstanding this demand, towards evening everything was beginning to assume an orderly appearance, and the immigrants to prepare for the night's rest. The regular meals were also supplied with punctuality during the day.

I may, in perhaps a not very connected conclusion, notice that on board the Vire there is a sheep of the male faculty who drinks brandy and chews tobacco. This cultivated animal, who rejoices in the name of " Robert Je Diable," was ©riginally brought on board to serve as cooked mutton for |the ship's company ; but, developing talents of a iiigh order, and a taste for human society, did not meet his anticipated fate. Od the contrary he was made a pet of by the sailors, and now |s rath&i? a ?&ore important personage than tjie captain, it being his JtUie to go exactly where he likes, and to go out of the way for no one. The word was " passed forward " for Robert, and he came into, the wardroom in a Gondecending'^kind of way. There he proceeded to take in " a gonfu3ion of mixed drinks " that would have knocked over a human topsr in no time. First, he had various liquors from vermouth to absintl>e on lumps of sugar, which he quite winked over with enjoyment. Then he was given brandy jn a soup-plate, as when 1 wineglasses were invented it wag not -thought that sheep would drink, and he lapped this up greedily and. asked f Drjmore. But there being no more for him, he took a quid of tobacco and went away phewing^rthe cud perhaps. On another occasion, Ec came to the ward-rbom without an invitation whilst I was writing there: alone. Putting his head in the door, and seeing no pne in uniform, he |ooked\ my

carefully Over, arid deciding, I snppose,'tha£ as a civilian, I had no right to interfere with his movements, he proceeded in a leisurely manner to open the sideboard and make a de'jpuner not ala fourchette. He had some loaf-sugar aud some cheese, some butter and a radish* a little Worcester sauce , and a few pieces of bread, when, suddenly rememberirig that he was thirsty he put his fore-trotters on the top of the sideboard, and started fair to uncork the brandy-,. Fearing a suspicion of complicity' in his depredations, at this point I yelled for the steward, who ran in and Robert retired wider a protest, evidently not thinking tnat the rules of the French service permitted of his being kickecßrat by anyone under the rank of a lieutenant.