INQUEST.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 834, 26 June 1855, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon, at the Victoria Hotel, Fort-street, before the Coroner, H. J. Anlrews, Esq., iif.D., on the body of James Bruce. Thomas Cubbins sworn : I am master of the ship Hock City, the cjeeeasttd was «teward oa

board; I saw him alive on Saturday eveuing j l;ifct, about half-past 9 o' lock; at daylight on Sunday morning, I mi&sed r.he long-boat from astern of the ship ; the steward was also missed j I concluded that he had g«ne away in the longboat, which had been nearly full of water for several day) pievious; on Sunday I mudo search for the long-boat; in the evening 1 called at ( apta'n Burgess" (the Pilot's) house, and inquired if ho had teen anything of a bhip's long-boat ; from information I received there, I accompanied Captain Burgess, about 9 o'clock on Sunday night, to tho island of Rangitoto; after searching several creeks, we found the long-boat on the rocks; the doceascd was lying down in the boat; he was quite dead ; there was no water at the fore part of the boat, where the deceased was lying, at time ; we removed him to our b>at, and brought him to Auckland; I know no reason why the steward should wish to leave the ship ; there bad been no quarrel with him ; no one else was absent at the time ; there were no oars in the boat ; he always appeared satisfied with the ship. Tsaac James Burgess sworn : I am Harbourmaster of Auckland ; on Sunday evening, about half-past 7 o'clock, Captiin Cubbins, of the Bock City, called at my house and inquired if I had seen a ship's long-boat ; my brother having seen something like a boat in the morning drifting towards Rangitoto, he thought it was a Maori canoe, as we saw a man paddling it; I went with Captain Cubbins to Rangitoto, where we found the boat; the deoeased was in it; he was quite dead ; we convoyed the body to Auckland Major King having been sworn, stated : I am a waterman at Auckland ; I knew the deceased, as steward of the Rock City ; on Friday morning last, he requested me to come off for him that night at 12 o'clock, he said he had a brother at Onehunga, and he wished to go to him ; I told him if he would get leave to go on shore I would tako him. Walter Lee sworn, said : I am a surgeon, practising in Auckland ; I have examined the body of the deceased ; there are no external marks of violence sufficient to cause death ; there can be no doubt that the immediate cause of death was drowning. The Jury then adjourned till five o'clock, to | allow of two witnesses being sent for from on board the Rock City. At tiVe o'clock they reassembled, and, after hearing the evidence of the two witnesses (which was similar to that of Captain Cubbins), the Jury returned the following verdict : — Verdict — Found dead in the long-boat of the Rock City; cause of death, exhaustion.