Correspondence. LOSS OF THE 'CULGOA.'

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2865, 1 October 1866, Page 4

Correspondence.

LOSS OF THE 'CULGOA.'

To the Editor of the Daily Southern Caoss. Sir, — In your valuable paper ,1 believe jthe < public have had a description: of the .first attempt of departure of the ship ' Culgoa ;' now it is myoduty, as one of the, seamen, to give you a brief description of the second day's proceedings. The night preceding, the ship was brought in by: Mr. Gr. Martin, and safely anchored, in : 7 fathqma of, water, .with '4s fathoms oi chain on star board, anchor, .and. about 9 fathoms on the port.^uehor;* Tl^port^uhmnj; being foul, could not give it more. , ThQ>captain came' on board th&^ana^ night,, and took , full pnarge, and the pilot like wiB»^»ad in the morning the remainder of the crew went on board the vessel, , still being safely moored, to the best of my opinion and that of all the crew, The order was piven by the captain to heave the anchors, and it was blowing fresh from thei N.E, ; and by the time we had ,the anchors up it was close on high water. And the > ship being water-logged, with the mainmast ,h»ngiug, over hen side, in my opinion ib was a very foolish idea to, take her from her moorings. Then we, went across; the harbour, and they said the ship was aground, and we let go the anchor and gave her about 15 fathoms of chain. The captain went ashore with the second mate and three men in the gig. Immediately the captain went on bhore it was ordered forj the crew to go to dinner. We had finished dinner some three-quarters of an hour ; there was no order given for any watch, to stay on deck, and I myself, happening: to cope on deck, saw the ship approaching the bar rapidly. I immediately called the crew forward, and told them the ship was drifting on the bar again. I then proceeded aft, and to my great surprise I found the chief officer, carpenter, and pilot sitting down comfortable in the after cabin. After I had .warned them, they came out and paid out more chain, until it broke ; and the port chain .being foul, as it had been all the morning, they could not let it go, therefore she drifted on the tail end of the south spit again. It was a miracle our lives were saved by taking to a boat in a strong ebb tide, still leaving two men on board. Sir, I think it my duty to let you know that I think there ought to > be a pilot more fitted for his work than the ' one is at present. If the vessel had been left, where she was moored, she would have been safe till the weather moderated. It was either downright carelessness, or most unseamanlike, to lift the anchors > as the weather was at that time. And, Bi'r, I think it my duty, as a seamau of that vessel, to report such an occurrence to yon, for it to be made known to the public, to let the public know how seamen's lives are put at stake through carelessness.— l am, sir, &c., Alex. Ebtjce, Seaman of the barque ' Culgoa.' Hokianga Heads, September 20, 1866.

To the Editor of the Daily Southern Cross. : Sir, — These few lines are from the crew of the barque ' Culgoa,' with respect to the loss of the said vessel at Eokianga. We (the crew) being now in Auckland, beg to give the following statement :— We got underway from Webster's house, and made sail, the pilot being onboard at the time. ■ The pilot; took us outside of the heads and then left us. ■ He had not left us over half-an-hour when. we struck on the bar, the wind being fair, and the tide began to ebb ; so we took to our boats, and landed on the south head. We left iv the evening, and weDt up to Webster's, who put us , into a shed and never as much as asked us to have some tea ; but the cook had to get some salt beef and tea, and go to look for a place to cook it. We were just in the act of having ' something to eat, when one of the pilot men, came ' up, and told us that the ship was in the heads, and ' that Mr. Martin had gone on boar/1 and moored her abreast of the pilot-house. So the next morning we manned the boats and went on board the ship ; we hove the anchors up, to get the vessel up the river ; ,but the wind being fre.sh.er, ,we drifted into the middle grounds. When she was aground, we let go the port anchor, and then we went to dinner. The captain, 'the second mate, and three hands went .ashore, =and we were all in the forecastle, when one jof >thehands went out and found that she was drifting outside the heads. We then went on deck and letgo'the star board- anchor; The cable parted, and jthen.'we made for the boat, or probably we should all have, been Jost, for there was a be%vy sea ; and two hands were left onboard ;. but, thank God, the vessel came-dn r that night, < and the' pilot went and took them from' the ship. — We are, &c, James Cabnbt, ) q c James JRobinson, J oeMmeu> • September 29,1866." -

PRESENTATION, TO ME. ELSIN. PN'Sundiiy, the 30th, ultimo, .a deputation of the Hebrew congregants, Messrs. D. JS'athan, P. A. Philips, XI JDoitth,"-H." Keesing, P. E. Myers, with others, waited on the Rev. Mr. Elkin, at his residence,, and , presented him, on ■ beßulf^of »> luge number of the members of the congregation, .with » i purie of sovereigns, as * m*rk of their high appreciation of his earnest and indefatigable tervices in the cause of religion and education in that com* munity.