MISCELLANEOUS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3188, 4 October 1867, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS .

H.M. Charybdis, b.c, 21 guns, Captain Algernon Lyons, returned to her anchorage in thia harbour at six o'clock last evening, after a short cruise roundWaiheki the Thames river.and Cape Colville. The Charybdis left her anchorage on Monday.and sailed across the Thame9 the same afternoon. On the following day Captain Lyons and officers proceeded in one of the boats up to Kauaeranga landing-place and surveyed the newV-opened goldfield, returning to their vessel in the evening, and taking with them some specimens from the reefs. On Wednesday made sail and stood away for Cape Colville, and, after cruising off the coast, returned to port as above. # The paddle-steamer Enterprise No. 2, CapUm Scon, arrived at the Queen-street Wharf at 5 39 last evening from Kauaeranga, Thames, with eight pas■eneerf- She report* that the cut ten Fly, from CoromaSdel, Cornstalk, Sydney, and Emma, from Auckland, and Beveral other*, were lying there when she left. The Cornstalk and Sydney were about to l«ave for Auckland. Passed the steameri Tauranga and Midge, bound down with passengers, steaming and sailing- r . . „ „ The screw steamers Tauranga and Midge left the harbour for the Thames goldfield yesterday in company with each other, having sundry cargo and about 75 passengers on board. Both steamer* return to- * The brigantine Fanny, Captain Downing, sailed yesterday for Newcastle, K. S.W. , in ballast. The cutter Tay from Matakana, Endeavour from Waikeki, and schooner Lily fronX Waiheki, arrived yesterday, with cargoes of firewood. # The cuttQr Rangatira sailed last evening for Kauaeranga, Thames, with stores and seyen pasFour Sisters, Hfctfield, maiter, arrived yesterday from the Wade, with a cargo of firewood,

flax, g»m, and four passengers. # The schooner Mary for Maraitai, and cuttera Stag for Omaha, and Princa of W*les for Pnhoi, sailed yesterday, in ballast. The cutter Bessy, Combes, master, sailed last night for Kauaeranga, Thames, with a cargo of s»wn mber, one horae and dray, &c. The schooner Mavis and cutter Wangarei sailed yesterday morning for Wangarei, full cargoes of general merchandise and passengers. The cutters Alabama for Kopu, and Rapid for W*iroa, Thames, with general cargoss, aailed ye«°Thecutter Doady, Eyre, master, sailed yesterday for Hauraki, with sundry merchandise. The cutter Clyde arrived yesterday from Mahuranei, with a cargo of firewood. ....,». The schooners Sea Breeze and Joanna left the harbour in company yesterday morning for the Bay of Islands, with general cargoes and passengers. Amongst the latter we noticed Captain Wright, Chief American Consul, who is on a Tisit to the New Zealand ports. . . ThbHbro.— The cutter Hero, Captain Davies, anchored off the North Head on Wednesday night, after a quick run from Wangarei. She reports having left the Heads at 2-30 p.m. on Wednesday, and Wangarei at noon, arriving as above at half-past ten o'clock, making the run in seven hours and a lalf from the Heads. She brought up five passengers, and a small cargo of kauri gum and settler* Pr The C cutter Bittern, Captain Stuckey, saUed*yesterday for Wangapoa mills, East Coast, and Wellington, with timber and general cargo— the former to be shipped at Wangapoa mills. The schooner Elizabeth Mary for Puhoi, and oute r Orpheus for Tairua mills, sailed yesterday, in b *WRECK OF THE SCHOONER SHAMROCK ON Vttatatatoa Rw, near Vatoa ISLAND.-The following particulars are furnished by W. H. .Berry, arjassenEer.— Mrs. Berry and myself, as passengers, left Tonea by the schooner Shamrock, as you are wet awa?e on Friday, 29th of March, and had fine wetter with .fair wind for Ovalau. On Sunday morning, about half-past 12 o'clock, I saw the island Vato^, and reported it to the captain— l fihould say only three or four miles off at the farthest, and no one saw it but myself until I p-uuted it out, and there could be no one on the look-out forward. When we left Tonga I was not aw»re we were so short of bauds— only captain, mate, one sailor, supercargo and cook. I was myself on deck until after 1 o'clock. Thiukingall was safe Iwentbelow, butcould notrest forabouthalf an hour. I went on deck again, being on the weather-side, when all at once the captain asked me to take the helm and keep to the south, which I did, not knowing what he yam going to do ;— I believe it was to take down the iquaresail. When he came aft he took the helm from me, and not until then did I see any danger, when I heard and saw the breakers. When the captain took the wheel from me he gave orders to 'bout ship, and, not having sufficient hands to work her, missed stays, and in a few minutes we were oast on shore on the reef of Vuatavatoa, about two houn after sighting the island of Vatoa. Fortunately the break was not so much as it might have been, owing to the tide having but little ebbed, and at low -water the vessel was left with a foot of water around her, and wat bilged. After some of the excitment wai over, we set to to make a raft, and got a imall one made on deck, and at daylight got it launched overbo»rd, I having five or six empty chests, which we fastened to the raft to make it buoyant, and got some things on it. When the tide made we took the raft into tenor twelve feet water, about the middleof the reef, andanchored it, where we were safe from theseasor much swell. Mm. Berry, myself, the supercargo, and apassenger from New Zealand, slept on the raft, tiie crew in theirboat, which was not of much use. The nextday we made a large raft from the foremastyards, spari, cnb, and what timber and door* I had on board, and took it to toe place of the other raft, nn.dth.oa

placed everything from the other to it, and got it well anchored with two or three small anchors, for three or four days we were exposed to all weathers night and day. I spoke to the captain. I thought it would be better to have a sail put over the raft]; so he got some American duck, and made a sort of tent, and covered it over, and luckily for us, as it came on to rain heavily, the same evening it was put up. After being ten day* on the raft the captain thought proper to repair the old boat he brought from New Zealand, and « assisted him in doing it j but he gave me no information what he was going to do. lam sorry to say he was drunk the moifc part of the time on the raft (I have known him to drink five or tix bottles of champagne before dinner), and his language was disgusting above measure. On Wednesday, the 10th April, after breakfast, he got into his boat, with a crew of three men, and when ready to start said any one of us could go with them to the island, ana I did not know until then what he was going to do. The paisenger from New Zealand went with them. It being very fine weather, they got to the island safe, and landed the passenger and one of *a»ccew (Charley), and on his leaving again with two hands and a Tongaman, in going over the reef edge the boat upset, and if he had not left the Tongaman go with them (at first he ordered him out of the boat, but he would go) they would have been all drowned. As it was one of his men (cook) lost his life. Fortunately for the other two, the Tongaman took them to a rock, which they Btuck to, and after some time the Tongaman (Richard) got on top of a rock, and was seen from ashore, and they were at Ust taken off by a canoe. The next day the natives in small canoes came off to us ; but the chief (Tui Vatoa) would not let Mra. Berry go off in bo small a canoe, but sent his men back again, and gob one-half of his large canoe fitted up to get us off, the other half being broken. So on Saturday, 13th April, being the fouiteenth day on the raft, we were taken off with a few things safe on shore, although a heavy break on the reef. Three of the men were washed overboard in going in. Since landing I have managed by the natives to get off the principal part of my goods from the vessel, on fine days. Some of my boxes have been put under water for eight weeks, so you may suppose what state the contents must be in, being saltwater. However, we thank God that our lives have been saved from a watery grave, and at present in good health, waiting in hopes that the missionary schooner Jubilee will soon viiit the island, as we have no other chance of communicating to Lekemba without the canoe. I send this hoping to be in time to catch the man-of-war at Tonga, and report it to them, as lam of opinion that there should be an examination as to the wreck in general.— Sydney Morning Herald.