THE MISSING BOAT'S CREW.

Evening Star, Issue 5226, 4 December 1879, Page 2

THE MISSING BOAT'S CREW.

The ' Southland News ' has the fallowing -Mr Joseph Hatch, the owner of the schooner Awarua one of whose boat's crews has been reported missing from the Auckland Islands by the schooner Friendship, which called there recently on her way up from tho Campbell Islands—informs us that on hearing the news he chartered a cutter and went to Stewart Island, to make further inquiries from the master of the schooner. On arriving there, however, ho found the Fiiendship had sailed for Duuedin early that morning—Sunday, 30th ult. He was, therefore, only able to obtain further information from Captain Greig, the R.M. at Port William, and Captain Tom Cross, an old resident there. They stated that Captain Wilson, of the Friendship, being about to leave the Campbells, was pemn.ded by Mr Hatch's party there, to take them on board and bring them home, tho Awarua not having returned with provisions so soon as they expected. On the way up, they called at the Aucklulns, expecting to find another of Mr Hatch's crews, which had been landed there by the Awarua in July last Ou visiting the hut in Carnoy Hirfnr they f>und i; deserted—the men's clothing, watches, and blankets remaining there—the stores and provisions gnawed and strewn about, apparently by the rats. No trace of the men themselves could be found by the Friendship's people, or by a boat's crew belonging to the American whaler Thomas Dodson, which had followed the Friendship into harbor, her men being all more or less affected by scurvy. The latter, however, reported having seen two dogs on tho western side of the island, and were thus led to suppose that the boat's crew had been lost, and that tho dogs alone had succeeded in reaching the rocks. The supposition is, however, dissipated by the fact since ascertained by Mr Hatch—that no dogs were left at the Aucklandß. Those Been were therefore probably wild ones. A letter found nailed to the table of tho hut, signed by Captain Ih-ew, of the Awarua, showed that the vebsel had made the discovery that the men were missing before the arrival of the Fiiendship—the Awarua having called there with stores on her way to the Campbells (where she is now supposed to be). Under these circumstances Captain Wilson, of the friendship, left Mr Hatch's crew—which he had brought up from the Campbells—at Carnley harbor, expecting the Awaiua to call for them on her way up. AVhether Captain Drew will do so or not is doubtful, Captain Wilson having left word by letter at the Campbells that he intended to sail direct for the mainland. In the event of the Awarua not returning shortly, it will be the duty of the Government to institute a search for the missing men, who, it is surmised, may yet survive on the "north-west shore," from which place, if driven by stress of weather, and their boat stove, they could not return overland owing to the rocky and precipitous nature of the coast. They might, it is thought, contrive to exis-t for some time on seal irds, f e i's. and shellfish. The names of the missing boat's crew are Charles Brown, Thomas Davey, David Hunter, William Chapman, George Boaze, J. Loran, and Charles Garnett. Those of the boat's crew now at Campbell Islands are A. Griffiths, T. S. Ogden, 11. Gregory, P. Melody, B. M'Gregor, H. Baker, and L. Drew. Two other men, named Crisp and Ross, were originally in this party, bat they returned to the mainland on a former voyage of the Awarua.