FATE OF THE ORETE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4815, 12 March 1918, Page 6

FATE OF THE ORETE.

REMARKABLE STORY OF THE SEA. SYDNEY. Feb. 27. The captain of the steamer Timani, which lias been searching the islands off the Queensland coast for a missing launch party, has brought a remarkable story to Rockhampton. While searching lion Island and the adjacent islands he came across I). Mackenzie, who was cook and steward on the New Zealand-built schooner Crete, and who was the sole survivor. He states that the schooner anchored off Percy Island lighthouse on January 19th. It was then blowing a strong gale. The wind kept increasing until between 8 and 9 on the morning of the 21st, when she parted anchors and drifted onwards towards Duke Island. In the meantime the crew was engaged in throwing the deck cargo overboard to. lighten the ship. . During this process Captain Anderson had his leg broken. “After drifting all day on Monday, the 21st and part of Monday night,” Mackenzie said, “we struck the reef and remained fact. We tried to launch a boat, but she got washed away, and Captain Anderson was then washed overboard with the boat but we managed to get him aboard again. The mate, Artong, had his collarbone broken at the same time. 'l’lie ship by this time had settled on the reef. On Tuesday morning, when the tide started to flow, the schooner was washed fore and aft by heavy seas. Shortly after, she capsized, with the captain, his son, a leading seaman, and an able seaman who were in the cabin with the door shut. The door was on the lee side. The remaining seaman and myself were on deck, where we claim to the rigging until we were washed off. I got hold of a door and drifted away, and only saw the seaman for a few minutes after we were washed off the rigging. After drifting for about four or five hours I got washed ashore on Tyneside Island with a quantity of wreckage, including kerosene tins. I lived on the island 19 days, feeding on small oysters, a few onions, and a couple of pumpkins that were washed ashore. After filling a'll the kerosene tins with fresh water from a small stream I started to construct a raft with which to get over to another island, where I saw some houses. It was very tedious work, as I had only stones with which to get nails which I procured from kerosene cases. In ten days from the time I larded I had the raft completed. I then started away for the houses, but the current was going the wrong way, so I had to jump off and swim back to the island. Feeling myself getting weaker all the time I started to make another raft, and I had it completed in eight days. Next morning, which was on the 19th day on the island, I started away again, and managed to get to another island, which I found to be Hunter’s Island, where I waited until the tide slackened up. I proceeded again to sea and drifted away with a very strong current through a. narrow channel which I since find was Lola Montez passage, and which brought me straight away towards the houses I was trying to get to. I waddled with a four-inch batten until I was cxhaused, and I had given up all hopes of ever reaching shore again when I got into another current, which lauded me on Marble Island. Here I saw a house which I made straight for; it proved to be J. Blakcy’s house. I shall never forget how well ffe treated me. Captain Brown stated that Mackenzie was still on the island, and was too weak to leave when he was there on the 13th instant..