IN SEARCH OF GOLD

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 8 March 1935, Page 9

IN SEARCH OF GOLD

WRECK OF GENERAL GRANT SEA HOLDS TREASURE FOR SIXTY-EIGHT YEARS AUCKLANDER’S VENTURE The seventh attempt to salvage the gold of the ship General Grant, wrecked at the Auckland Islands in 1866, is now being planned by an Aucklander, Mr D. P. L. Twiss. None of the previous attempts have been successful and, from what has been learned from expeditions that have already been to the islands, it appears that Mr Twiss will have about one chance in a hundred of achieving his object.

The western coast of the island where the General Grant foundered is exposed and desolate; there is xiractically no shelter, and gales rise rapidly and with great intensity. The leader of the last expedition to go after the gold, Captain P. V. Catling, expressed the opinion when he returned to New Zealand in July, 1919, that a small vessel would practically have no chance of surviving if caught by the violent storms which rage at the islands.

Six lives have already been lost in attemxjting to recover the General Grant’s gold which amounted to 2576 oz 6dwt, worth at present prices over £18,600. The ' tragedy which resulted in the six deaths occurred in 1869 when an expedition of eight went to the islands in the topsail schooner Daphne. The Daphne reached the locality of the wreck and the cook and ship’s boy were left on board while the remainder of the party set out in a small boat. They rowed from Port Ross through a passage between Ross Rock and the mainland. That was the last seen or heard of them. After waiting for some time the cook and boy set out in a dinghy to look for them, searching the passage. Part of a boat and an oar were all they discovered. After a hazardous voyage of many difficulties the cook and boy managed to get the Dax>hne back to Bluff. It was thought at the time that the lost men had not located the gold. Captain Catling, however, considered that the men did secure the gold; this he believed was why the boat had been swamped.

OTHER VENTURES Prior to the 1869 attempt the paddle tug Southland voyaged to the islands in search of the treasure. The party was caught in a severe gale, however, and the venture was abandoned. Mr James Teer, one of the survivors of the General Grant disaster, was at the head of the expedition. Mr Teei also planned another attempt in 1889. Everything was ready for the expedition to leave Melbourne for the Auckland Islands, but on the morning of the scheduled departure ho was found dead in his bed.

Tn 1877 the steamship) Gazelle made a trip south, one of the xiarty being Dr. Drewe, 1 another of the General Grant survivors. They located what they were positive was the site of the wreck and took soundings. As the result of their investigations they concluded that the hull was in about 50 fathoms of water. A diver whom they had taken with them was unable to reach the wreck and that attemxit failed too.

Preparations were comifietc in 1912 for a xiarty headed by May Sorensen, of Arizona, to leave Bluff in the steamer Wairoa. The exx>edition came to a sudden end, however, when the bailiffs stexiped in. Captain Catling’s party is the only other to have made any try at recovering the gold. Cax>tain Catling obtained and worked from notes taken by Mr Teer. He left Dunedin on February 29, 1916, in the 24-ton auxiliary cutter Enterprise, and located what he believed to be the cavern where the vessel met her end. There was no sign of the hull, however, and no gold or cargo was to be found in the cavern, the floor of which was smooth fiat rock. After much fruitless endeavour the Enterprise headed back to New Zealand, where she arrived on July 11.

That in brief is the story of the attempts to wrest back from the sea what it has claimed for 68 years. The Auckland Islands, which liax r e belonged to New Zealand since about 1863, are lonely and desolate. They lie in lat. oOdeg 30min ?9sec south, and long. 166 deg 19min 12sec east.

LOSS OF THE GENERAL GRANT

The salvage efforts, however, represent only half of the story. The tale of the hapless survivors of the General Grant disaster, cast away- for 18 months on a small and uninhabited island, is one that takes its place among the most poignant dramas of the sea-

On May 3, 1866, the General Grant cleared Melbourne bound for London with 59 passengers, a crew of 24, and a large and valuable cargo aboard. She was a ship of 1095 tons, and cax - - ried gold, wool, skins, and bark. There was also in her manifest an item “nine tons of spelter,” which Mr Tw iss believes is gold. 'Late on May 13 land was sighted It was thought by those on boai-d that it was Disappointment Island, and a course was set east by north to clear it. The wind was then blowing north-west. At 11 p.m., when there was a sharp wind bloving and a nasty sea making up, land was suddenly seen ahead, but the ship had hardly any steerage way, and could not clear the shore. She struck heavily against the great perpendicular cliffs of the island and caried away her jib-boom In the darkness everything was in confusion and the ship drifted about half a mile astern on to a projecting reck, where her rudder and spanker boom were lost. After this tire Gen-

eral Grant drifted shoreward' again, being set into a cave about 150 feet deep The foremast came into contact with the roof and the whole topmast was carried away, the bowsprit and cathead were smashed off, and the main top-gallant was broken. Great pieces of .rock . were brought . down by the mast and stove in the forecastle.

Daybreak found the ship and her passengers in a helpless position. She was striking forward the whole time and at her stern there was a- depth of 25 fathoms. Boats were got over, but the longboat with forty people in it capsized in the terrific breakers, and all were lost. The ship’s gig got away safely with the chief officer, three seamen and Mr .Tames Teer,' who has already been mentioned.

The General Grant continued to drift farther into the cavern with the make of the tide. ‘ Her mainmast struck the roof and its heel started the ship’s bottom, so that she filled quickly and began settling down. As slie sank the captain and another man were seen standing on the mizzen top.

Of the total of 83 passengers, only 15 remained alive. -They set off to make for Disappointment Island, which was about 10 miles distant. In the evening they landed on some rocks after half the journey to Disappointment Island had been covered. Here, cold and wet and hungry, they stayed the night and next moi'iiiug headed for Sarah’s Bosom, where a fire was lighted. It was then discovered that the party had only one “lueifer” match among them. Several days were spent in hunting for food which was supposed to liavo beeu left ou the island by H.M. steamer Victoria and the paddle-steamer Southland, is one was found. A vacant hut was located bu* it contained neither clothing nor provisions. There were a few pigs arid

goats on the island and these were quickly sought for food. I SUFFERINGS OF SURVIVORS Piles of wood were collected and burned regularly as a signal. But no ship came to rescue the who were.obliged to eat seals and mussels as the other food supplies gave out. Dysentery set in and all the survivors suffered terribly. Four of them set out at last in search of help. They and their boat did not return. Another’ of the sui'vivors died and then there were ten left alive. For IS months their existence was' one faced with misery and dire want, and only at long last, on November 21, 1567, was a ship sighted. It was the Amherst, returning from a whaling expedition. The ten survivors were taken .on hoax'd and brought to Bluff, where they arrived in January, 1868.; “Words.” said one of them, “cannot express our feelings of joy for such a deliverance from hardship and privation dui'ing the period of 18 months.” - -

It was at that time, believed that' a good Meal of tho General Grant’s cargo was rccovei'able; but tiruo has proved otherwise. Tho sea retains its claim oh tho wrecked -sTip,and it. is unlikely that it will relinquish the treasure without great effort on the part of Mr Twiss and liis associate's.