SUPPOSED DISCOVERY OF THE WRECK OF THE BURMAH.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 913, 10 January 1871, Page 2

SUPPOSED DISCOVERY OF THE WRECK OF THE BURMAH.

We learn from the Otago Daily Times that a short time ago two diggers prospecting between Waikawa and Catiin's River, discovered a skeleton, two graves, and a quantity of wreck, on the beach at Tautuku River. They reported the circumstances, and a special constable was sent to make enquiries. After much labor in forcing bis way through the bush and scrub, and a good deal of searching, the constable found on a small beach about three miles from Tautuku Heads, the following articles:—■ One large ship's knee (oak) ; one seat of a water-closet, mahogany, evidently belonging to a large ship, as the work-manshir> was very neat. There was also a place for the handle of a water-pipe. A large quantity of mahogany, which must have belonged to saloon fittings, painted on one side white. A ship's name board, oaken timber, 4 feet and a half long, 1 foot broad, 1 inch and a half thick, six white lettors on green ground, impossible to make out anv but the first one, which, as near as he could make out, was B. orE. A boat's steer oar, 15 feet long. A boat's paddle, with three pieces of twine tied round the blade. Two Russian pine stanchions. Part of an oak boat, painted white, boards very thin, clinker built and copper fastened. Sprit of boat, 10 feet long. A large quantity of pine planking. Two windlass bits, painted green, four feet long. A ship's cVafc, painted green. About half an-acre of sweet pea, in blossom, growing juat above high water-mark. Several staves of a cask. He made a thorough examination of the spot, but found nothing further. The ship W as evidently built of oak, and must have been a large one. It has plainly been lying on the beach some years. It is more than probable that these are the remains of the ill-fated Burmah, which sailed from London for Lyttelton in the latter part of August, 1859, with a large cargo for Otago, Canterbury, and Nelson, including a valuable consignment of firstciass horses and cattle, and 21 passengers. She never reached her destination, and was last heard of, when spoken by the Regina on the 17th November, 1859, in long. 97 E , and lat. 48 S., within 14 days sail of New Zealand. The constable states that on the ship's name-board were six letters partly obliterated, of which it was impossible to make out any but the lirs|; one, which appeared to be a B or an F, the initial letter, of course, of the name Burmah being the former letter, while the word itself consists of six letters.