HEROISM RECALLED.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 7 July 1922, Page 5

HEROISM RECALLED.

« WRECK OF SIXTY I'EA.KS AGO. Mr William Moore, Thames, writes as follows to the Auckland Herald, re- ' calling an act of heroism performed at a shipwreck some 60 years ago: In reading the report of the wreck of the Wiltshire, I noted that one of the men attempted to swim ashore with, a line. His failure to do this reminds me of a | like failure that took place about 60 J years ago near Nelson. About that | time a brig called .the Delaware put | into Nelson to discharge part of her cargo. The balance was xor Hawke's Bay. On leaving Nelson she ran into a gale of wind, and, missing stays, she ran on to some rocks and became a total wreck. The mate, Henry Squirrell, offered to swin ashore Avith a. line. He had not gone far when a big sea knocked him against a rock. He called j out "Oh, my back!" They pulled him on board again, and put him in his bunk. Then some Maoris came down to the beach. One, named Julia Martin, and her husband swam out and picked up a small line, and so got a connection between the brig and the shore. By this means a. passenger (a Mr Skeet) got ashore; then the crew followed. By this time one strand of the rope had parted, through chafing against the rocks. The captain went below and saw the mate, who appeared to be dead. So he started for the shore. The rope broke, and he would have been drowned had not Julia Martin and her husband rushed in and rescued him. Then the mate appeared on deck. Those on shore shouted to him to lash himself to the rigging, and when the tide went out they would save him. Probably he was not able to do this. A sea broke on board, and his body was found on the beach next morning. And so it came to pass that the only man on board who could swin was the only | one drowned. The Mayor of Nelson called a public meeting, at which a gold watch and £50 was given to Julia Martin and £50 to her husband. She has been known since that time as the "Grace Darling" of New Zealand. If any reader of this story of heroism would like more particulars they may be 'obtained by going to the Auckland ' Art Gallery. Among the Lindauer col- \ lection of Maori portraits is one of i "Grace Darling" with a graphic account of the wreck and the gallant res- \ cue c: tin ztow. \