SUFFERINGS AT THE CROZETTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2591, 26 April 1869, Page 3

SUFFERINGS AT THE CROZETTS.

The Port Elizabeth Herald, Cape of Good Hope, publishes the following deposition of a fisherman who went with others in the Esther to the Crozetts, 1800 or 2000 miles to the south-east of the Cape : “ Bth December, 1868.—Appeared before the magistrates John Cunningham, who stated, —I was engaged in Cape Town on the 3rd September, 1867, together with eleven others, by the firm of Poppe, Schunhofl, and Guttery, to go to the South Prince Edward’s Island in the brig Esther, then in Table Bay, in thecapacity of fisherman, for a period of twelve months. It was understood that, should we not be successful, we were to be removed to one of the other islands. We landed on South Prince Edward’s Island on the 24th September, 1867, and the vessel returned to Table Bay, but came back on the sth January, 1868, when we represented to the captain, Robert Jeary, that we had been unsuccessful, as there were but few sea-elephants on the island ; and we requested to be removed to another island, to which he objected, saying he had no such authority. The captain left us two months and a half’s provisions, and sailed on the 7th January, 1868, promising to return in two months and a half; but no vessel hove in sight until the 16th September, which was the Esther. As our provisions became exhausted, we divided into three parties to search for food. There were no fish to be caught, and we had to subsist on sea-birds. We had no tea, coffee, rice, sugar, bread, or any small stores. There was a plentiful supply of water on the island. Two or three of the party were taken ill. The captain removed us to Possession Island; that is to say, he gave us liberty to go on shore there, where there was a party of thir teen men, all of whom I found in good health. I went on shore, and found one man, whose name I do not know, but he was a St Helena man, dead in his bed, and his body beginning to decompose. In the same room I found two Englishmen, whose names I did not know; but one, I know, was a deserter from the Valorous. One was lying in bed insensible, and the other said he himself had been confined to his bed for thirty-one days with scurvy. This mao was not a deserter. I lifted this man out of his bed to wash him, previous to taking him on board, when he expired. Charles Wordworth, Nap, and Henry Knight, of cur party, were with me; also the chief officer of the vessel and John Henderson. I was feeding the insensible man with some chicken broth when he also expired. The blood came out of his mouth, and his gums were falling out. He had only strength to lift his hand to his head. We buried all three in one grave. As our time had expired, a fresh party was left on South Prince Edward Island. There was a good supply of bread, flour, and small stores on East Island. I saw no medicine there. The sensible man told me that the captain had deceived him in promising to return in three months, whereas he did not before nine months. He said the St Helena man had been dead nineteen days, but they were unable to assist each other; and that the insensible mao had been confined to his bed for six weeks, and had been insensible for the last three days. There was a hole in the roof of the house, through which the rain came, and the man said he caught water and gave it to the other. A stream of fresh water ran about two hundred yards from the house, but they had been unable to walk that distance. They had been for ten weeks in such a weak state as to be unable to cook a little tea for themselves. There were only three men on East Island. We had a whaleboat at South Island. When the vessel came to South Island, on the 16th September, one cask of water was taken on board, and thirteen new hands landed, in the room of our party. They intended to have returned to the vessel that evening, but it came on to blow, and the vessel was blown off. She had been dragging for a long time. We were five days endeavouring to beat up to the island, but could not reach it. We then sailed for Possession, East, and Pig Islands, and again attempted to make South Island, hut failed. We were eighteen days beating about from Pig Island to South Island, and, finding we could not reach it, we sailed for tins port, and arrived here on the Ist iust. The thirteen men left on South Island have no clothing beyond what they landed, in, no bedding, nor any provisions; consequently, they are left destitute. Our party was three months and a half subsisting on sea-birds; it was not the season for eggs. When the ves.-tl arrived, on the 16th kept., our party was on different parts of the island, and a message was sent to ns notifying her arrival. Those who were in the buy wont on board the same day; but the wind fre>hened and the others did nut get on board before the 20th. Some of the new hands landed on the same day, and were detained until the 20th, having no bed or provisions, and I killed sea-birds for their consumption. Our party manned the boat to return on board, but the captain gave us instructions not to take the five new hands on board, as he had a scarcity of water and about fiftv-six men, all told. On the afternoon of the 2oth the remainder of the new

hands landed, taking with them some twenty pounda of biscuit and some tea and sugar for five men, whom I have represented as having no provisions. These men intended returning on the following morning to land their bedding and provisions, but we were blown away, and could not make the island again. Four of us came on shore at this place, with the captain’s permission. He said he intended to take in provisions, anchors, and cables, and sail again for South Island. However, he sailed again the next day for Cape Town, leaving us behind. John Henderson has gone raving mad.

“ John Cdnninohmi. “ Corroborated by John Cornelia and Henry Knight.” Captain Jeary and his agents have published the following statement: — « The men John Cunningham and John Cornelia were landed at Prince Edward’s Island, where they agreed to make penguin oil. They were left there with plenty of provisions, aud were expected to work. When the Esther returned, it, was found that the men had not fulfilled their agreement. They came on board, and were treated well. Even the men from the island broke into the ship’s store-room and took a quantity of spirits forward, giving it to the crew, upon which they all got the worse for liquor, and made quite a disturbance, and it was only with difficulty the leader was put in irons. Next morning the men were spoken to, when they agreed to go on shore and fulfil their agreement. They were sent on shore again with plenty of provisions, quite sufficient to last until the Esther could return. After the men had landed they disagreed with the other men, and being the stronger party they took the provision away from them ;by burying it under ground, by which means the one party had plenty of food, and the other none. Captain Jeary is quite confident that when he left the island he did not promise to return in two months and a half—in fact, nothing was said about when he would return. In September the Esther went back to the island. She would have gone before had it not been for an accident to Captain Jeary, which delayed her departure about one month; but no anxiety was felt for him by the men, as he was confident that quite sufficient provis’ons had been left j and even if they did run short for a while, there was quite sufficient food to be got on the island, such as fish, birds, eggs, cabbages, tea, and herbs, upon which any man could subsist. No men were removed to Possession Island ; neither did Captain Jeary give permission to any of them to go on shore there, as said by Cunningham. The chief officer was sent on shore in charge of a boat’s crew. They found at the huts of the island a man named George Singers dead in his bunk, and two others, named George Footet and Francis, very bad—the latter extremely weak. The chief officer asked him the cause. He said they had indulged too much in their bunks, and had not taken sufficient exercise, which had brought ou scurvy. They had at last got so bad that they could uot help eacii other, and were forced to lie where they were. It was not Cunningham who attended to the one man spoken of, but the chief mate. There was a large supply of provisions left on East Island, where the men were found, as also a well-fitted medicine chest. Captain Jenny says he did not make any promise about returning in three months to the island, which the chief mate can testify. When he left, he felt quite confident that he had left enough provisions for the time the vessel was to be away—that was, provided care was taken of them ; but even if they had run short, there was plenty of food to be found about the island.

“ The captain says farther that some years ago, when the islands were worked by his father, a shipwrecked crew lived on South Island for 17 months.”