WRECK OF THE GARONNE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume L, Issue 5459, 21 August 1878, Page 3

WRECK OF THE GARONNE.

‘ Tlie following account of the accident which occurred to the Garonne steamer is from the, pen of the Her. P. P. Agnew;—“On board Garonne .steamer ,at sea. I hasten: to..give you ah account of a very providential escape of the ship and people, of: whom there are some 650 on board,, a; circumstance to which the Chimborazo affair . could heap no comparison; On Thursday,' June 6> wa- wore looking forward to a few hours’ change when we reached Aden, where wo expected to be oh',Saturday, and remain for a few hours to coal. AH these expectations were disappointed about a quarter past 10 pjn. The captain was on duty; .it was a elearmodnlightnight; the land had been in sight' since l 5 o’clock, when the vessel was run out of her course into a sandy . bay -in a heavy surf, within 200 yards -of ■ the shore on the 'African coast.’ Great'consternation 'amongst jthe passengers, but no noise; ho ..’confusion. The accident seems beyond: all explanation. This large ship,: of 4000 tons, with calm jsea, fair wind, moonlight night, and land under pur port side for many hours, ■was: run- out rof her course,, at' 18 knots - junder sail and steam,, into Tan ■ open bay,until she. lay perfectly upright, widi 16ft of ..water’ under’ her bowk, Und 24ft ’under her sterta, not more than 100 yards from the deep sea. , A more suifoble -place <pr; more desolate shore could hot have been chosen to strand a vessel; and give the people' & r chance of starving or being murdered on shore... The. shock was hot'great, and'the ’people-behaved-'with admirable order and quietness. An anchor was, with. grpa.t labour, got, out astern that night to prevent her going ritvther ashore. Friday, June , 7. —Captain; M'Gowan, a passenger, was called into council by the captain, and he advised, —1. That a rope and .slings 'should -bo 'rigged - front a' mast -to 1 the shore,’tb, land the jfassengers in . any emergency. 2. 'That’aboat and .crew should- be; sent ap once to Aden; to report' and gain» assistance. He offered bis 'own services, and they - Were:, 'accepted. boat,, with every necessary the foeond,.officer,- and six seamen, .started;at about ll a.m., amid the cheers and-prayers of ihe people.- Discharged about 200, .tens of wheat, tin, and copper—all went ihto.the sea. All hands'e trained at the anchor, but without effect; great want of skill and energy manised. .Captain broken-down. -A boat pnd height passengers- were allowed to go hshorer“The nfttitre r them kindly, bat did not point out watergexbepCby digging, pnd there seemed no , means of procuring food; but' they offered.’ to’take" a letter- to Aden, if well paid. They said the journey was five days overland,'and alt-the necessaries could be. obtained at sheir- villages. , Tiler natives are very block, speak Arabic, and they have cattle, horses; and camels. The women Were dressed in calico,.pfvarious -, v shades*, from head to foot.' They seemed a fine raws: but l ehould not liko to be cast into itbefc. hands. The boat, in returning through the surf was turned over and over; arid'two young ben, Mr Sowerby and hjr Boyce, were? drowned. Boyce's body wus recovered and buried in the surf in’tne evening. It was.a Sad sight, 1 and scores of - ‘natives stood m regular older, with their camels bn the shore, with flags flying. Saturday, June B.*-*Notliiiig done to-day, except lowering some yards., , people quiet, but appear wanting in confidence in the energy and skill of those'in Command. I believe fhattho young officers Could do much if not fettered by . other authority and thebaptoin’ij despondency. T Strongly advised thab' the- captain ; should ; show himself, and speak to and encourage the people. Two natives swhfo to'the sMp—perfect Arabs, but very black., Gob very little reliable information. Late on Saturday night I spoke to mtjst pf the- pious, passengers, requesting them to spend the night in prayer, and on-‘the morrow to ‘pray the ship into deep water,’ Lookout on the bridge all bight;. rockets ’ sent up every half hour. Sunday, June 9—Captain induced to address the people. Amore depressing address I never’ heard, not a word’to cheer or to urge to ex- rtion. If the assemhled people had given way Under the impressipn his speech, was calculated to the *Mp.would have been abandoned, and the people 'have . fallen. into; the. hands of tho natives, who were collecting on shore -in great numbers,, .with raipplt and horses within 206‘yards pi the ship." The daptoin said: I. ‘ There is no hope of saringT the whip.’ J 3.1 hope yoiir : lives may-be saved (hut this is d.ohptfol), hut giye;up;hll hope pf Bfrihgypur baggage j I will constmet arafotpgelydi»;«shore? 8. ‘Theonlyholp ii 550 miles away, and too boat may be twenty ‘ days in getting there. 1 4. ‘ You must be put on shhrt rations' and water,' and more to the same effect. This miserable lamentation created pity and sympathy for the captain, .brut the' : young -first- officer got-a •second ; anchor over the stern into deep water, so that we hod a strong rope, the whole length of the .ship on both sides. It was' high'water, : n strong wind from the Indian Ocean; though it was so strong against us as to rip tlic'aivning into ribbons, yet it rocked ' the huge ship in her sandy bed; and fhesand lost ite grip [■of her. • Now was the time. We word aroused from prayer by ‘ All hands on deck.’ Every man, woman and - child responded. A men and a cheer ■ like a tempest from one end of the ship to the other,, both ropes were crowded, women here end' there the whole length. Engines fullqpeed astern. Heave hp I Amin T Wild cheers; again.! - , She motes! Stick to her boys I Five hundred ' men held-on'for one* hour, gaining inch 'by. inch. Life or death 1 Again—again—again! She gives? Nearer, nearer to. the green water. The winds raved, (the steam reared, ■ jnen cheered. The .ship begms to toes hpr bead and dance upon 1 the waves. Anchors c4t adrift and we are free. Oh, the shouts the joy, the thanksgiving, the shaking of 1 •hinds, I never hod so many people shake hinds with me in bit day before. All say ‘A miracle J r : 1 J ? Everyone be*' - liovee that 'He came to us in the fourth witoh of the night; walking oatbesea.’ We , hadathanbgiTtig fo thc eVcaing, andj!tmrge! 1 ,t -i 'WAV' *a

fnen came. «hoe. Wo ere all bettor men. The dispositions .of. S™ jadged’from the'fact that’we had a rope from. the..ship to tlie ; . .boat Borvicd, ond whon they saw us moving ttway scores of. tliein got hold -of the rope, pome in the water and some oh the shore, and pulled against As. -The buteheri t "° yeluqtanoo of,the nigeerrlo.jWMt 'M {They rope, laiidTlloWe they will (And it useful. Therein about an moh a-piece If they dividt'itoirit iWe' sre'- nbw within ioight hours* ptcam-. of Adpp,’’— Sydney

i SOMETHING

I Bhglatia fs ftbOnt' ftf'^'htihoufbd'b^fbe willrequire careful.watching, fihe is tho wife Jof- one ;6f thtf fivo diwotord of elio Bunk of Wscw>»p«* ItoJi AheTargest.and njosl; cosily collection of gems owned by any , one kdy in: the .IJnitod Btoto*.'. 4 reported, s A*.OT i permiitto ! d (bi ‘inspect itMAlittorinfewtoy jeweller iat New-York, -wheiro they have boon temporarily^^depositodforsafekwping. - Among ’ ihtf jcjrelsratoto'bii, tound'.hho toflbWihg .stomacher, and ehntowhp off diamonds, “ .pert! fcotly bewildering to look upon j” in thegoMen bolt alone are 06O" diAmoWs * the clmte;laino contains" I'STB 'diamonds. A ‘ tiara tof. diamonds is fashioned into crosses, with one jhugo black pearl .iu: the* ooiitre,' which alone joost SOOOdoh ;There are -tw amiets, with' Star pendahto * of dlaifabh'dif’tof'tostoh the ptomacher, each,cPntqiningfifty.large stones. Two bracelets ■ matching tub stomacher con!ts}n gems of the,,purest water, weighing; from two to four, carats: each. A nick** lace of huge stonaS t und atari i pdildaiils, iwhioh cost 78,000(161. •' .The' oentral “ spark ” ■weighs 10, carats, and. . other stones, weigh from three to , eight! carats:. cash’.. There are just. 240 diamonds in this' necklace. . A largo emerald land : diamond necklace of magnificent 'workmanship hap' 250 large- diamonds and’ hk‘equttl inUmber ‘of emeralds. There : .’are - largo diamond hmerald cardraM* tQjamatoh -this. Bracelets :of emeralds .and .diamonds complete, this set. |A qne;of 'the .most splendid articles of adornment in the collection, ...The. - ooralris of a fine pink"hue,, land - the- diampfacW .ito. ’of ( a-,large sise aqd' great brilliancy. Belonging to Uiis set are •coral and diaqiqiwljoaklrpps ajid .bracelets, A (butterfly hair ornament has the ' body of tho jinaect composed-tof :-fine.-long;-pearls of ■yellowish white. Pearls,, vuhi|»>, and,.' .emeralds,' pomppsa "-utA'Aftigs. is a second' ‘ biilterfly '', hauf,',ofhament‘j( a fine large _ opal-composes; -;the body, (while tho wings are . mads of diamonds, (pearls, and rubies. ■ A vinaigrette'Of solid Roman gold has si solitaire' diamond in the icentre, resembling a - fuir-aised calcium Tight, In the collection arc such triflcs as two solitaire diamond Car-drops, weighihg lli carats each, which; cost §o,ooodol. j a ' chatelaino watch set in.:gold, with turquoise., diamonds, pnd rubies j four magnificent diamond and ShireTittga ; mAtwq large diamond shod- ~ oa to matehThe necklace, , It,is expected that “ this product of tlie American bonanzaera .will make a, considerable sensation . when : she appears among the effete monarchies oh the other side of the Atlantic.”— Tall Mall O-azettel' ■