ESCAPED CONVICTS FROM NEW CALEDONIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5628, 10 March 1879, Page 7

ESCAPED CONVICTS FROM NEW CALEDONIA.

Five escapees from New Caledonia arrived at Maekay, Queensland, on Feb. 4, having been forwarded from Bowen by Inspector Armstrong. Most of them had been only two months landed in the French colony when they made their escape. Their names are Louis Ouvrard, engraver, Angers, Marne-et-Loirej Schiess Joseph, cabinet-maker, Marseilles ; Vain, driver, Marseilles; Auguste Toisel, cook, Paris; Petanga, sailor, Naples, Italy; and the sixth.man was too ill to be transhipped from the Victoria, off Flat-top, and had to be taken on to Rockhampton. . - It appears (relates the MaoTcay Mercury) that they escaped from' the coast 'near the Hunchback Mountain, at 2 o’clock on the morning of Jan. 12, in a boat floating near the shore, which they took upon the “ French leave ” system. No sentry or gensdarmes were about, and they got safely away under sail. The party were provided only with their scanty clothing, 150 biscuits, and five gallons of water. After being 10 days; out they spoke a vessel, and, thinking they were being chased by a small craft, altered their course, and a few days afterwards passed safely through the Barrier Reef in their fishing boat, and landed at Bowen on Jan. 30. They were 19 days at sea, and were without food for the last two days. It was their original intention to proceed to Sydney, but theltalim who is a sailor, could not steer for that port, as he had no compass, and circumstances caused them to steer like the ocean weed, and where the surge swept and the tempest’s breath " prevailed. The men, upon landing at Bowen, were half starved, and were taken care of in the immigration depfit. The Colonial Secretary, on their arrival at Maekay, lost no time in directing that the six escapees were to be set at liberty. The fishing boat was seized to cover the cost of expenses incurred by the Government.