THE DUNDONALD WRECK.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 280, 4 December 1907, Page 2

THE DUNDONALD WRECK.

WHAT THE ISLAND IS LIKE.

Disappointment Island, where the Dundonald was wrecked, is from point to point about ISU miles long by one mile wide. Tlie coast consists of high rugged cliffs. The place where the ship struck was certainly* a very difficult aind dangerous piece of coast. She was washed stern first into a kind of tunnel, working round in a semi-circular direction, and hence it-was that the Ship was tossed about _so much by the rough seas washing in from each end of the tunnel. As we passed, says the narrator, we could see a projecting rock with the sea just washing over it, standing about half a ship's length from the mouth of the cave. This must have pierced a tremendous hole in the bottom of the ship, which accounts for the fore part going under so quickly. One could quite understand from this how she toppled oyer on one side, throwing the masts against tha cliff's side. It was a wonder that anyone survived on the island. There is only one possible landing place, which was discovered . ouly after considerable search by the Dundonald castaways. At almost every step in the climb from the landing place we met molyhawks sitting on nests. One egg each seemed to satisfy them, but each egg was as large as four ordinary hen's eggs. Passing over the brow of the hill We came ill sight of the huts which had been built by the shipwrecked crew. On nearer view they were seen to be very much of the shape ot a Zulu "kraal. A hole about two feet deep was first scooped cut of the ground with a piece of wood and the hands, and some branches and twigs were placed over the • top of the whole. When finished the huts looked like miniature haystacks. Inside the huts seemed most comfortable and warm, and must have been a great comfort aud improvementon the first arrangement of sleeping under a piece of sail from the ship. Altogether there were fourteen of these huts, but one or two did duty as cookshops and another as a store house. Occasionally a hut would catch fire, and the occupants would have to make a hurried, exit, on tlieir hands and knees. Then the "village fire brigade" was turned out and the fire extinguished, apparatus which consisted of sticks being brought into play. Lying about the huts was to be found ample evidence of the food the men had subsisted on. Heaps _of bird skins, feathers, bones, pieces of sealskin, and seal bones were lying about everywhere. Great must have been the slaughter of the birds, for the men declared that it required from three to four birds per man per day to satisfy them. Seals they did not eat until all the birds were scared away.