TIMBER FROM HISTORIC WRECKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 10 June 1907, Page 1

TIMBER FROM HISTORIC WRECKS.

SOME INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. (Written for the "Evening Mail.") As promised, I am sending you some pieces of timber, which will be marked' as to what they are. The teak is of the wreck of the old Endeavour, wrecked in Dusky Sound on tho 25th day of September, 179£L In Govccijor Collin's "History of New South Wales," published in 1804, he tells of how tho Endeavour was chartered to take 50 return convicts to Calcutta, but the ship began to leak, and Captain Bampton ran for Dusky Sound, where he had been before during whale fishing. For long the ship was regarded as the same Endeavour as Captain Cook made his first voyage in in these seas. But in 1871 or 1872 the Government steamer was visiting the Sound, and Captain Fairchild visited the wceck, and, making a measurement of her length, found that what appeared to be her keel was longer than Cook's ship was known to be. And for long years this was accepted as a clear proof that she could not be Cook's "Endeavour." But when round the Sound again with the Hinemoa, when he went to fish up some of the timber of the old. wreck, catching what he had before taken as the keel, he brought up one of the timbers. He then discovered that he he had measured '-hat beam as pa.t of the keel. . Now, by a mora careful measurement, he was satisfied that she was truly Cook's ship. This visit was made on the 25th of September, 1895, just 100 3'ears to a day since she was stranded there. Captain Fairchild, on giving me apiece of the beam he had picked up, expressed a desire that I would help, him to undo the mistake he had made, and said it was much easier to spread a mistake than a correction of it. I also got some copper nails and fastening, which all had the three bars of tho fccoad arrow on them, showing: the vessel to be Government built, and being of teak timbgr, indicated her origin in a Government building yard. This, too, accounts for her weight, which Captain Cook objected to after the first voyage. J I also send you some pieces of the l Mutine, called "La Mutine." She was ine of the smartest of the French ships that fought at the "Nile," I think, in 1793, when Nelson captured the most of ' the French fleet. And "La Mutine," bein? one of the smartest of the prize ships, was sent home with the news of the battle and the glorious victory gainid. She, therefo.-e, carried the despatches, proving her own weakness and her own efficiency. For many years "La Mutine" was lost sight of, and she was said to have been wrecked at Cuba. But a Miss Chapman, of Hobart, always maintained: that the old hulk used as a oowder ma'->--ine at Hobart, and called the "Abrldin." was "La Mutine." Strangely enough, when the old hulk was beieg broken up, the timbers were marked "La Mutine," and broad arrow marks wo.-e found on her, and the : dea got abroad that she was a replica of the old French ship. Through the persistence and prescience of Miss Chapman, Captain Parry. R.N., made research both in the British and French Admiralty, but rould get nothing definite. While in Hobart I' was invited to visit the remains of ihe old hulk by Mr Richardson, the Commissioner of Police. He also sent an Inspector and a constable to assist me to examine her. Getting "down into the solid timbers of the stem I cut out a copper bolt 18 inches long, nnd it was stamped all over with the broad arrow — not the plain three bars like the British mark, but embossed somewhat after the Fleur-de-lis. I then learned from a letter of Captain Perry to Mr Richardson, that the two nations, France and Britain, both use the broad arrow as a symbol of authority, though the French embellish it a little with their usual taste. I need not tell you that the broad arrow is common te France and Britain, cf that it is derived from old Druidical forms representing heat, light, and life — not our Jewish trinity. TBut I am digressing, or rather, unnecessarily expanding my observations. Still, at the same time, I don't wish you to understand that I am sending you a bit of the "true rcoss." Yet I truly believe that the timbers I am sending are really what they are marked. m arked. If you can make any ornamental turnery of them I shall be pleased to receive in return a small bit cf eacb class with your art impressed upon It. JOHN BARROWMAN.