THE PIRATICAL SEIZURE OF THE HELEN.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 411, 23 March 1850, Page 2

THE PIRATICAL SEIZURE OF THE HELEN.

We have teen the legal depositions of the passengers landed from the Helen, at the North Cape of New Zealand, which corroborate what we have before pub. lished. Captain Griffiths has furnished us with the following additional information : — As soon ai the pirates had obtained secure possession of the schooner, they commenced disfiguring her as much as possible, by altering the parts of her which were before white into black, viz., roundhouses, gunwale streak, and the quarter-deck topgallant bulwarks. Her name on the stern was also obliterated, and the greatest care was taken to file the name from the teleicope, wheel, and every other part were the name of the vessel appeared. After being confined in the forecastle some time, Captain Griffiths managed to creep through the hold to the cabin bulkhead, and overheard from the conversation of the mutineers that they had kept off the North Cape of New Zealand some time, with the intention of capturing the missionary brig John Wesley, for which they were fully prepared, having swivels, muskels, &c. t stowed away in their chests, with an ample sup. ply of ammunition ; but, fortunately, they did not sight her. On the 26th December, the whaling barque Eliza, and the brig Sabine, from Sydney to California, anchored off the Bay where Captain Grif* fiths and the others had been landed ; and by the former they obtained a passage to Monganui, from which they proceeded to Auckland. The Sabine rrsumed her voyage on the 27th December, and thoie on board were made cognizant of what had occurred on board the schooner. The plot must have been concocted *qw weeks Wore the Helen left Sydney, and Wilson

avowed bis intention, that in the event of not being able to take the vessel with arms, he would have relorted to poisoning those who were averse to joining him, having provided himself with the necessary ingredients for the purpose. It was also stated among them that this was not the only vessel leaving Sydney which would be taken in a similar manner, the names of which were mentioned, as they had a well-organized band who would join them on the coast of California. Their principal occupation on board was making cartridges, casting bullets and forming dirk*, using the brass diamond* off the wheels as guards for the same. They itated their intention to be, that if they could not capture a larger vesiel f they would take^* c schooner on to the Columbia River to lee if the cftst was clear at San Francisco. The head mutineer, Wil. son, expressed his regret that Mr. Tebbutt (one ofwie owners) was not ou board, as he would have kept ;ma on bread and water throughout the voyage.— Sy<m;y Herald, "