CRUISE OP THE WHALESHIP ADVENTURER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IX, Issue 2543, 20 March 1872, Page 7

CRUISE OP THE WHALESHIP ADVENTURER.

.MURDER OF TUE MATE AT KSPIRITO SANTO. The whaling barque Adventurer, 304 tons burden, Captain Peirce, belonging to the riort of Sydney, urrived in harbour on Saturday morning in a disabled condition, the effect of a. fearful hurricane experienced on (he 291U Alutch. We are indebted to Captain I'eirce and the chief mate of the vessel for the following interesting particular:) of her UNLUCKY CIiUISK. She left Sydney on Tuesday, February Ist, IS7J-1 and since that time has been crui.-ing about to Hie northward near the New Hebrides and SOI3IIIOII Islands. She has been singularly unfortunate, having up to the present time oulv secured some ten tuns of oil (100 barrels)* The captain is of opinion that it was the wrong season of the year to be very fortunate in the capture of many whales, and intends on leaving here Iα go more to the southward.

I IlKli MATE MURDEHED. In April last the vessel was off Eepirito Sauto, and it was at this island that her chief mate, Mr. Xurnbull, was murdered. Captain Peirce gives it, us his opinion that, the murder was the result uf what is delicately termed the; " lubour trade." There is no doubt that the natives of Santo had suffered from the depredations of these South Sea slavers, and that they were wailing an opportunity to revenue the wrong? committed on them. On I tin- 2nd April Captain Peiree and n boat's I crew left the ship, unci proceeded towards the shore, for the purpose of doing a little trade with the natives, procuring yams, pig.S ifcc. A crowd of blacks were drawn up on the beach, but instead of, as usual, saluting the white men with cries of welcome, they preserved an ominous silence, which induced the captain to return to the ship without, landing. The next day another boat was sent ashore, but with the "same result. At, niglir time the natives ca:ne down to the beach, and made signs of peace, crying out, " While inuii," " Jioalee," it , ., and holding up fowls yams, and pis;s, us though they wished to trade. It was then nearly dark, and some of the men went ashore for a few minutes, and were not molested. The next morning two boats were despatched from the ship. Mr. Turnbull, the chief mate, \va< in charge of the leading bo it, the men of which were armed, in cuse of emergencies. The mate had a revolver under his jacket, but out. of fight, lie told his men to pull in, while the: other bout laid oil' a little t'.is'.ance. At this lime the beach was lined with three or four hundred savuge>, all of whom were making signs of fricmUhip, holding up fowls, fee. ; but directly the mate stepped on shore, a big burly fellow went up bc'.iind him, and, without the slightest wafning, split open his head with a lonmliawk. lie at once fell (le:id, when he was pierced by al, leust a. dozen spears, and immediately stripped of every stitch of clothing. At the same time an itltucl; wa? m-i.ie upon the leading boat which, on the mate lauding, had shoved off a short distance. A shower of spears was darted at it, and three of the men wounded. The men were : Angress llalz, a Gcrma:i ; Frank Kleury, a Frenchman ; and John Joyce. The Herman (who was the boat-etcurer) was s'ruck by a Ihreo-pronged dart in the back of the neck and the shoulder-blade. One of the points of tiie dart went through the bludebjnc, and the man suffered intense agony. Seeing that it would be useless to attempt to land and attack so large a body, of men the boats made for the ship, which was at anchor a short dUtauue oil". The wounded men were taken on board, the boats hoisted up, and everything made ready for resistance. It was feared thai ibe natives would come oH* in their numerous canoes and attack tie ship, v/hieh was thus in considerable danger, for there wus not a breath of wind stirring at the time. The arms were got up on deck and loaded, but none wire iired ashore, as Captain Peirce did not wish to exasperate the natives, seeing the dangerous position of his own vessel. JS r o attack from the shore was made however, and, a breeze springing up in the evening, the vessel made sail. By great care the boal-stecrer, whose wound was a very dangerous one, recovered, as well as the other two men, both of whom were wounded in the thigh. They were unable to return to their work for sev.-ral weeks. With' regard to the unfortunate mate, nothing mare was ever heard of him. The sad occurrence caet quite a- gloom over the ship. The son of the chief oflieor, a lad about twelve yeare old, was, and still is, in the ship, and it need scarcely be said how deeply he felt the losa of his natural protector.

A SHir CAST AWAY. Captain I'eirco informs us that shortly after the occurrence narrated above, and when off WoodlarK island, he spoko the, American barque Highland Mary, Captain French. From him he learnt tbut the wreck of u. vessel was lying ashore on the north-east point of the. Island of Uourgonville. It seem 3 that two unlives had gone off from the island and boarded the Highland Mary. They liad stated that when the vessel went ashore a few months before slio had three masts, but at that, time had only two. This statement was afterwards corroborated by other natives who came oil'. The captain of the Highland Mary, however, did uot caro to risk the lives of his mon by landing them to inquire into tho particulars of tho wreck, &e. Captain French also gave him some particulars of

THE CAPTIVITY 01' A WHITE WOMAN AND CniLD. He stated that when off New Island a canoe had come off to hie ship, and that on board the canoe there was a white child. A white woman could also be seen upon the beach among tho savages, and it was supposed that

I sonio vessel had been wrecked, and that the , woman and chilil wero the survivors ; or eUt ' that tlie crew had been murdered, and the woman and child spared. Here again Captaiu 1 French \tas afraid lo lund, for the s.-iinc reason* as mentioned above. Captain Peirce states that he had on other occasions licnr'l about this cuplivity of a woman and child at New Island. He adds that if lio hid been in the same position as the Highland -Mary he ohould have detained tlm savages who came on board and the child as hostages, until the white woman had been sent off to the vessel. Ho did this upon a subsequent occasion when some of his men deserted, and (as will be seen below) with the most thorough success. SOUTU. SEA DESEETEBS. "While the Adventurer was lying at ono of t!io tSoulh Sea Islands, which seemed to promise every luxury in which a runaway sailor could indulge, late ono night, while the vessel was lying quietly at anchor, five of the men took one of the boats belonging to the ship and rowed ashore, taking with them a number uf hutchets, ship's knives, &e. On landing they made their way to a native village, some three miles oil", and although a search was made for them by the ship's crew they could not, b« found. Xhe captain had had experience of this sort, of thing before, so he set sail without them, but returned to the same harbour in the course of two or three weeks. A canoe then came oil' with an old chief and several natives, for the purpose of trading with the vesjel. The captain at once seized the chief and put him in irons, and sent the other natives back, with instructions to bring olf the five deserters that night, or the ship would sail away with the chief. The savages made all the hnste they could, and although it was then nearly dusk, thev returned shortly after dark, with the five deserters, and every article they h&d taken ashore with them. The chief was then allowed to go at large. The deserters presented a most wretched appearance. They were stripped of their clothing, their bodies were covered with sores from head to foot, and they were nearly starved to death. They stated that immediately on the vessel's depurture thev had received the most scurvey treatment from the natives, who looked upon them with jealous eyes, and were several times going to murder them. They described the mode of living, &c, of the savages, which was of the most barbarous description, scenes of strife and bloodshed being of the most common occurrence. One night, while the deserters were lying in a hut with a number of natives, not daring to call th-.-ir lives their own, an altercation took place between a savage and his wife. The savage, without the slightest, provocation,raised his tomahawk, and brained the woman on the instant, immediately afterwards throwing the body outside like so much carrion. Such scenes as these were by no means unusual, and the white men, on returning to the ship, implored the captain's pardon, and most heartily promised not only never to run away again, but to work for the ship as they had never worked before. It. was some time before they recovered their lieall.li and strength, and for months afterwards they used to utter cries of agony in their sleep as though they were still among the savages. We need scarcely say that they never afterwards attempted to desert to ono of these South Sea paradises. A FEARFUL STOKIT. On the 19th February, when the Adventurer was off Norfolk Island, a heavy gale was encountered from the north-east, butthe wind very eoon veerei round to the south-west. For two days it continued with unabated violence the vessel shipping heavy seas and being greatly injured about the spars, sails, and hull. On the 2lst, with the barometer down to 28 So, it increased to a fearful hurricane, such as the vessel had never beforo encountered. Kvery stitch of canvas that was shown was blown clean out of the bolt ropes, and the vessel had to scud before this hurricane wilh two men at the wheel—the captain and the mate. Sea after sea was shipped, and hundreds of tons of water poured on board. The vessel leaked badly, and all hands laboured at the pumps for t.h.'ir very Uvea. The hatches were kept battened down, but the ship still made water fast. For IS hours all hands had to live in the captain's cabin, which was flooded with water, but was still the driest part of the ship. The hurricane had the appearance of a cyclone, blowing as it did in a circular direction". Ultimately it, moderated, and the captain began to think that all danger was over, -when it recommenced on the 28th, from the i>. IS. with all its former fury. The baromet.-r fell rapidly, and the sea ruse to a fearful height, breaking on board over the li-e-bow, and threatening to smash everything before it. Uolh the bow anil t!ie waist bouts were washed away from their fastenings, carried overboard, and lost. For forty-eight, hours this wind lasted. Towards the evemnrr of the second dav, however, it moderated, and soon fell a dead calm, with a tremendous heavy swell, which whs even more dangerous tiian the gule, threatening as it did every minute to roll the sticks out of the vessel. i.verything on d.-.-k was carried away, and for a long lime it was feared that I lie ship would founder. The heud gear of the vessel got loose, a:id thus

yrriillv added to the danger, but it was »e.-uru"d uf(or great ditllcully. The vessel was now left i 1 fust, mid it was us much as nil hands eould ilo to keep lilm- ufljut. As the sun went down in u blood-red sky, the sight is de.M-rioed us beinir truly uwful —the sea running mountains high—the vessel rolling from one side to the other, and dipping her yards into it. at. every roll. No one expected to live to soy the next morning, but gradually the sea went, down, and at. daylight, the ship was comparatively safe, thanks to the exertions of ali hands, who had worked (it the pumps li!:e horses. It was then decidtd to make for the nearest port, and Auckland being only liulf far as Sydney, the vessel, was put, away for this port. But on the 7th, when off the Poor KlnighU, the barometer again fell, with every appearance of heavy weather, and the captain, nut curing to again try his ship in her crippled condition, mil ie for Kussill, where he remained till the gale was over, the watch still working hard at the pump*. On 11 ic 12lh instant, weighed anchor anil left tins Bay, with l'ght breezes from the N.N.W., which veered to the S.S.E. On the 14th instant, when oil' the Little. Harrier, the weather again becoming very threatening, th,vessel sought tho shelter of the Kawau, and uncliortiil there for the night. Up anchor '.he next morning, and arrived in harbour as above. Previous to her departure, the barque will undergo a thorough overhaul. She is still fast making water, and has to bo kept constantly pumped.—N. Z. Herald, March 18.