THE WRECK OF THE HENRY JAMES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9064, 26 May 1888, Page 5

THE WRECK OF THE HENRY JAMES.

[from our samoax correspondent.]

Apia, May 14. A little excitement was caused hero the other day through the arrival of a, boat's crew of five men from a ship that was wrecked on a reef about thirty miles to the N.E. of the Island of Palmyra. It appears that a vessel called the Heury James, bound from Melbourne to San Francisco with coal, struck on the abovementioned reef about half-past ten o'clock on the night of the 19th April, and became a total wreck. The crow and passengers, in all numbering 30 souls, barely escaped with their lives. They lost everything, bringing nothing away with them in the boats but the clothes they stood in. After a great deal of trouble they managed to reach the small Island of Palmyra, whore fortunately there were some cocoanut trees, which suppliod them with sufficient food and drink—

there is no water on the Island — to keep them from starving. After being two days on the Island it was arranged that the mate and four of the crew should start in the largest boat —the cutter—and try and reach some place to procure help. They started and made for Samoa, which they reached in an exhausted condition, after a passage of 19 days. They had nothing but cocoanut food to cat and cocoanut water to drink all the way. They wore quite unable to do any rowing by the time they reached this coast. Fortunately they were noticed some distance out to sea and picked up by a Samoan chief called Potogi, and brought round to Apia in his schooner. The man-of-war Calliope, with the Consul-General (Sir John Tnurston) on board, was here when they arrived. The mate made a sworn statement, and the Acting - Consul here—Mr. Wilson —laid the matter before Sir John and the captain, with the result that a schooner was ordered to be chartered and fitted out at once to go to the relief of the sulTerers. Most people nere thought that, under the circumstances, the man-of-war would have zone; but those who had the power, and who had doubtless good reasons for the course they took, sent the schooner instead. The schooner chosen —the Vindex —is a fast sailer, and as there are two men put on board who have masters' certificates, every precaution has boen taken to ensure her reaching her destination as quickly as possible. It seems that there are two women and four children amongst the passengers and crew left on the island who are in a very weak condition, and it is to be hoped that they will all be able to hold out until the arrival of help. The place where the vessel struck is supposed to be the Shorndyke Reef, and is distant about 1300 miles from Samoa. It is to be hoped that nothing will happen to prevent the schooner reaching the island where the poor sufferers are wearily watching,— otherwise grave reflections may be cast upon those who had the power to send the manof - war and did not do so. I do not know vyhat men-of-war .ire for if not for the protection and saving of life, and if the mato's story about the condition of these people he left on the island be true, one would think that the three or four days' delay that Sir John would be subjected to would be nothing compared with the relieving 25 men ana women from the miserable position in which they are placed. The mate states that one of the women passengers is about to give birth to a child, and that when he left they were all sitting crying on the beach, never expecting to see him or any of his crew again. [Further particulars of the wreck will be fouud in our shipping columns.]