ON A DESERT ISLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16796, 12 March 1918, Page 7

ON A DESERT ISLAND.

RAFTS OF KEROSENE CASES.

SOLE SURVIVOR OP WRECK.

IA remarkable story was told by Captain Brown, of the steamer Timaru, on his arrival at Rockhampton, recently. The Timaru was engaged in searching the islands on the Queensland coast for a missing launch party. While examining Iron Island and the adjacent islands Captain Brown came across D. Mackenzie, who was cook and steward on tha New Zealand-built schooner Orete, and the sole survivor of the vessel's crew. He stated that the schooner anchored off Percy Island lighthouse on January 19. It was then blowing a strong gale. The wind kept increasing f until between eight and nine* o'clock on the morning of the. 21st, when the vessel parted anchors and drifted towards Duke Island. In the meantime the crew was engaged in throwing the deck cargo overboard to lighten the ship. During this process Captain Anderson had his leg broken. "After drifting all day on Monday, the 21st, and part of Monday night'" Mackenzie said, 'we struck the reef and remained fast. We tried to launch a' boat, but it was washed away. Captain Anderton was washed overboard with the boat, but we managed to get him aboard again. The mate, Artong, had his collarbone broken at the tame time.' The ship by this time had settled on the reef. On Tuesday morning, when the tide started to. flow,, the schooner was washed foro and aft by heavy seas. Shortly after, flic capsized with the captain, 'his son, a leading .seaman, and an able seaman, who were in the cabin with the door shut. The door was on the lee side. The remaining seaman £nd myself were on deck, where we clung to the rigging until we were washed off. I got hold, of a door and drifted away, and only saw tho seaman for a few minutes after we were washed off the rigging. "After drifting for about four or five ihours I was washed ashore on Tyneside Island with a quantity of wreckage, including kerosene tins. I lived on the island 19 days, feeding on small oysters, a few onions, and a couple of pumpkins that were washed ashore. After filling all the kerosene tins with fresh water from a small stream I started to construct a raft with which to get over to another island, where I saw some houses. It was very tedious work, as I only had stones with which to get nails from kerosene cases. In 10 days from the time I landed I had the raft completed. I then started away for the houses, but the current was going the wrong way, so I had to jump off and swim back to the island.

_" Feeling myself getting weaker all the time, I started to make another raft, and I had it completed in eight days. Next morning, which was my 19th day on the island, I started .way again, and managed to get to another island', which I found to be Hunter's Island, where 1 waited until the tide slackened up. I proceeded again to sea, and drifted away with a very strong current through a narrow channel, which I since find was Lola Alontez passage, and this brought me straight away towards the houses I was trying to get to. I paddled with a 4in batten until 1 was exhausted, and I had given up all hopes of ever reaching shore ?gain, when I got into another current, which landed me on Marble Island. Hero I saw a house, which I made straight for; it proved to be J. Blakey's house. I shall never forget how well he treated me."

Captain Brown stated that Mackenzie was still on the island, and was too weak to leave when he was there on February 13. '