"THE ROARING FORTIES."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20171, 4 February 1929, Page 6

"THE ROARING FORTIES."

PERILOUS EXPEBIENCES.

TOLL OF AUCKLAND ISLANDS,

LOSS OF THE DUNDONALD.

SURVIVORS' SEVERE TESTING#

The toll taken of ships by the Auck* land Islands, lying about 180 miles south of New Zealand, is given by Basil Lubbock in " The Last of the Windjammers." These islands lie on the track the sailing ships used to take between Australia and the Horn—the " Roaring Forties," which tested mauy a craft and sailor. The first wreck of which there is record was that of the Minerva in 1864, there being only four survivors, who were rescued after 10 months. The other ships lost there were the Invercauld, General • rant, Derry Castle, Compadre, Spirit of the Dawn, Daphne, Kakanui, Anjou and the Dundonald.

The Dundonald was a Belfast barque, which sailed from Sydney for the United Kingdom on February 17, 1907. First there were contrary winds and then a calm, during which the crew caught some sharks ami the tail of one was nailed to the end of the jibboom as a charm for a fair wind. It failed to work and, furthermore, the compass began to behave erratically. Strikes in a Squall.

On the 17th day out, at one bell, land loomed through the hail and, sleet and the ship was brought as close to the wind as she would lie, but it was clear she was embayed and would not clear the land on that tack. Captain Thorburn then decided to wear her " short round." It was no use. She bumped over a rock and while all hands were still hauling on the weather braces, sho struck hard again and again. In the midst of the turmoil, with the 1 sails (logging, their chain sheets knock-3 ing sparks out of the steel yards and the ship thumping, tho mate yelled, " Let Igo the topsail halliards." Down came a I tho yards with a crash and the topgallant '■ (sheets carried away. While lifebelts were being served out and tho boats cleared, the ship became wedged on the rocks, stern on to an over- ~ hanging cliff, 200 ft. Jiigh. Here sh& pounded in the surf. .. It was useless to attempt to lower boats in such a sea. Just after the helmsman was called from tho wheel to join the crew, assembled on the poop, the rudder was struck and the " wheel spun and went to pieces. A roar of thunder came from a hole in the cl.ff opposite. They hoped the ship would hold together until daylight, but it appeared she was settling down or the tide was rising. Men Washed Away.* The mate now advised that all hands should take refuge on the fo'c'sle-head, but this also was soon being washed by ' green seas and a big one swept everyone away. Only the most active survived this wave. A Russian Finn managed to get ashore from the jiggermast. Two others got on a ledge halfway up the cliff by means of the mizzen upper topsail yard. The other survivors crawled into the foretop. A seaman and an apprentice reached tho fore upper topgallant yard and succeeded in throwing one of the topsail spilling lines to the Finn, who made it fast to a rock and. by this means the survivors, working hand over hand, gained the cliff. The island they were on was Disappointment Island, five miles from Auckland Island. It took three days to dry their matches, during which time they lived on raw mollyhawks. Then a fire was lighted and was kept burning constantly for seven months. They salved as much canvas as possible, and made shelters with frameworks of sticks and earth dug with their hands. In them they spent the winter, their only food being seal and bird meat. The mate,' however, died. A Frail Craft. The castaways knew there was a food depot on Auckland Island, and they set about making a boat iu which to cross to it. Over a framework of' sticks they stretched a " canvas " comprising pieces of sails, clothing and blankets sewn together by a needle fashioned out of a bird's bone with a hole bored in it for an eye. For oars they had to use crooked stems of veronica, the only wood that grew on the island, contriving blades by sewing canvas round forked sticks. In this crazy craft three men passed over six miles of water, but they failed to find the provision depot and returned nine days later, on August 9. A second boat was built in September, but it was broken up in the surf at its first trial.

A third boat was launched in October, and four men crossed the strait. Their boat was smashed in making a landing, but the four men managed to get ashore safely. The piece of lighted turf which they had carried to start a fire was saturated,- but they had two matches. It took three days to dry them and light a fire.

The Depot Found. On tho fourth day, after' struggling through 15 miles of scrub to the other side of the island, they discovered the depot and also a boat. From thi3 depot they got ship's biscuits and tinned meat and warm clothing. There was nothing else but an old-pattern gun. The depot apparently had been rifled of tea, butter, sugar and coffee. - Tho boat had no sails, but, undefeated, the/castaways cut up their old clothes for the purpose. The next day they made an attempt to return to Disappointment Island in tlie boat, but the weather was bad and they were nearly lost, fhe following day they were successful, but on reaching their old camp they were hardly recognised, for they had cut their hair and beards and had donned clothing suitable for Antarctica. In two trips the castaways migrated to the depot hut, and were considerably heartened by a message they found stating the New Zealand Government steamer Tut-anekai would call there oil Februarv L To prepare for the event they made a flagstaff of sticks and branches lashed together and a flag with the word Welcome" upon it. . But they had not long to wait. Un October 16 the steamer Hinemoa arrived and took them off. , , , A much longer stay was endured by trie ten survivors of the General Grant, wnic sank in ten minutes after striking rock ® off Auckland Island in 1866. She was homeward bound from Meiooume 45 passengers and cargo, including £IO,WW worth of gold dust. -After striking s ® drifted stern first for half a mile amended up with her head in a cave of tna cliffs. Most of the boats were capsized. The master. Captain Loughlin, went down with his ship. He was last seen waving to the boats from the mizzen-top. Attempts have been made to locate »n» General Grant's treasure, but witnou success.