CAST AWAY AT SEA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1136, 8 December 1893, Page 34

CAST AWAY AT SEA.

WRECK OF A BARQUE AT THE ANTIPODES. FIVE LIVES LOST. DESPERATE SUFFERINGS OF THE SURVIVORS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, December 4. The Government steamer Hinemoa arrived at the wharf this afternoon with the survivors of the barque Spirit of the Dawn, wrecked on the Antipodes Island. On the Hinemoa nearing the island on the 30th November, Captain Fairchild observed a flagstaff ' erected on a knoll on the south - west end. Proceeding to the north east end, where the depot with provisions is situated, he expected to find someone there, but no one put in an appearance. He despatched the second officer- to where the flag was, and then commenced to steam round to look for wreckage. a pitiful sight.

When the steamer reached the south side the flagstaff was observed on a low terrace, and some men were walking about on rocks. A boat was lowered and sent ashore, and then a piteous sight was beheld. Eleven men, some of whom had very little clothing on, were found standing on the rocks, some with pieces of raw penguin flesh, which they had been eating, in their hands. Their first salutation was " God bless you! We have been here 80 days.” For the whole of that time they had been living on the raw flesh of mutton birds and penguins, penguin’s eggs, roots of the pleuraphyllium plant, and a creeping plant resembling celery. THE LAST STAGES OF EXHAUSTION. They proved to be the survivors of the barque Spirit of. the Dawn, belonging to Johnston; Bell and Co., Liverpool, from Rangoon to Talcahuano. After landing from the wreck they had nothing but what they stood in, and some of them had little more than underclothing. The place where they landed is about three miles from the Government depot containing provisions, but none of them ever searched the island, or went to the top of Mount Galloway, 1320 ft., from which the depot can be seen, They were so exhausted they could not walk about.

HUNTING FOR FOOD. .They recovered strength as soon as the penguins came, and they got their eggs. Their greatest hardship was being without fire and a proper place to sleep. During the time the castaways were on the island, they saw four vessels pass to the southward and eastward, but their signal was not observed. Strange to say, though there are a number of goats, sheep and cattle on the island, which is only 3000 acres in extent, none of them were observed by the castaways. On the men getting on board, Captain Fairchild managed to find clothes for all of them, and it is needless to say that he treated them with that characteristic kindness which .distinguishes him. That the men are grateful they showed at 'once by getting up a testimonial to him. The foregoing particulars were furnished by Mr Gordon, Inspector of Mines. GRAPHIC STORY OF THE WRECK. Tlie following information is supplied by Mr Horner, chief mate of the barque : The Spirit of the Dawn, Captain R. T. Millington, left Rangoon on the 17 th June, bound for Talcahuano, Chili, with a cargo of rice. We had squally weather down the Bay ef Bengal, and then variable winds and moderate weather to the New Zealand coast. On the morning of the 4th September, about 4.30, the man on the look-out re-, ported that he thought he saw breakers ahead. I was in charge of the watch, and at once ran forward, but could see nothing.. However, finding the fog dense, I thought it prudent to call the captain and all hands. Captain Millington, on reaching the deck,

ordered the helm to be put hard up, but owing to the small sail the vessel had on, she did not pay off sufficiently quick, and it was then discovered that she was close to a reef of rocks, Upon which she immediately struck. The captain at once ordered life-belts to be served out to all hands, and gave instructions for the starboard lifeboat to be cleared away, as the vessel was settling down very rapidly. However, we had no time to get the boat into the davits, and the captajn seeing this ordered the men to take to the mizzen rigging. This they did, all but the second mate and me. We remained on the main deck, and then got into a boat as she lay on the skids, and as the vessel went down she floated off with us.

The men jumped from the mizzen rigging into the water, arid thus crawled into the boat with us. G(JING DOWN WITH THE SHIP. The captain was in the rigging at the time. He did not jump with the rest. The ship then sank bodily, and Captain Millington went down with her. The carpenter and an able seaman were also in the rigging. The fog became very dense, and we in the boat could not see the rocks or anything else. The boat drifted out to sea with the tide and wind. We had oara and water in the boat. She was supplied according to regulations. We lost sight of the island, the tide taking us further seaward.

HOW THE SURVIVORS FARED. Next day, about 11 o’clock in the morning, the fog lifted, and we saw the island. It was perhaps seven or eight miles away, but I could hardly give the distance, as the weather was still thick. We made for the island, and got there about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I guessed that by the sun. We had no watches. We looked about for a landing place, but could find no beach. However, we discovered a sort of entrance among the. rocks, and got in there all pretty well exhausted. We passed the gear out, and made the boat fast, but there was no place to haul her up, and during the first night she broke away. We started to look round for food and water, and some chance of shelter. We were lucky enough to find water in abundance, and as for food, we caught mutton birds and dug up roots, which we ate raw. Thus we were satisfied that we would not starve. -The first night we slept in the boat sails, and after that we knocked up a hut of tussocks, roofing it with the oars and sails. We also erected a signal staff out of the boat’s mast and an oar, and set a sharp look out for any vessel that might come that way. We had no means of getting fire at all, We all kept in good health excepting tlie Rangoon native boy Hewbert, who suffered in the feet. After a week or two we caught penguins, and in a month we got eggs, too. All were eaten raw. The Hinemoa came in sight on the 30th November. We hoisted our flag, which was seen on board, and a boat was sent ashore and all hands taken on board. The men behaved remarkably well throughout.

THEIR LOST COMRADES. The second mate (Mr Morrisey) said that the last seen of the steward was his coming into the cabin. That was after the vessel was on the rocks. The steward and the geeond mate shared one cabin. When the second mate went into the main cabin he was getting out the stores. The steward made the remark that he was afraid they were going down. The second mate advised him to keep cool, adding that all would be well. The steward then went into the cabin again, and the second mate saw no more of him. As for the cook; Mr Morrisey saw him in the galley with a light. Nothing was seen of liis movements after that. THE captain’s LAST WORDS. As the boat was leaving the ship’s side, the captain called out to them to pullclear of the rocks, and they did so. NAMES OF THE DgQWNED. The names and rating of those who were lost are as follow: —Captain R. T. Millington, married man, belonging to Liverpool* /, Petersen, Swede, carpenter; Peter Dawson, cook, belonging to Liverpool* Cetti, ste-

ward, native of Copenhagen ; Frank Vautier, A,8., Jersey. WHO THE SURVIVORS ARE. The names and rating of the survivors are:—lt. H. Homer, chief officer; J. Morrisey, second officer; H. L. Davies, third officer | T.,E. Ballard, J. J. Peers, C. D. Mason and F. McLaughlin, A.B.’s; B. Y. Anderson and F. Hewberfc, 0.5.; W. B. Cleamentson and B. Bergthiem, apprentices. The apprentice Hewbert was taken to the hospital as soon as the Hinemoa arrived. He has lost two toes from his right foot, and a joint is gone from each of the two other toes on the Same foot. All the other Survivors are in capital health.