SOME FAMOUS SHIPWRECKS.

NZ Truth, Issue 88, 23 February 1907, Page 7

SOME FAMOUS SHIPWRECKS.

THE WRECK OF THE GEORGE THE THIRD. Down Amongst the Convicts. 11 My God! What is This?" The Surgeon's Story— l 27 Souls Perish.

Melbourne "Truth's" Hobart correspondent writes :— The series of articles which are appearing m "Truth," entitled "Some Famous Shipwrecks," are intensely interesting, not only by their realistic details, but owing to their historical accuracy. In dealing with the total loss of the convict shin Neva, m a recent issue, mention is made of tbe lons of the George the Third, m the following words •.—"Regarding tlie missing ship George the Third, which went the way of many hundreds of vessels before and after, net time, nothing will be known of her fate until that day when the sea will give , up its 'dead. Missing !" On a very recent visit to the South Breni Lighthouse, it was my pleasure to drop ih with • „ AN OLD SEA SALT, Whose knowledge of marine disasters on the Tasmanian coast is proyer-. bial. Standing on a wind and sea swent eminence oh Bareni Island, my quondam, friend pointed away across the Southern Ocean, some leagues from the shore, and remarked, "Do you sce.thC bceak ton yonder reef?" I replied m the affirmative, and he said, "Those are tlie Actaeon Reefs, Where many a Rood Ship has left her ribs and many a poor wretch his carCase. On that same reef the convict ship George the Third met her doom; and. if you want to know the details of that terrible sacrifice of nnhian life, you can get it m the records of the Colonial Secretary's office." I . ' I have since discovered the official report of.the surgeon of the ill-fated George the Third, who was down amongst , the convicts when the vessel struck, and he relates his? tale as follows :— "lt had been a matter of conversation during the voyage, between the captain, officers and myself, that if the weather was favorable we would proceed' uv> D'Bntrecasteaux Channel. ;I had been here before m 1833. On that occasion we came up Storm/ Bay On tbe present voyage. after passing South Cape, the weather deemed rather threaten-; ing. with occasional flying which caused the captain to be rather undecided whether to proceed up the Channel or Storm Bay ;-but» on roun--dinf Whale Head, the moon shone •more bri.rhtlv, -the clouds clearing • away, and he decidedt upon proceeding up the Channel. . The land was quite distinct and well defined. It was alter dark. The captain stated that if the night wals unfavorable, and the anchorage was good, he should bring to an anchor. I generally paid my last VISIT TO THE HOSPITAL - about 8 p.m. I might have been there, nerhaps, about half an hour, tvlien I Came on deck I rejoined the. captain ott the poop". At that time breakers were seen ahead on the larboard bow, on a low island. I believe that island is called Actaeon Island. I bave always* understood it to be so. Hand leads Were kept going this time, tie. leadsman calling out 10. 9, 8 fathoms. When I was m the hospital tbe, deep-sea lead was going with 27 and 28 fathoms. I heard the captain ask the leadsman, "What, kind of . bottom ?" and he replied "Soft bottom."^ I concluded from the captain's convefrsatioh at 'that time that it was resolved to anchor. After we had passed the breakers dn the larboard, and tbe island with the breakers on the" starboard bow, the leadsman still continued eight" or nine fathoms. I think the captain proposed that. ,as we were then out of danger, we should go T>elow, and TAKE SOME GROG This was at' 9 p.m. The chart was then spread upon the table, and the position of the ship exactly ascertained. Nothing on the chart exhibited anything to apprehend to leeward. The captain and myself carefull v read over., the remarks relative to the Channel ih "Horsburg's Directory." The captain then said, as we were clear of danger, he Would not anchor, but stand on under doublereefed topsails, 2s the weather was clear. In* 10 minutes after going below I returned with the captain to the poop*. Dr. 'McGregor accompanied me. Lieutenant Minton, I believe, was preparing to go to bed. When walking the poop with the captain the hand lead was going all the time. One cast of the lead I distinctly recollect seven fathoms, the next shoal ihg water fast. The captain called out to the leadsman to heave quickly. The leadsman reported POUR FATHOMS. The ship, at that time was under doable-reefed topsails, mainsail, furled foresail, hkuled up with one of the bead sails set, the ship going, not exceeding, one and a half knot. The captain immediately ordered the helm to be put hard aport. He had hardly done so When the ship struck, but not violently. He turned round and exclaimed, "My God ; what Is this?" He immediately called to the third officer (Mr Field) to get into the Starboard boat, with some good bands, and .& leadline, aiid sound round the ship. The second strike immediately succeeded. The weather ,was perfectly clear. There was nO swell on, Whatever, and not a vestige of a breaker ahead, and tbe moon shone very brightly. To the best of my belief we were not more than a mile and a half from the mainland.- When the captain ordered the helm to be put aport, the ship* rounded to with her head turned from the land. Whilst rounding the SHIP STRUCK VIOLENTLY, tlie rudder bearing away the wheel, Dud throwing the first officer, . with tie wheel, on the Ice side of the poop. The first officer called loudly for men to/ come and assist him with relieving tackle. Before he had time to finish the head of the rudder, with a violent concussion, tore up a great portion of the poop deck, and then fell into the water. I immediately ran to the break of the poop, where thc captain was standr ing, and told him the rudder .waa

gone, and said, "I thought the ship might now get into deep water." He said that it was impossible, as she was full of water. I then suggested the propriety of lowering the larboard boat, which was immediately done ; but, m . doing so, she was, swamped by the man losing his hold of the stern tackle m consequence of the rolling of the ship. The call at this time for the doctor was most astounding. I rushed- from the poop and descended the main hatchway. Lieutenant Minton accompanied me to the hatchway, but he did not descend. The PRISONERS WERE SCREAMING m the most violent and agitated manner to be let out. The prisoners put their hands through the grating and seized me by the hands, and said, "You promised to stand by us," and I assured them, that I would 4o so, and remain with them. Two .. of the stanchions forming the barricade rbund the main hatchway had . been broken down. A few of the convicts were pushing their heads through the vacant space. A body oi the military formed a compact guard round the main hatchway with : '. THEIR MUSKETS LEVELLED upon them, merely, as I. conceived, by way of intimidation.'. T.o of the most deserving of the convicts on the ship came through the opening to me^ and clung to my knees, ' entreating me to pass them up ; Corporal .Bell' presented his niusket and .'ordered them back; ' The prisbners called out that the water was then, up. to their knees. The noise- of the crashing of the ship's bottom was most dreadful. Oh leaving the, hatchway I .called to Corporal Bell to , allow. Rty*bert Hale' and William Nelson (prisoners), to come up.". When all had Come up I went ba6k to' ttys p66p, and found the mainmast' tottering. Up to this time no shots had T.§en fired. I called loudly to the petiple to take care, as the mainmast; .was falling, and after two Or three violent rolls of 'the ship it fell, bearihg away with it the mizten topmast, the yards striking- Violently on the rocks. The captain and officers. were at this time endeavoring to get ihe launch out. This was probkbly five minutes after, the ship first struck, and m one minute more thb fotetnast mmtnmaammWimmtmanmamammm^mdMaimataimmßßamxa

fell over the starboard bow. I heard it suggested, but I don't know by whom, that a signal gun should be fired; but it was found impracticable. Major Ryan caused some muskets to be fired a s signals. I heard the report of two or three muskets, but did not see m what part of the ship. At this time Major Ryan was sitting m front of the mizxenmast. He seized me by the hand, and inquired what could be done. I exclaimed, "GOD ONLY KNOWS; m a few minutes we shall all be m 'eternity." I immediately left him, and threw off my surtout, and, m the hopes of saving my life, resolved to attach myself to a spar. The crew had by this time succeeded m gettingout the launch. Every individual on the wreck was at this time crowded n*.' the larboard side of the deck, the starboard side being entirely, .under water ; when the boat olearijd the wreck, three loud huzzas , were given. We immediately pulled ih /shore, and coasted along until We landed m Southport. The PARTY CONSISTED OF 42 / SOULS, and each person made through the surf up to his neck. The captain sue*p , ested that myself and the second officer should remain m charge, and have fires prepared. The captain and myself and nearly all hands . had no covering but trousers and shirt, not one atom having been saved by an individual. The captain, first officer, and four seamen then pulled off immediately the last person had landed, back to the wreck. It was 2 o'clpck when he left us, and when he returned from the wreck it was 7 o'clock. I beg fto k express my decided opinion of the captain's judicious conduct. Major Ryan, who had been confined to his cabin four weeks, came upon deck immediately . the vessel struck, and displayed throughout very great coolness. It Was not until the whole of the survivors had been brought from the wreck that Robert Hart, a convict, told me a PRISONER HAD BEEN SHOT. It is my belief that no order was given on board by any person to the soldiers to fire upon the /Convicts. It must have been the effect of accident or mistake. The Conduct of the' feuard, crew, and convicts generally, during the Whole voyage, Was very good, but on the dreadful occasionparticularly, so on stepping from the poop to the boat— many of the con-, victs made a passage for me, and assisted me into the boati When I was m the boat I saw from 20 to' 30 Convicts on the fragments of the, mast and spars, none of whom attempted to lay hold of the boat. Everyone exerted himself to the utmost to get the boat clear of the wreck. The general' routine ' was' breakfast at 8, ONE SMALL GLASS OF BRANDY and water with some biscuits, at 12, one pint of wine to each individual at dinner, one decanter of which was invariably untouched ;• tea at 6 and

at 8, one glass of brandy or (rum and water, and I am prepared to say that during the whole voyage, except on one or two occasions, no person ever .took more than one glass, and on thesg only two of spirits and water. No person m authority on the ship ever appeared m the least the worse for liquor, during the whole voyage. The behavior of the convicts throughout was meritorious. The [CONVICTS WERE KEPT BELOW until the boat could be launched. It is my decided opinion, that if they had not been kept below not a soul would liave been saved, and even before the boat was launched, many of them were drowned helow. Im<_ned'iately the boat was launched the guard was withdrawn from the hatphway. I received every assistance from the master and crew. All that men could do, under such circumstances they did. I embarked 220 convicts, of whom 12 died on the passage, I^7 WERE LOST, and 81 saved. At the time the ship struck 60 men were sick, of whom 59 were m bed unable to help themselves, and only two of whom are saved ; not more than 10 mifc-ht have been* able to make an effort. /This sickness I attributed to thc scantiness of _ provisions generally, but especiallys to the oatmeal having been withdrawn and cocoa substituted, thr6ua:h which . SCURVY PREVAILED MOST * DREADFULLY. On mjustering my list, I found that 115 convicts -had never partaken of gooo^ dufihff'j the voyage; from their ver^riL'eat dislike to it ; m support of this opinion, not one soldier,~sailor, woman or child, suffered from scurv*. their rations at least being one-third more than . the convicts. Soon after the .ship struck she 'fell over to the starboard, the fall of the masts considerably increasing . the careenini\ Had the whole body of nieh been on her upper works, she: must have been ,on her beam ends entirely. One or two seas that were breaking over her then would have washed every person away* Had the whole body of meh been on the deck, a rush undoubtedly would have been made to the boat, and she -would have been* swamped. My opinion according to; the best of my judgment is that 30 , MEN WERE WASHED AWAY, or perished of cold on the wreck dvr T ing th'e night.; The best statement I can give of the loss of the prisoners is that .127 perished, 58 of whom were on the sick list, and 39 to the best of my belief weire drowned below before I left the ship. The principal inducement for coming up thenearest passage was to reach Hobart Town with the least possible delay, owinK to the alarming state, of the sick list, and the total want of proper nourishment-