ARRIVAL OF THE SCHOONER FLORA FROM THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 149, 12 October 1876, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE SCHOONER FLORA FROM THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

The schooner Flora, the vessel fitte: out at Sydney for the purpose of exploriij the Auckland Islands for the site of til wrecked ship General Grant, arrived i| Port Chalmers on Tuesday evening. SI brings Messrs. Taylor and Stevens, tk heads of the exploring, party, with the men, who, we regret to hear, have m been so successful as the efforts made \ them mex-ited. The Flora left Sydney ft the Auckland Islands with stores an equipments for the purpose of searchii for the wrecked ship, on July 1, an reached the Chatham Islands on July II and anchored at Ross Bay, landing a par of men under Mr. Taylor, who at on set to work cutting an overland tra<£j the west coast, a work which occupii some fourteen days. Meanwhile tl schooner made a trip round the island and returned to Ross Bay, the weath proving too boisterous to allow her make any satisfactory survey of the k board. The men under Mr. Taylor i examined the place a bit without anyi suits of importance. After lying at K<fl Bay for a whole month it was found to I useless as a starting-point, and the scho® shifted to Smith's Harbour, on the a side of the island. Another track™ then cut to the west coast, and Mr. Tan and his party were occupied for sen weeks in exploring the coast from the® end to the other, being materially assis® in their search by Mr. Cornelius Drew, ® was second officer of the General Gi® when that vessel was wrecked. Under® guidance they discovered a cave, they believe to be the one in which® ill-fated ship met her doom ; but the (S were too steep to permit them appro® ing the cave from the landward side® many parts having a height of 1,700 i® The schooner, meanwhile, could I nothing along the seaboard, and event® proceeded to Carnley Harbour, intern® to get a boat round from that point t® cave, but the weather always preve® this being carried into effect, and ® made matters more disheartening on® account was their knowledge of the® that the General Grant had broken g pieces of wreckage having been disco® about the shore. Finding the we® always against them, and their supp® stores running out, they decided toj« up the enterprise, and were finally d® out of Carnley Harbour by p, heavy ® thence they proceeded to Port Ross® lay there two days, supplying Mr® Mrs. Nelson (who are in charge <«■ place for Dr, Monokton) with a qu® of stores, which they greatly needed, ® absolutely in a starving state, and ■ porting life on the flesh of seals and ® shellfish. The Flora left Port R°s® Wednesday, and on the following da® countered a heavy IST. W, gate; thenc® experienced light variable winds and® to arrival. —Guardian. ■