The Brig Tahiti.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVII, Issue 5306, 21 June 1892, Page 3

The Brig Tahiti.

It will be remembered that some months ago a brig named the Tahiti put into one of the Californian ports near San Francisco, having ou board a large number of Gilbert Island natives, who had been ostensibly engaged to work in the coffee plantations of Guatemala. The vessel ran out of provisions and water on her way from the Gilbert Islands, and put into the Californian port to obtain a supply, she having some 400 natives on board. The assertion was made at the time that the Tahiti was little better than a slaver, and that the islanders had been "recruited" in anything but an orthodox manner. The American authorities tried hard to get at the truth of the matter, but for some reason or other failed, and the Tahiti sailed for her destination. After the lapse of a considerable period, it was feared that the vessel had foundered with all hands. As some exceedingly rough weather prevailed just after her departure, and from what it was known of the condition of the vessel, it w;vs asserted that she was not fit to cope with a heavy gale. All doubts as to her fate have been set at rest by a report of the master of the American steamer Roseville. Captain W. Smith, of that vessel, states :—"I discovered the wreck of the Tahiti in 18aeg 4min north lat. and 103deg 16min west long., floating with three feet of her keel out of water. The port main topmast backstay was twisted where the rigging had carried away. In my opinion the brig was capsized in the night time near the Mexican coast, off the Gulf of California, by a sudden squall, and everybody on board lost. The distance from the Socorro or San Benedicto Islands at the time of my discovering the wreck was 428 miles." The United States warship Boston was despatched from San Francisco to search for survivors of the ill-fated vessel, but not a soul could be discovered—nearly 450 human beings had been drowned.