ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 419, 24 April 1863, Page 5

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

THE BARQUE EMPRESS OP liVDIA.

(To the Editor of the Daily Times.)

Sir, —Knowing your willingness to expose :my case of swindling, I send you the following statement, hoping you will give it publication. The barque Empress of India (as you are no doubt awaic) was detained afc Fort Chalmers tor some weeks through want of bands. After shipping and discharging some 20 men, and semiin^ one civ w to g:»ol the captain (S. J. Wiikins) apparently got a crew to hi* liking, and sailed for (his port on the 2itli of February last; in Cook's Straits, the vessel, while beating, missed stays, aud in order to save her from going ashore, bot'i anchors were let go, ju^t in time, as her stern was but a. few feet, from a re fof recks. The captain had the gig lowered,.and he himself, his wife and child, s cona mate, and two hands, got into it, he telling the crew at tbe time to get the piunace from the skids and leave the ship; this they did not do, but with the mo»t super-human efforts, got tbe ship off, by getting a spring to the quarter, and slipping the cables. On arriving at Pietun they discharged the cargo, and (tot 15u tons of ballast on board. The captain then, for some inexplicable reason, gives up connnaud of the ship to tlie first officer, he tuking charge of a small ketch belonging to Mr Beauchamp, of thj<s port, and takes three hands with him, coolly telling the rest that they can go, but that he will not pay them a farthing of their wages; and on their refusing to do so, every effort is made to run them out of the ship. Thus, men who have Ll4 or Lls due to them must lose it, or put up with every inconvenience and ill-usage. Hoping you will ler, the people of New Zealand know the way in which we have be-;n treated, ' I am, &c, Nepiuhb.

Picton, N. Z., April 3rd, 1863.