AN INCIDENT OF THE OTAGO'S HOMEWARD VOYAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 988, 5 November 1870, Page 20

AN INCIDENT OF THE OTAGO'S HOMEWARD VOYAGE.

{North British Daily Mail.)

In the record of remarkable escapes from being " lout at sea," we do not for a long time remember any more remarkable instance than that of Andrew Barr, a young Glasgow sailor presently residing with his father in Oxford street here, and rapidly recovering from the effects of his accident. The lad, who was only sixteen in January last, is an apprentice with the well-known firm of Patrick Handerson and Co., St Vincent Place, and as such formed one of the crew of their fine composite ship Otago, in her last homeward voyage from New Zealand, by way of Cape Horn. When rounding the Cape they had had a taste of the weather so generally experienced by the mariner in that desolate and stormy region ; but a day or two afterwards, ou the 17th April, being Easter Sunday, and between seven and eighjT o'clock in the morning, the master, Captain Stuart, gave orders to hare a little more sail put on the vessel. To this end j Andrew, among others, went aloft, his speoial business being to assist in unfurling the main royal, the topmast sail in the ship. Whilst bo engaged a sudden gust of wind blew the rope out of hia hand, and the loosened sail Btruck him on the face and knocked him over, from an elevation, we should say, of about 130 feet. In his descent the poor fellow struck on no fewer than three spara successively, each time receiving cruel damage. First he came down head foremost on the yard immediately below, the topgallantsail yard, whereby the scalp was laid open across almoßt from ear to ear ; next he came in contact with the topsail yard, with equally disastrous result — the left thigh being broken, the knee-joint of the same leg put out, and the hip disabled ; and lastly, the fore right leg striking the mainyard, was cut and braised from the shin up to near the knee. Thus maimed and bleeding, ' he rebounded from the belly of the mainsail into the sea, The accident had been observed by j those upon deck ; and when the body of the unhappy lad disappeared beneath the waters of the South Atlantic, they had little idea of ever seeing it again, believing that there could scarcely have been life left in him before reaching the water. In-two or three seconds, however, he came to the surface, and held up his hand. The signal was seen by them, and as quickly as possible, the ship was put about and a boat lowered. As, however, the vessel was going as nearly as possible right before a fine breeze at the rate of eight to ten knots an hour, it may be imagined that the poor castaway must have been a good way behind before help could possibly reach him. The boat was manned by Mr Stevens, first mate, Mr Johnatone, third mate, and three of the crew, who each and all put forth their best exertions in pulling back, to the resoue ; but it was calculated that at the time they started they would be at least two miles away from the disabled swimmer ; aud, be that as it might, they could nowhere descry him. They pulled on, aud pulled about, I straining their eyes across the waves in every direction, but failing to oatch a glimpse of him. At last, after cruising about for the better part of half-an-hour, they were resting despondingly on their oars for a minute previously to putting about for the Bhip again, when one of the men who had himself been overhoarded once in these same seas suddenly called upon Mr Stevens, who was at the helm, to l€ look out for birds," and, if he saw any, to steer for them at once. Mr Stevens did bo, and almost immediately saw a Bmall troop of albatrusses wheeling over the surface of the water, about a mile to the right. At onoa the rowers bent to their work again, and, when about half the distance had been accomplished, Mr Stevens cried out that he saw him, and urged the rowers to pull for dear life,' and reoover their young messmate dead or alive. ' The men needed little persuasion to "put it ou" to the utmost, aud they were now rapidly neariog the .spot, the great lumbering albatrosses having sailed away ftt the approach of the boat, Mr Stevens now shouted out to the lad to " hold on" and the/ would save him, and the

spent swimmer heard the call, and it gave him strength to oomply with it, till dexterously steering alongside, they got him by the collar and hauled him into the boat. Hib first words were to one of the men, "Oh ! John, don't hurt me," in diead of even kindly handling in his sorely wounded condition. As tenderly as possible they disposed him in the bottom, of the boat, John supporting his head and Bhouldera between his kneeß, the head reclining on his lap. Immediately after making the observation we have mentioned, he swooned away, but had recovered conBciousness by the time they had reached the vessel again. Alongside, the question arose how to get him on board, which was soon decided. The others having scrambled up the ladder iv the usual manner, the hooks were let down, and the boat hoisted up to the davits^ with Audiew and his bearer remaining in it as they were. The rescued lad waa at once conveyed to the after-cabin, and every arrangement that could contribute to his possible recovery from au accident so almost unparalleled in its circumstances that, should he survive, it might, with entire truth, be said that the hero of it had been snatched from the very jaws of death. As it turned out, the issue was to be favourable. The divided scalp was sewn together. Strange to Bay, •• he couldn't help laughing " at the "feeling" of the operation while it was iv progress— the broken bone was set, and, nature assisting the healthy young lad, he continued steadily to nvmd, so that when, rather lobs than two months after the accident, land was sighted, he was in a condition to be brought up on deck to Bee it. The Otago having arrived at London, Mr Barr, sen., was advised that it would be desirable that he should go up and bring his son home here, which he did. We have only to add that the lad iB warm in his commendations of the unremitting attention and kindness which he experienced throughout at the hands of Captain Stuart, personally, and also of Mrs Stuart, who accompanied her husband on the voyage. Undeterred by hia experience of the dangers of the seas, Andrew's firm resolve is still to " follow the sea," and he is not without hopes of rejoining the Otago on her return to New Zealand ' next month. There is that about him which gives assurance that he is a piece of the Btuff out of which the British sailor of the true stamp is. made. I