WRECK OF THE BANSHEE.

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 1004, 25 February 1871, Page 12

WRECK OF THE BANSHEE.

Intelligence reached us on Wednesday that the schooner Banshee had been lost on Monday on Danger Reef, Shag Point, and that the master, Eekhoff, was the sole survivor. Captain Eckhoff reached town yesterday evening by the coach, and we are indebted to him for the following account of the disaster :— " The Banshee left the Grove, Picton, on Thursday last at 3 a.m., and cleared the Sound at 2 p.m. the same day, the wind being from the N.W., and blowing fresh. Passed Cape Campbell at 8 p.m. At midnight the wind hauled to the SE. Single reefed the canvas. On Friday the wind fell light, hauling easterly. At 10 p.m., the wind being light from the N.E., set the square-s&il. On Saturday evening sighted Banks Peninsula, and exchanged signals with the Edinburgh. It was calm the whole night. On Sunday, the wind freshening, the schooner was abreast of Akaroa at 7- 30 pm. At noon on Monday observed lat. 44 degs, 1C sees. At 4 p.m. sighted the land, weather thick. At 6 p.m. double-reefed the mainsail, and single-reefed the foresail, Shag Point bearing S.W., distant six miles, steering soutn. At 8 p.m. took in the square, sail, vessel going about six miles an hour. At 9, 15 struck on Danger Reef ; got the boat all ready for launohing. About half an hour afterwards, the vessel forged ahead considerably, and Bhovtly afterwards began to filL Gave orders to launch the boat over to leeward ; while in the act of doing so, a sea struck her, filled the boat and sent ub all floundering, the whole of us having got into her, ready to push off. I saw all hands dinging, to the wreok. I got hold of something which proved to be one of the main hatohes. A short time afterwards Nicholas Murphy, one of the crew, came close down to me, having hold of something else. We cooeyed several times to the other men, but got no answer. We observed the boat coming close to us bottom up, and struck out for her. Murphy kept in my company for about two hours longer, when he let go and vanished. The boat was capsized several times during the night, [but I always managed to right her again, and finally got ashore about 4 p.m., to the northward of Jones's Head, with considerable difficulty. I got on the range and struck out for Waikouaiti. I observed several portions of wreck strewn along the beaob. I arrived near Waikouaiti about 7 p.m., all in tatters, and very much exhausted— in fact, ready to drop down. I was kindly entertained by Mr J. Moir, who showed me the way into the township, where I communicated with the sergeant of police, who Bent two constables to the scene of the disaster. None of the others bad come on shore by noon this day. I believe myself to be the only survivor." The p.s. Wallace passed the scene of the wreok yesterday. Captain Edie reports that the Banshee was still on the reef, but fast breaking up. A quantity of her cargo, which consisted of timber, was floating about, but there was no sign of any of her crew, which consisted of the mate, two ab'ebodied seamen, and cook. There is thus hardly any room to doubt that they have perished.

The American whaling barque Matilda Seers, five months out from Hobart Town, sailed off the Heads on the 17th, with 900 barrels of sperm and 150 barrels of other whale oil, and bone, for the purpose of transhipping her cargo to a vessel at this Port bound for the United States. A pilot boarded her, and gave her master the information that his vessel would be taken in free of all charges, but that there was no vessel at present loading for the States. Whereon the barque proceeded on, with a S.W. wind, towards the Bay of Islands for surplus stores, where such were kept for American whalers. From thence she would probably proceed to another port for the discharge of her take to a vessel bound for the States. In reference to the above, it may be mentioned that the whole of the oil was obtained off our own coast, as also that Captain Underwood, of the steamer Alhambra, whioh arrived here on the 17th, reported that he passed quite a sohool of whales between Timaru and Oamaru, on hi* passage from Lyttelton to Otago,