WEST COAST EXPLORATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 53

WEST COAST EXPLORATION.

Bx Thos. Mackbnzib.

NO. VIII.

The Hinemoa not arriving we decided to | return to Pigeon Island, 25 miles away. This would enable us to do some more exploring work by boat, and save the Hinemoa coming so , far for us. We were up at 4 a.m. on the 11th, struck camp, and got away at 7 o'clock. We fixed a flag off the river's mouMi with a bottle attached to tbe pole containing a nota to Captain FaireLild describing our route should we miss him. The morning was simply perfect. A nice light bresze followed us, and away we sailed out of Supper Oove, taking the dingey in tow. On reaching Cooper Island we parted company, Bishop taking the dingey along the north side of the island while we made for Fanny Coyp on the left. We thought itju&t possible thai; Mr Chamberlain might come over aud get into the watershed of the river coming into that cove. Mr R. 0. Oarrick thought the Seaforth might come into that port. The strait between Cooper Island and the mainland is narrow, and is called Nine Fathom Passage. A beautiful waterfall comes in on ' the left. Some little distance away the fall looks like a stately female form draped in white, with flowing robes. Immediately we pass through the narrows the breeze diea away and we take to our oars. The water becomes as smooth as a sheet of glass, j sparkliog in the sunshine. We are wandering amid "green islands in glittering seas." -The forest is ringing with the joyous notes of the moki andtui. Presently we pass a number of seagulls giving their young ones flying and. swimming lessons. .How proudly attentive they are ! As we get nearer, what a din they make as they circle around 1 How stately they look, rising on high, poising with motionless wing and bosom of snow! Then a schcol of grampus come ploughing along, spouting and gambolling. Weenter Fanny ßay—a beautiful harbour ; — we row away towards the mouth of a placid : looking river that comes in in the northeast corner. ' 'We fire two .shots, loiter about for a -time, but no sign of life is visible, and then we head once more for the outlet. The country through which the river comes looks tame, and it should be easily followed for a considerable distance.. The mountains on the left as we pass out are high and very abrupt. We take a careful note of the country on both sides Of the entrance to Fanny Cove in caae we may some day require to find our way out from it. We then steer for the passage between Cooper and Long Inlands, meeting Bishop near Shag Island, he having had a cruiss into Sportt>men's Cove, Cooper Island. After coasting for a mile along Long Island we come to water and boil our billy. During that interesting operation a flosk of large shags pass. Bishop rails them back, and one by one they are all shot. No one has any mercy on shags. It is a very .singular thing- to see these 'birds returning when called, no I matter how strongly they are winging their J flight elsewhere. When opposite Acheron Pafsage a stiff head wind met U3, aud then the real hard work of our voyage began. Wd skirted Long Island as near the coast a 8 possible and got what shelter we could. We go right rouud Detention' Cove of Captain Cook — it was nearly Detention Cove for us also. As we forged our way ahead we met very heavy seas, and it took hard rowing indeed to make headway at all. When opposite Duck Cove we up sail and crossed th«:«ouud, and managed to hold our own. After crossing we get fair shelter under Resolution Island, until we pass through a narrow passage between Fixed Head and an island, where we are met with a wind full ahead. We had hoped to get a fair breeze at this point to take us to Pigeon Island, six or seven miles away. For a time we got shelter from some' small islands and Anchor Island, but we soon lose that and arc -out in the open sea. Dusky is a dreadful stormy place, the full sweep of the south-western ocean comes beating in. Henry has great difficulty in getting his plauta to *tiok in the ground at all, they are all blown out. There is no place anywhere to beach a boat in safety, she would be smashed up very quickly. Mr Henry has always to haul his boat up in his own harbour. Captaia'Vancouver had some dreadful experiences in this plaeo, and although he got into a harbour in Anchor Island quite land locked, he had to lower his masts after his srvils were much damaged. He writes : •• We were happily in a, very snag, secure little harbour, yet the sea beat ' -with such unremitting .violence against the; rocks immediately astern of us that had , either the anchor or the cable given way little «lse but inevitable destruction must have fol- r lowed." Their anxiety for their consort' (the ; Chatham) <was great, yet she rode out bravely, .the seas breaking clean over, her. 'Vancouver ' was then trying to reach Facile Haubour, where, ■we were going, bat was overtaken by the storm. , We steer our course for the passage between ' Parrot and. Pigeon Islands. We meet a heavy ■ roll coming in, the wind making the jsea very' choppy. Now we are on the top of a roller, 'then away down 'in the dip. We coast as closely as possible, just keeping well clear of. the breakers, until we reach a point from which i we have to make direct -for the passage. All hands struggle manfully at the oars, hut we f 'make very little progress. Neptune begins to, assert himself, and one rower looks over the', side to -sec how the fishes are getting along, and others begin to look uncomfortable. Still, we pull on. At last Mr -Henry .said, "Ib ifl no use; we -cannot make the passage, we must try and make a sufficient offing to weather a rocky bluff, and then we can up sail .and -.reach the entrance of the narrow boat passage you looked into after leaving the Tarawera." Another hoar's .nulling and sailing and we are off the entrance, and a wild, rough place it looks. However, there is nothing else for it. The ocean breaks .wildly against the bold granite portals. .High aloft .the spray i dashes, reaching the hardy vegetation .on top; back same a score of leaping 'cascades as the waters ruah down the gulchy sides. A .great; drawback suction discloses for a moment the hidden secrets of submerged marine life, revealing scores of .tenacious >opawas and mussels, sea anemones -»nd 'starfish, and dinging massas of lovely-hned sea plants in endless variety. Then, another big wave -comes, <and a churning and a seething where seaweed and ocean-foam mingle and twist.

Henry takes the long steer oar, and ,the four of us grasp our oars tigiitly. Henry knows the passage. A huge louii rock occupies the centre, over .which tha »ea v breaking. With a ••Steady, ladel" we bend our backs, and away goes the boat sweeping through the foaming surf, big waves .follow and break around us, our dicgey goes jumping and running madly, -sometimes alongside, then -the next moment away the full .length- of her painter, finally dumping heavily on tie shelving >rooks. There is not 6ft dear of the oats on either side, a minute more .we. are through, and gently ste^lide into water as oalm^as a mill ipond .and ftkUs.§GaC9« Auott««j«sSsksuUing in psrfeafcly

smooth wator aod we are home again at Pigeon Island. „

Mr Butt welcomes as, and Foxey— Mr Henry's dog — dtnees around and barks a friendly welcome 'also ; he then walks once or twice round Darky, and finally chums up with him. Mr Henry makes us welcome — welcome to the lurury of a chair ; welcome to the comfort of a table to place our food on. We are quite oivilised — plates, knives, and oups and saucers — and. every thing is dry — dry floor to walk on, a dry bed to sleep in, instead of springy moas and cold wet bedding;— and. don't wo enjoy it. Nothing like roughing it a little to make a psrsyn enjoy the comforts of *>yen the very pl-iiueet qii-ir'.ers and tho very homeliest, of fare. Had our friend the Tarawera globe-trotter shared our -experiences ho would have enjoyed the delicacies of the sumptuous table on that eteimer in a very different way. Were some of the lads who turn up their noses at the best a kindhearted mother can set before them to get a month's turn of the rougher side of life it would do them a world of good. Half the parents are too'iadulgent nowadays. The amouut of rain which fell during tha month we were away w«s32in — more than falls in a whole year on the East Coast. The rainfall at Balo'utha for the year was 26in. We were in a constant state of moisture, and owing to the skimpy tent fltas our bread was wet also. Just one word aboub . our bread. It kept sweet until the vary last. The Last loaf we feasted on was three -weeks old, .and the baker who can turn out bread like that deserves praise indeed. We got it from Mr Matheson, Invercargill. {

On Tuesday morning, as there was still no •sign of the Hinemoa, we make an excursion to' Facile Harbour, about a mile away, to -see whnt ■ : remains of that mysterious derelict the Budeavour. For many years I had known that \a vessel lay in these sounds. At first I was told that not the slightest trace could ba found of her history. Then wo heard she w.ts supposed ta be a ship called the Madagascar, which sailed ahout 40 yeacs ago from Australia, c wry ing i much gold, and of which nothing was ever hearii, although quite a romantic story was invented about.the ship having been taken into Du-ky and -the crew making overland to Wskattpu. During the days of the Acheron's visit, 50 years ago, the ' sailors thought she was an old Spanish wcvcic, and now Captain Fairchild was quite pemuded that the vessel was the Endeavour of Captain Cook. At first he did not think so, but quite recently he discovered what he believes to be conclusive evidence that she is the same vessel. In my *' interview" with the representative of the Chriatchurch Press I gave the story as . I had received it. I think the best way to discover the truth about anything is to publish what you know. Oq the story appearing, Mr R. O. Carrick wrote pointing out th*t the wreck was not Cook's Endeavour, although a vessel of the same name, and that in Collins's • ' Early His toi>y" an account of the loss of a ship is given. I immediately sent to Wellington to try and get that book, and to my joy was successful. The work is by Lieutenant-colonel Collins, who accompanied the first ship to Sydney in 1788. For several years he was Judge-Advocate and ! Secretary for the Colonies, and was also Lieufcenanfc-goveraor of Port Phillip. The work was^ published in London in 180$. tt&fFrom that work the evidence ie,*l think, con-clußiv-e — first, that she as not Captsin Cook's, Endeavour ; and secondly, that she is Captain Bampton's ship. Captain Cook's ship was only 360 tons, whereas the vessel liing in Dusky was evidently a large ship, judging from her beam and the length between her bows and sternpost. I think I cannot do bettor than quote from Collins, whose work was a sort of diary :—": — " On April 11, 1795, the pleasant intelligence of Mr Bampton's arrival 'from Bombay was dispersed through the settlement. He commanded the Endeavour, a ship of 800 tons, and had on board 132 bead of cattle," &o. Later on he writes:— "The Endeavour and Fancy (a small schooner) sailed for India on the 17th September (1795). • It was found after their departure that notwithstanding bo many as 50 persons, whose transportation had expired, had been permitted to leave the colony in the -Endeavour, nearly as many more had found means to secrete themselves on board." And now comes the connection with the Dusky Bay wreck.

On the 18th February 1796, by the return of the Reliance from Norfolk Island, accounts were brought that Mr Bampton, who had left Port. Jackson in September, on reaching Dusky .'Bay ia New Zealand found bis ship so leaky that, with the advice of his offioers and people, , she was run ashore and scuttled. By great good fortune they found there a small vessel •which had been built by. the carpenter of the Britannia when left with the mate and others in that ship's first voyage 'from thence to the Cape of Qood Hope. They had .her completed and launched. It may be remom-' ,'bered that in addition to the large number of pereqns which Mr Bampton .had permission to take from Fort Jackson :nearly as many more f ouud means to secrete, •themselves on board hiß ship and the Fancy.' 'For these as well as his officers and ship's company he had now to provide a passage from the 'truly desolate shores of New Zealand — aiufiicient punishment for his ingratitude in 'taking j them away. He immediately, after -fitting «s i a schooner the vessel which .he .had launched, and naming her the Providence, sailed With her and the Fancy-for Norfolk Island, having on board as many of the officers and people who reached Dusky Bay with him as they could contain, -leaving the remainder to proceed in a vessel which one of them I undertook to construct out; of the Endeaj your's longboat. The F»noy and Providence arrived safely at Norfolk Island. Verylittle of ithe wreck is mow left. For many' years the sealers had eut'her timbers for firing, and -Captain, Fairchild .ramoved a large portion 1 ofher to Wellington a jfew years ago. We got some pieces of the planking and sheathing; also some pieces of her tarred canvas, which, although it .had lain a. hundred years under, water, was still fresh aud strong. Mr Henry has somie.piecas of crockery from her. We saw a great pile of ballast, which eorifcains chalk and some of the Sydney building stone. 'We' hunted about 'the 'beach and found nothing of interest exoepta few pieces 6f -old iron. Shortly after I got Collins's "History" I wae fortunate in ireoeiviog from .Dr Hocken a copy of his very valuable paper on the Endeavour, ! which he read before the Otago Institute about nine .years ago, and from which I shall presently enll some of it 3 useful information. But before I allude to that'l irißh to , remark that it was a most fortunate thing for New Zealand that the Endeavour did notjgo-ashore on a part of our coast where these convicts could have landed -and lived with the Natives. What an evil influence they would have had I (To It continual.) : — One .thousand tons of soot settle monthly withhi the 118 square miles of London. One of the .-greatest blessings to parents is Mother (Graves'* Worm Exterminator. It effectually expels worms and gives health :in a j mstSveHaus m&anec. to the little one, ' '