SUNDAY SERVICE IN SARAH'S BOSEM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 78

SUNDAY SERVICE IN SARAH'S BOSEM.

AN AUCKLAND ISLAND EPISODE.

[Ro. Carrick writes: — Apropos of the Auckland Island ship disaster, let me relate lhe following. If it serves no other turn. It will show what a merciful dispensation the wreck depots are, compared with the state of things? that existed prior to their establishment.]

Tne Sunday service was not in the nature of a conventical or field preaching. It was a simple act of devotion, prompted by the fellow-feeling that makes us wondrous kind to those that are indig-ine of the soil from whence we came. Its m-omorabilia cling around Saint Ken+igeren (Glasgow), the Oity of the Scot, and, as everyone knows, there is nothing more clannish than the Scot abroad. Furthermore, he is reputed to keep the Sabbath and any inconsiderable article that happens to be about. But that is begging the question, and no Scotchman b&g-s, borrows, or steals — he gets his mace tn Hn it.

We made the islands (Aucklands) at daylight feho morning of Saturday, October 21, 1891. At noon we were abreast the Government wreck uepot, Port Ross, formerly Sarah's Bosem. In company with the skipper of the New Zealand Government steamer Hinemoa — the late John Fairchild — we landed and proceeded to inspect the depot. Relics of the place axe stored therein. They make a gruesome* collection— chiefly conimemorative of wrecks and castaways. One record scratched rather than, written on a slate attracted special attention. The circujnstanoes under which it was originally found were peculiarly distressing even in a, land like this, where stress and distress are the normal conditions. A Home-bound vessel from Port Philip, Ge-tteral Grant, was wrecked on the coastAfter 18 months' detention the survivors were rescued and brought to New Zealand. Their story roused active benevolence, and the Government of Victoria caused the< islands to be thoroughly searched for castaways. In a bight no great distance from •where the depot is now erected they cam© upon what had been a rudely-wnstructed Jiut. The- roof had decayed and fallen in. Examining undewieaibh the debris, a ghastly eight revealed itseW. laying at full length on fern-tree stumps, covered with, bracken leaves, were th© remains of a man, partly decomposed and largely ekeleton. Shells and Deach combings lay scattered about, likewise two stone bottles — one filled with water, the other empty. The remains of a bandage wrapped round the leg were also discernable. These wretched accessories told too plainly the sad story of the corpse. He had got crippled, and, becoming unable to walk, lay down and died. A more distressing situation could not have been unfolded. It must have been the " King of Terrors," attended by a full muster of his ghastly train — hunger, helplessness, and exposure. Rude sepulchre was accorded 0h» remains, a grave being dug not far from the 3mr. On further examination the slate was unearthed. The writinsr was scratched! in a fairly legible hand. The writer told bow that he was one of the crew\of the Invercauld, wrecked off the coast. After living together for some time in iixe harbour, they separated in the hope of being better able to forage food. He and four others took tihedr departure in the direction of Carnley Harbour, south end of che island. En route he met with a severa accident, and was unable to keep pace with, his companions. Abandoned by them, ho limped and crept back,' with the idea of rejoining those left beJund in Sarah's Bosean. By the time he arrived they had. been rescued by a sealing craft, and ho found to his dismay the place deserted. Mortification setting- in, he could only manage to orawl about with the utmost difficulty. He abandoned all hope of rescue, and only hoped the merciful dispensation of death would not be long delayed. That is the only expression he gives to his feelings, but we can well imagine they must have been agonising in the extreme. He gave his name as Riddle, or Raddle, a native of Glasgow, who nad in the year 1851 served apprenticeship as a ship's carpenter in tihe yards of Robert' Napier and Sons, Clydeside.

It was a touching- narrative, the surroundings being well calculated to highten their saddening effects. The result was that the Hinemoa party determined upon visitingthe grave. Although it was badly overgrown, it was eventually located. Two of tb« t>aTty were natives o£ Glasgow. As boys they had known Napier's shipbuilding yards well. They exnerieneed the fraternity of fellow-citizenship in the lonely grave. They did what- they could towards giving 1 effect thereto. Along with the ship's carpenter, we landed the following: morning (Sunday), cleared away the scrub, railed in. the grave plot, and planted a. few efcpms of the graceful mountain lily. These, then, were our Sunday services in Sarah's Bosem. The lesson of the day eeemed as if would say : "Ye did it unto one of these, the least of My mercies : ye did it unto Me."