WRECKED ON THE CROZETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 59

WRECKED ON THE CROZETS.

LOSS OF THE SCHOONER CATHERINE. Th-e Cl-erman ship Deruyter. bound from Philadelphia to Japan, arrived at Melbourne on the 13th, with Captain Ree and ■two sailors belonging to the Danish . schooner Catherine, which was wrecked on December 14, on the Crozets, a group of four small uninhabited islands in the Indian 'Ocean, between Kergnelen and Prince Edward Islands. All the rest of the hands ; Tire safe on the island. Citptain Kee and rw© men left in the ship's boat to get as»istance, and had been at sea nine days when .picked up by the Deruyter. Captain Ree- fears that the 11 men who are left on Crozet Island are badly -off. Tbe stores on the island were left there in 1868. The hut had been blown down, and the* goods were scattered on the beach, and had either ( perished or were uneatable. The men were living on seals, and the only firewood •they had was what the wreckage of the vessel afforded. They had been a month on the island before they sailed to try to reach Australia. The veaßel went to pieces in a hurricane. The crew were in two boats, which were caught by a huge wave and hurled ashore. He suggests that a fast steamer should be sent from the Ovpe, which could Teach the island in nine days. The Catherine intended to come to Melbourne after completing her sealing expedition at tbe Crozets. American Bay, on the east side of the .possession, was made the headquarters of the expedition. The bay is completely sheltered when the winds come from the west, but the waters receive the full strergth of the strong easterlies which occasionally spring up suddenly and with the force of a gale. On December 4 last the Catherine I.iy at anchor with 400 sealskins in the holds. Without warning the wind changed. A full blast came from the east, end tte anchors began to drag. Her case was soon hopeless, and she gradually drifted shorewards, and -eventually struck an tin- , charted rock. As a tremendous eea was running, the only chance the crew had of saving their lives~was to take to the boats. Captain Ree sent away seven men in the first boat, and remained with the other 6ix men till the vessel was about to break up. . The boats were nearly swamped, but as they reached the beach they were thrown up high and dry and almost undamaged. . The -vessel went to pieces, the crew watching her from the shore. As the wreckage wns washed up it was secured, and subsequently served many useful purposes. A hut was erected and afforded shelter to the shipwrecked men. Portion of the wreckage was used as firewood. There having been no warning of the cisaster, time did not permit of the vessel's stores being landed on the island. Some ship's stores were wa»hed up, but the only tools washed Rshore were an axe, a hammer, and a pair of tongs. With these a rudder was fashioned and fitted to the of the 20ft bont, and the keel was strength- • ened. Early in January the little craft was ready to sail. Captain Ree, who is unmarriod, decided to select only single men. and chose Joharmsen and Authonson, two of the most reliable and experienced men in the crew. They willingly agreed to accompany him on his venturesome expedition to Australia. For nine du3 - s the weather was teirible, and they hardly knew whether they were inside or outside the boat. The seas flew over them, and kept them drenched to the skin, while the cold was intense. When they had covered 1000 miles the first and only sail since they left the i»land was sighted. They were seen, and in two hours were taken aboard a Dutch ship. They were really brought back to life from a numbed and frozen state. The boat I is still on the ship. The Norwegian Consul has cabled to Chrisbiania to have arrangements mad© to rescue the men now on the Crozets, ond ■ Mr Beakin has cabled to the Premier of Cape Colony asking him to arrange to Lr\e the islands visaed.