A BRAVE SAILOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 836, 16 July 1879, Page 2

A BRAVE SAILOR.

|.Vv (?roin the Melbourne Argil*) i^The inrcumatances under which the lives of ;;she erew of the wrecked barque Trinolilo were saved are of a somewhat sensational character. It will be remembered that the vessel was on her voyage from King George Sound to Newcastle in ballast, and encountered a very heavy gale off Wilson's Promontory." V Everything that seamanship could sug- ~ gesfc jappears to have beetidone to save the vessel} but at last it was found necessary to run her up oil the NinetyMile Beach, and this was done on the 30th ult. The vessel took the ground about thirty or forty yards from the shore, and at once swung round broadside on. Thomas' Lefevre, one of the seamen, at once jumped overboard with the log-line for the purpose of swimming on shore. This was a lilatter of great difficulty, as the undertow was very great, while the heavy breakers continually beat him down. It tfas only after great and long-contitiue<j exertions that he succeeded in reaching the shoie, and then in a very exhausted state. By means of the log-line he was enabled to get a stouter line from the ship, and then two other seamen jumped into the surf, and, half swimming and partly aided by the line held by Lefevre, succeeded in joining him. The difficulty now was to get the seamen who could not swim on shore, and also the captain's wife and * child, who were on board. As there was no tree or rock on the* beach to which a hawser could be fastened and a Cradle swung on it from the ship, the Only way, was for those on board to lower themselves down into the surf, and then for those, on shore to drag them through the breakers on to the beach. This was a somewhat dangerous experiment, but it had to be done, and fortunately, all escaped with their lives. Mrs. Williams (the captain's wife) was quite black in the face and insensible when she was hauled up on the beach, as was also one of the seaman; vtho could not swim. In order to save his child (about sixteen months old) Captain Williams fastened him on his back, but when in the surf one of the breakers threw him heavily on his back, and at one time it was thought the- child was | -killed, but although insensible when hauled on to the beach the child afterwards recovered. The sailors soon made a fire, and with a spare sail rigged a tent. Some hot tea was made; and by this means Mrs. Williams was brought round. She had,, however, to* remain far two days in her wet clothjte until assistance arrived from Mr. Clements' station, about ; fourteen" miles distant. As soon as the news of the wreok was known there Mr. Clements sent off his buggy and took Mrs. Williams and the child to the house. The men are none the worse for their rough usage, but it will be a long time pefore Mrs. William* . and her child recover their usual health. „ The Humane: Society might well take notice of Lefevre's conduct."