AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 949, 13 November 1879, Page 2

AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

The German schooner Noorburg, from China, for Melbourne, recently put into Brisbane, after a voyage which discloses an exceptionally terrible .view of the hardships of those " who go down to the sea in ships," and brings out a remarkable instance of the heroism and endurance of a fragile woman. The Courier of the 20th October says the vessel sailed from Foochow on the llth July, for Melbourne, with a cargo of tea. Her crew consisted of Captain H. Boldfc, mate, four seamen, and a Chinese cook. The captain's wife and child were also on board. The vessel took the East Passage, and held an easterly course in 25deg. N. latitude, making 12min. to 14min. in the watch, until the meridian 165deg. E. was reached, light east and south-east winds prevailing throughout. During this part of the passage the heat was intense. South of the Solomon Islands a vessel — the only one during the voyage — was sighted ; but although anxious to speak, the distance was too great to signal her. On Ist August, an island of the Caroline Group was sighted in heavy rain and squalls from the northeast. On the 26 th August land was again sighted, which turned out to be the island of Nuna, Solomon Group. At this time the crew were all sick, the captain being the only one who could move about a little, and he consequently did not think it advisable to land or communicate with the shore, the islanders, by repute, being cannibals. One of the hands died on the 13th September, another on the 20th September, a third on the Ist October, and a fourth on the 9th October, leaving only one sailor (the mate) to assist the captain to work the vessel. Up to this time the heat was unbearable and the rain continuous, and the captain was forced to make a southerly course by the strong westerly set of the current and by easterly winds. After leaving the Solomon Group, strong easterly winds were experienced, and a south-west course was shaped for Moreton Bay. On 3rd October, a strong east-south-east gale was encountered. The mate was just able to crawl about, and the Chinese cook wa3 unable to go aloft. The captains's wife, a small, slender, and not by any means strong woman, with heavy swollen legs and affected respiratory orgaus, attempted to furl the sails, but he oould not remain sufficiently long in the rigging, and he had to allow the sails to blow away. The vessel had been making water since Ist October. On sth October, the leak was discovered, and the captain, although very bad, had to be lowered overboard into the water while he plugged the holes, but when that work was finished there were no hands to pump the vessel out. On the evening of the 13th October Cape Moreton light was sighted, but the wind coming round during the night to west and west-south-west, they stood up with the wind ; and on the afternoon of the 14th the pilot boarded the schooner, and brought her into anchorage. On reaching port only the captain's wife was tolerably well. She, after the deaths of the seamen, took hei turn at the wheel, and helped to navigate the vessel to port, she, poor lady, being incited by fear of being left alone in the midst of the ocean with her little child. The Chinese cook was no sailor, | and could not even make himself useful on deck, the mate was wasted away to a skeleton by disease, and the captain's legs were swollen, and his hands covered with sores, so as to prevent free action. Mrs. Boldt, as well as doing work as a sailor, nursed the sick and cheered them, and we heartily agree with our informant, who says that her services deserve recognition at the hands of the underwriters for assisting to save the vessel and cargo. Such was the heat of the weather during the first part of the voyage, that the fowls and live stock died. The survivors of the disastrous passage are, we understand, progressing towards recovery under the treatment of Dr. Rendle.