Cruise of the Government Steamer Hinemoa.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7006, 19 June 1894, Page 3

Cruise of the Government Steamer Hinemoa.

With a Rough Account op the Snakes, Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, and Bounty Islands.

. [By Jamea Gordon.] Concluded. CAMPBELL ISLAND, was discovered by Mr Frederick Hazelburg of the brig Perseverance, in the year 1810 It is about 132 miles distant and a little to the west), of the south of the Aucklands, about thirteen hours easy steam. Although this island is a little colder than the Auck lands, I must say that I like it much better the soil seems rather better, and apparently there is not so much rain. I scrutinised the creeks keenly to see if there were any flood marks, but found none. The grasses are similar to the Aucklands, but rather more of the soft New Zealand iusßock. The area of this island, lam told, is about 15,000 acres. There is some scrub, * bub not to the extent prevailing in the Aucklands, and of a different species, the scrub here being known as the grass tree. It grows similar to the manuka scrub of New Zealand in patches. At the head of Per- ' severance harbor there is some fine down land with waving soft tussock, to the extent probably of 1000 acres. Some rye grass that Captain Fairchild had sown on some of the tussock Land after he had burned it, is coming up very rank, strong, and dark green. The land is inclined to be peaty, tut it is not as a rule wet unless in some, of the basins, where there are a few small jagoons. The most of this island is of volcanic formation with a gravel and clay subsoil in places, and in others flint is also embedded. Op the north-west side the • f or tnation is sandstone. There is a singular \faqb about this Ula"nd f that although it is degrees farthet south than the

accounted for. The young albatross we saw on the Campbells were about fully fledged, while those on the Antipodes were not long out of the shell. There is another harbor, called Nor'-East or Penguin Bay, which also is a safe anchorage. We called in, but did not make any stay. This island was selected by the French expedition of 1874 for the observation of the transit of Venus. The Vire", man-o'-war, lay at this island some months at that time, and erected an Observatory, superintended by M. Boquet de lay Grye, Hydrographer to the French navy. We saw the grave of a French midshipman, who got killed at that time. There is a small iron cross marking the spot where he lies.

Antipodes Island was discovered by Captain Pendleton in the year 1800. The distance from New Zealand, the nearest point, being 458 miles. We arrived there in the Hinemoa on the 14th May. It is a perfect gem of an island, and if planted about 15 miles out from Gisborne it would be a second Motiti. As in the Bay of Plenty, the soil ia exceedingly rich, with soft tussock grass and other grasses. The albatross breeds here by the thousand, and they are sitting here like flocks of sheep. They won't move out of your way. I thought it was on account of their sitting on their young, but Captain Fairchild tells me that they are the same at all times. There is also a peculiar species of parrot, not found anywhere else in the world but on this island — a good few of them were snared while we were ashore..

We saw seven sheep, looking well, but they cannot possibly breed on account of the length of the wool. There are also some cattle, but we did not get a sight of them, it being foggy. It was about eight months ago that this island was brought prominently before the public by the rescue of a portion of the crew of £he Spirit of the Dawn, which the Government steamer Hinemoa took to Dunedin. This vessel became a total wreck close to this island. Eleven of the crew were saved, including the first and second officers. The captain and others went down with the vessel. The eleven that were saved pulled to sea, being frightened to land — it being in the night— on such a rock -bound shore. In the morning they pulled back, bub not a vestige of the vessel was to be seen. We saw the cave where these men lived for 88 days without any fire, and but very little clothing. It seems to me incredible that men in their right senses could live under an overhanging rock for that length of time without making an effort to find out what the island contained, and try and better their condition in some way ; but such is the fact, and the food depot only two miles from them, with all the necessaries required. It appears that some of the crew had lived for a time in Bombay, and they said they were sure that there were both lions and tigers on the place. One night while they were all huddled together in their cave, the bull commenced roaring on the hill above them. They then said, " Did I not tell you so ? Just listen to that !" said one, and naturally the panic spread, and it would have been very unlikely to have found one of them out of their shelter after nightfall. But, besides the natural enemies which they created in their own minds, the supernatural ones were out against them. On looking up the cliffs one night some of them said " What is that ?" There was at once a keen scrutiny, and one and all came to the conclusion that the place was haunted by ghosts. Sailors as a rule have the name of being superstitious, but educated men, such as the first and second officers, might have had better senße than to have believed in such fancies.

There was a cause, I am told by Captah^ Fairchild, to form these fanciful ideas in their minds. On the tops of the rocks above where they were there is a species of tussock — what we used to call nigger-heads— with a trunk about three feet long and a tuft of waving grass on the top. Some of the. trunks of these are bleached white, and the wind waving this grass too and fro, now hiding the trunk, and then exposing it — it seemed in the imagination of those unfortunate castaways that the spirits of the dead were in league against them, and gloating over their misery. Such was the tale of these men to the officers and crew of the Hinemoa.

Messrs Betbuuc and Mcßeath went ashore the first day we arrived, but previously Mr Fraser and his son had gone ashore with the first boat, taking the carpenter and a sailor to erect some hnger posts. The captain had instructed them to meet the steamer at Penguin Bay, but the instructions Mr Frazer had not heard, and the captain, not knowing that he and his son had gone until he saw them landing, he was dubious that he might not kaow where to come to meet the steamer ; and it was as he thought, for Mr Travers w,as shooting the green parrots, while the oth'er party after they had done their work, was to commence snaring these birds. As a matter of course the shooting and snaring party could nob go together, and so they separated. - To make matters worse it came on a thick fog, and both the shooting and snaring parties got lost. Messrs Bethune, Mußeath, and party arrived just at dusk on the beach, and got on board, but the other parties could not be heard. The steam whistle was blown (thinking that they might return an answer by a Bhot), but to no purpose. After about an hour we heard a shot on the heights above the bay, when a boat was immediately sent ashore, and fetched them on board. Mr Travers was in a sore plight, having taken cramp in his legs through lifting them so high over the tusaooks, and apparently he was so far gone that be fainted — but between rubbing his legs with embrocation and pouring whisky down his throat he was all right in* half-an-hour. This took the wind out of his sails considerably, as he had just been telling us that be had never seen a shepherd yet that could beat him in walking. i The following day the captain, Mr | Travers, Mr Danby, and myself went ashore to inspect the food depdt, but after landing we had to scale a rock, which Mr Travers objected to after yesterday's experiences. He returned to tha boat, and waited our return. We caught a number of the green parrot ; they . are easily snared, hopping through the grass and sitting on top of the tussocks. There is no timber on this island, only a small scrub here and there about three feet high. We found the food depot all right, and left some matches. We all went on board the Hinemoa, getting ready for a start for the Bountys. THE BOUNTY ISLANDS. These were discovered by Captain Bligh in the year 1788, and named after that historical vessel, the Bounty, commanded by Captain Bligh, R.N. These rocks, about 24 in number, are the most inhospitable-looking islands that could be imagined — not a vestage of vegetation on them— 'bare granite rocks with chasms cutting through and through them, clean cut and perpendicular on the side. The sea rushes to and fro with terrific noise. There is a food depdt on the largest island, and a sail has been left, with instructions how to use it for catching rain water. Water is caught in the crevices and holes in the rocks, but that would be utterly unfit for consumption on account of the myriads of penguins at certain seasons which contaminate it. We saw more fur seals here than at any of the islands that we visited, about eight or ten were lolliDg on the rocks, and others with their noses peeping out of crevices. A boat landed the carpenter to inspect the depot, but we had two or three attempts before he effected his purpose. He found the depot all right, with no appearance of any castaways having been there. I pity any shipwrecked men cast on these islands, for even in the event of them getting on to the rock the depOb stands, without rain they would be bound to succumb. We sailed about midday on the 17th May, and after a tempestuous passage reached the Bluff harbour on Sunday the 20th, about 9 o'clock a.m., thus having been 20 days in and around the islands.