AN ECHO OF THE PAST.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12411, 22 March 1911, Page 9

AN ECHO OF THE PAST.

(T.q die Editor of the Herald.)

Sir,—^ln last Wednesday's issue appears an Account of the' wrecjv of the General' Grant at the Auckland Islands, which, though interesting, is somewhat inaccurate. I will therefore, with your permission, narrate... the circumstances attending the wreck from certain data m my possession, as related by a passenger. The ship General Grant, 1200 tons, Captain William Kirby Longlin, quitted Hobsoii's Bay on the 4th of May, 1866, with a full complement of passengers. .Nothing particular occurred up to tho 13th. On that day, about ten o'clock, the look-out man at the bow signalled land, which was supposed to bo Disappointment Island. We were steering E.£.N. A slight breeze blew from the S.W. The night was very dark. We kept to the S.E. for .about an hour, ■ and then again steered eastward. Towards eleven o'clock the Auckland Islands lay right in' front' of ris. The ship then tacked. The wind Mas feeble, the sea ran short and angrily. We scarce made any wake. We kept on the larboard tack -for nearly two hours, during which time we were continually drawing towards the land. The iship struck the perpendicular rocks, and lost her foro boom staysail (meaning her jib boom T.F.) She then went astern for about half a mile up to a projecting point of land, where she carried away her mizzen guy and rudder (I am quotjng verbatim from a landsman). The man at the wheel had several ribs broken. After this the ship drove straight towards the land, and plunged into a cavity about two hundred and fifty yards m length. Tho mizzen mast, knocking against the roof of the cavern, was broken off level with tho deck, and came ,down headlong, carrying with it the mainmast, bowsprit, and cathead. At the same time fell some great pieces of rock, which crushed m the forecastle. In this critical position the ship remained all night, incessantly beating against the rocks, with twenty-five fathoms of water under her stern. At daybreak <wo began to get ready the boats. Up to this mc-Ynent the most perfect order had prevailed.

On account of the tide, the waves, and the wind which had risen, and wa« increasing m violence, and of the water which invaded the deck, the lady passengers were lowered into the boats. Mr Jewell though supported by a rope, fell into the water. Teare caught hold of her, but the sea was so heavy that lie could not lift her into the boat. Her husband, however, leaped from the ship, swam towards the boat, and succeeded m saving her. Allen and Caughey, passengers, followed Jewell's example, and reached the boat safe and sound. The long boat at this time was floating on the deck, with the- sea balancing her stern. The gig started to make her way through the breakers, and five men manned the pinnace. The chief .mate attempted to return to the ship, whereupon the long boat, with at least fourteen persons on board, steered off from the vessel, which was sinking rapidly. It advanced about fifty yards, but could not clear the mouth of the cavern, m consequence of the eddy of the waves which struck the rock. It was soon full of water, and foundered, leaving its human cargo battling with the angry waters. Ashworth, Hayman, and Sanquilly reached the breakers by swimming, and were nicked up by the other boats. -The last time we saw the captain he was holding on to the mizzen mast with a sailor near him, and he waved his handkerchief as the General Grant went down.

The melancholy narrative then enters into details of the difficulties experienced by the survivors' m reaching land, and of the extreme scarcity of food. They occupied three M-eeks m seeking out a place of refuge, and m minutely exploring the eastern and southern shores of Adam Island. Searching amongst the old encampments they came upon a flint and a couple of rusty files, an inestimably precious treasure, as thenceforth thoy were not under the necessity of incessantly watching their fire lest it should die out. On the Bth of December, after several visits to Poyt Ross, the pinnace returned from Musgrave Strait. They then formed the design of repairing it, and of attempting . to reach m it the coast of New Zealand. During their eight months' stay a bulldog, with his ears cut, and some other dogs, approached their hut. They concluded that these dogs had not long been inhabitants of the islands. The pinnace, measured 22 feet m length by 6ft sin m depth, was decked with seal skins. The sails were made out of old sailcloth, which had formerly roofed Musgrave's house, and they put on board the following stock of provisions -.—The flesh of a" goat, marked A.S., and two kids, a quantity of smoked seal, some, dozen of sea birds' eggs, seven tins of preserved soup and beef, which had been carefully kept with a view to this expedition, and a supply of fresh water m vessels of seal skih. All being , now ready, on the 22nd of January, 1867, Bartholomy CroMn, first officer, William Newton Scott, Andrew Morrison, and Peter McNiven, seamen, quitted Port Ross, without compass, without chart, wltqout nautical instruments of any kind, with the desperate intention .of reaching tho shores of New Zealand. . The number of castaways was thenceforth reduced to eleven. On the 6th of October a sail appeared m the west. The boat was launched to meet it, and/ signal fires 'were lighted. As it happened, the day was clear and beautiful, it seemed to the people m the boat, as well as to those on shore, ,that it was impossible they should not bo perceived, the distance not exceeding a .few miles. The wind freshened,: and the ship bore away. The fires were kept alight all night, but m vain. In consequence of this disappointment they resolved to. establish themselves on Enderby Island, whence it was easier to look out for passing ships. In the interval they collected some old planks lying on the shore, and m a former station. It was on the Bth of March that they passed to the other island, and erected there two huts. They also raised some lofty piles of timber to light the fires intended for signals, and they decided that from morning to evening a lookout man should keep watch upon the offing. In a visit made to the north-west point of the island, to a bay known to the seamen by the name of Faith Harbor, with the view of collecting timber, they discovered for the first time some traces of pigs, and captured a young porker/ On a second visit thpy caught another, but this time werp cpm> pelled to adopt a better method than running it down. The castaways occpr pied all their time m watching for ships, m despatching messages by sea, m making clothing— -daps, coats, trousers, shoes, shirts, including a complete suit for Mrs Jewell— rout of seal skins,

In August, 1867. David McLelJan fel} ill. He died, on the 3rd of September; his age was sixty-two. He stated before his death that he was a native of Ayr, m Scotland; that his wife and family lived m Glasgow, and that he was originally employed by the well-known firm of Tod and McGregor as fireman and rigger. On the 19th of November the lookout man descried a sail some distance out at sea. Unfortunately the boat was away m. quest of provisions. Fires were lighted, which apparently were not perceived, and the ship passed the island m the direction of south. i On the 2lst another ship was sigpa}led as bearing up for Enderby Jstand, along the east coast. She proved to be the brig Amherst, frpm Port Bluff, Captain Qilroy. One of the General Grant's crew thus 'expreftses himself: "When w« got along- j side Ihe men threw a rope to us, and we clambered on deck. Words are powerless to express the sentiments of joy which we felt on seeing ourselves at last delivered from the privations and miseries we had endured' for the long period of eighteen months." The Amherst under the stress of Violent squalls, steered for Sarah' s Bosom, op Popt Ross,, and anchored there after sunset. On the following morning a boat was despatched to fetch off the romaining castaways. Captain Qilroy and all his crew did all m their power to add to the comfort of the castaways. It is believed that the boat and its crew which set out for New Zealand perished, as nothing was afterwards ever heard P f thorn. I will later comment on

Uii! ship being allowed to drift to do sti-uction without tho boats being launch cd. when the loss of Ihe ship m {l calm appearefl inevitable. — 1 am, etc., THOS. FERNANDEZ.