WRECK OF THE SHIP NETHERBY

Colonist, Volume IX, Issue 927, 14 August 1866, Page 10

WRECK OF THE SHIP NETHERBY

ON KING'S ISLAND.

(From tlia Melbourne Herald.)

Oir Saturday night, 25th July, Mr. Parry; the second officer of the shipNefcherby, of '944 tons register, Capt. Owen, arrived; in Melbourne from Geelong, for the purpose of asking that assistance might; be sent' to Kind's Tslaiid,; where Lis vessel had been wrecked, .and the crew, asd passengers, numbering about 450 souls, left on shore for a week, with only such .covering as could be provided by the use of sails and spars. The vessel, which is an old one, belonging to Messrs. T. M. Mackey and Co., of Liverpool, sailed from London on the Ist of April, for i Queensland, made a very indifferent passage, having taken considerably over three months from Plymouth, which she left on 13th April. A few days ago on her nearing our coasts, it appears that she was overtaken by one of those dense, dark fogs,which are found to be plentiful in these latitudes, and it was all in vain that the captain tried Several times to take observations. The ordinary track of ships bound round the Cape of Good Hope to Queensland lies considerably to the south of Tasmania, but as the event proved the vessel was many degrees to the northward of that course. On the evening of Saturday, the 13th inst., about half-past seven o'clock, while still enveloped in a dense fog, the ill-, fated ship struck on some laud—an island covered with heavy scrub running to the northA^-which was subsequently found to be King's Island, in Bass' 3 Straits. She had grounded in a little nook situated at the southern end of the island, .and from the description of its position it is propable that it was in a small inlet called Seal Bay. The evening was very calm, accounting for the density of the fog; but though she 'might have been thought safe from the waves, the ship had not long struck when a-sign of danger showed itself. The water began, to come into the hold with frightful rapidity, and as the Netherby was already " hogged," i.e.., deeper at the bows and stern than below her main-deck, there appeared a poor chance of her long remaiuing in a safe position to be stuck to. Boats were put out, and every effort was made.for two hours to remove.the passengers and provisions on shore. All the passengers were safely landed, though not without two or three boat accidents, and this was nearly all that could be done; for the result shows that two hours after the time at which the ship had grounded she filled and sank, leaving those on shore-^-450 —in posession of only twenty barrels of flour and a few bags of biscuit. Everything belonging to the emigrants seems to have gone down. After remaining for three or four days with the unfortunate people, the second officer^ accompanied by two of tho passengers, was dispatched by Captain Owen round the coast, and after traversing a distance which they calculated to be, about thirty-five miles they came to the King's Island Lighthouse, where they borrowed a small boat, and in it set out for this coast. On Friday, July 20fcb, they landed at Hoadknight Point, below the Barwon Heads. It was late on Saturday before they had recovered themselves, and reached Geeloug, from which the second officer came straight for assistance, leavinghis companions behind. It was stated that when the mate left the. scene of the wreck, the rations for each per day only amounted to about a handful of biscuit;. but it. is cheering to know that there was at least fresh water in plenty on the island. By means of the telegraph the Government were made acquainted with the particulars of the cntastropbe on Saturday night at 10 o'clock, before the second mate had arrived, and immediately the chief harbour-master made the steamer Pharos ready for sea, dispatching her in the middle of the night, .with about three tons of provisions. She arrived at Cape "Wickham lighthouse, King's Island, on Sunday afternoon, the weather, however, was so thick that she stood " off and on" all night. At 8 o'clock on Monday signals of distress wpre observed flying from the lighthouse, and information was received by signalising that three then, who had taken about four days to walk from the wreck, wished to be taken off. Captain Fullarton complied with their request, and then learned that 117 persons had walked across to tho lighthouse, and that the illfated Netherby was on the rocks about twenty-eight miles S.S. W*. of Cape Wickham. He immediately put on speed and reached the wreck at half-past 2 o'clock, finding the Netherby broadside under a lee of reefs, and,surrounded by,reefs. Two boats were sent to the shore, and forty-seven persons, including twentydf the crew and Mr. Flockhart, purser, were taken., on board. A number of the saloon passengers would not come away, as they thought that if they waited some of their property, might, be saved. Captain Fullnrton therefore left them behind, and sailed at 5 o'clock on Monday eveniug. The Pharos had a narrow escape after leavingthe wreck, having passed very close to a reef not marked on the charts, j situated about five miles from the Netherby and four miles from the land. The Netherby was about 1000 tons burthon, teak built,' and five years old. She iv;i3 a Black Ball liner, and was* one of a number employed to take Government immigrants to Australia. Some of the vessels are called " single female ships," others " single male," and they left England alternately every month. This ship was one of the latter, which accounts for there being a preponderance of single men ; over the married couples. It is also stated that there were about 100 children on board. . ~ ; ; , ;

On arriving at Melbourne, the passengers were located in the Exhibition Buildings, and various appeals to the public have been made in their behalf and to forward them on to their original place ,of destination—Brisbane.

1 The Australian Netos, of July 27th, states,that during the present year 959,80-i ounces' of gold have been eont from Melbourno to England. From. Juno 28 to July'l4, four ships left thatf port with' no less thaii 202,160 ounces of the precious metal, of which about 40,000 ounces was the produco of New Zealand. The export of wool from the same port since the cominonGemout of this year is 52,000 bales.

Crystallised gold is a rarity. A London journal states that " a crystallisßd muss, of gold, weighing 201 ounces, Ims recently engaged the attention of mineralogists in New York, to which city it was sent from Eld'prddo county, Califoriliav^Tlio'cryktals, mostly imperfect, are strangely grouped, and havo some peculiarities worth studying. Tho value of tho mass i» about 4000 dollari,"