SOLE SURVIVOR.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14656, 9 March 1918, Page 3

SOLE SURVIVOR.

REMARKABLE STORY OF THE ■ • SEA.

The captain of the steamer Timaru, which' has been searching the islands off ike Quensland coast for a missing launch party, has ■ brought a" remarkable story :to .Roekhampton (writes the Sydney correspondent of the Christchurch "Press' 1). - >l(Vhile searching Jron Island and the adjacent islands he came across D. Mackenzie, wlio was took and steward oh the New Zealand-built schooner Crete, and who was the sole survivor. He that the schooner anchored oif

Percy Island lighthouse oh January y 19th. It was then blowing a strong gale. The wind kept increasing until betw,een 8 and 9 on'the morning of the 21st, when she parted'anchors, and •drifted towards Duke Island.'- In the

meantime the crew was engaged in .'throwing the deck cargo overboard to lighten the ship. During this process Captain Anderson had his leg broken. '■After drifting all day on Monday, the 21st, and part of Monday night," Mackenzie said; "we struck the reef and remained fast. We tried to launch a Tjoat, hut she got washed away, and Captain Anderson was then. washed overboard with the boat, but we managed to get him aboard again. The mate, Artong, had his collarbone broken at the same time. The ship by this time had settled on the.reef. On Tuesday morning, when the tide started to flow, the schooner was Washed fore and aft by heavy seas. Shortly after, she capsized with the captain, his son, a leading seaman, and an able seaman who were in the cabin with the door -shut. The clooiyj.was on'the lee. side. The .remaining seaman arid myself were on deck, where wo clung to the rigging

until -we were washed oiE:~'I got hold of a door .and drifted away, and onlysaw, the seaman tor a few minutes alter we were washed off .the rigging. After drifting for about lour or hive hours 1 got washed ashore on Tyneside Island with a quantity of wreckage, including korocene tins. .1 lived on the island Id days, feeding on oysters, a lew onions, and a couple of pumpkins that were washed ashore. After tilling all the kerosene tins•• with- fresh wafer from a small scream 1 (started to construct a raft with which to get over to another island where 1 saw some houses. It was very tedious work, as 1 only had stones with which to get nails Avliich L procured from kerosene cases. In ten days from the time I landed 1 had the raft completed. I then started away for the houses, but the current was going the wrong way, so I had to jump off and swim back to the island. i'Vefing myself getting weaker all the time I started to make another raft, and 1 liau re completed in eight clays. .Next morning, which was on the *19th day on the island, -I started away again and managed to get to another island, wiucii j. fouuu to be Hunter's Island, where 1 waited until the tide slackened up. T proceeded again to sea and drifted away with a very strong current through a narrow channel which I since find was Lola Montez passage, and wmch brought me straight away towards tbo houses I was trying to get to. I paddled with a four-inch batten until 1 was exhausted, and 1 had given up all hopes of ever reaching here again when I got into another' current, which landed me on, Marble Island. Here 1 saw a. house which I made straight for ; it proved to be Mr Blakey's house, i shall never forget how well he treated me.

Captain Brown stated that Mackenzie was still on the island, and was too weak to leave wten he was there on February 13th.

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