THE STORY OF THE MIGNONETTE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1256, 23 October 1884, Page 3

THE STORY OF THE MIGNONETTE.

Tho briganiine Montezuma, of Hamburg, which arrived at Falmouth on Sept. 6;h, had on board three men, named Thomaa Dudley, of Colchester, Edwin Stephen, of Scu'harapr.oa, and Edward Bruoka, of Biightingsea, who bad been rescued after having experienced frightful sufferings at sea. These three men together with a lad named Richard Parker, 19 years old, were engaged to take cut. the yacht Mignonette to Sydney, for Mr S'. J. Want. The yacht was of yawl rig, 52ft in length, 12ft beam, and 52 tons burthen. They left Southampton on May 18;h last. Dudley being in command, with S ephens as mate, Brooke as able-bodied teaman, and Parker as boy. All wont well to July 3rd, when & savers storm overtook them. In the afternoon, they had to reef mainsail and squarefluil, and the captain made up his minci to heave-to and wait for better weather. About four o’clock ho called the watch, and had the equaresail in. Stephens (mate) was thou iu charge. Captain Dudley heard Stephens cry, “ Look oar.,” and saw a groat hoe. coming on him. He dung to tho boom until the sea had passed. On turning round, he caw all the bulwarks aft wore gone. Stephens cried out, “ My G :d, her side is knocked om !” and rush w vs really the case. Captain Dudley realised in an instant (hat tbe yacht was foundering, and it was, therefore, his first object to get the boat out. The punt or dicey, which is 12ffc. long and made of mahogany, was with difficulty got out. Dudley told Parker to pans up n beaker of fresh water, which the boy did, pitching it over in tho hope of picking it up again. The captain tore the binnacle compars from the deck and got it into tho boat. Stephcne, Brooks, and Parker having taken their plaors iu the beat, Captain Dudley dropped astern, iieoolleoting there was no food in the boat, be rushed to the cabin, which was full of water. Seizing tho chronometer and sextant, he threw them on deck. As those in the boat wore shouting to him that tho beat was going down, he grasped some tins of what he supposed to bo preserved meat, and, rushing on deck, tumbled over into the boat, all but .two of the tins slipping from his grasp, They just managed to row the little boat a length astern when ths yacht went down, only about five minutes having elapsed from the time she was struck until she finally clisappeorfc}. They searched for the beaker of water, but it was not to be found, though its stand was floating about. With this and tho binnacle they created a ses, anchor, for their fragile boat was taking in water faster than they could bale it out, " boy found tho leak, filled it up, and managed to bale her out with tho halves of the chronometer box. The two tins proved to contain only preserved turnips, 11b in each. They had not a drop of water. Night was coming on fast, and tho sea was raging round them. To r dd to the tenor of the situation, a shark came alongside about midnight and knocked against the boat, but fortunately did no damage and went away. In this miserable plight they existed for four days on one of the tins of turnips. On tho fourth day they succreded ia catching a turtle, which was floating on the water. They then finished the second tin of turnips and killed the turtle. Their thirst was fearful, and they drank some of tho turtle’s blood, saving the remainder in the case of the chronometer, but it was spoiled by salt water. Once or twice it rained e, little, and they tried to catch gome water in their oilskins. With their oilskins spread over their arms, the poor creatures waited with burning throo's and stomachs, praying all night for water in their extremity ; but, alas, these endeavors were defeated by B.;a wafer getting mixed with the freah. Fifteen terrible days passed away without an incident to relieve the monotony. On that day they set to work to make a sail out of their shirts, with an oar for a mast. On the eighteenth day, having had no food of any kind for seven days, and no water for five days, and their condition having become awful, they began to discuss the advisability of casting lots as to who should be killed for food for the others. This plan was suggested by the captain, but Brooks would not agree to it, saving it would he better for them to die together. On the morning of the nineteenth day, no sail appearing, and their starvation driving tho captain and mate suggested killing the boy Parker. Thc-ir reason for select-in y hist* as the victim was because he was sufferi most, having drunk salt water. They ale. reasoned that, he was only a lad, with ro respomihilifies, while they were married men with wives and families depending or- them. Brooks declined to bo a party in tho matter. Then was enacted one of the mrstfearful and I heartrending tragedies ever committed. Each f of the men made signs to the other to do lb©

sickening dead, but r.oitbe!* < f them hsrt Du* heart to do it. The wretcheu J »-d wsb Ijia.* in asi ate of utter exhaustion in 'he bottom of the boat, with bin face on hi> arm. Th.captain and mate ultimately agreed jointly to ; kill him, it being arranged that Dudley should strike Iho blow while Stephan? should hold the led in case be moved Captain Dudley having offered up r prayer for forgiveness for , the rot, went to the boy and said, “Now, Dmk, your time has come.” Parker faintly c”'''*, “ What mr, sir P ’ Dudley replied, “ Tee, my boy,” and thereupon van ft mm ad t< n knife into Pwbr's jugular vein. He I'd offered no dying aunost instrvtlj Their n addest cm iug 'waa for snnethirp to drink, w:d they therefore caught, ih< pushing blood in tins and divided in b.-.t them, Bfookr, who during the stabbing < f the boy bad gone to the bo •* of the boat and covered his face withhiv bund* that ho not witness tho de* d, teking Ha share with the others. The three of them out out purls which they devoured while they wort yet warm. On this day they succeeded in catching a few drops of win water, which they oagorly drank, and for the next four dreadful days ! hey dived on Parker’s body. On the twenty-fourth day the joyous right of a rail greeted. Brooks’s eyes while they were eating their terrible food. They all fervently preyed that the posing ship might see them, and they tried with what_ feeble ntmigth re mained to row towards it. 1 heir joy was unbounded wJun they diccovered that they were toen ; and in absut an hour and a halt after they first s'ghtod the sail, they wore by the side of the Gorman barque Mor.Uz ana. They woro-in a state of such utter prostration that when they got alongside the ship they required to be assisted on board. Captain Simonsen, of ' the Montfzuraa, states thst on the morning of tho day they discovered the boat, on looking across the horizon he thought he discovered a snull speck. He lookea at it through the glasses, and raw it was something floating on the water, although at the time ho could not dirtingu’sh it as a boat. As they neared it, however, they were astonished at finding a small punt with human beings in it. They presented a most frightful spectacle, looking (ike living skeleton*. Oo getting them on board they explained to him tho history of the mangled corpse which was lying io s hr, but. Captain Dudley remained firm in hie resolve to retain the corpse of the boy asking as possible, jo esse they should fall in with u vessel, end to make a clean breast of tin circumstances. When Oepthin Dudley had explained nutters to Captain Simonsen, the putrid and mangled remains were consigned to the deep, and the punt was taken aboad the Montezuma. Captain Simonsen treated the forlorn ones with every kindness. They were on boird the Monti zuma 38 days. /■& they were wrecked in south lati't.d and lOdeg west longitude, and picked up by the Montezuma in 24.28 south latitude, and 27.22 west longitude, they must have sailed and drifted in their little craft 1050 miles.

Captain Dudley attribute* the foundering cf the Mignonette to her being rather old for such a voyage. She proved a good «ea boat, and had she been now, ho considered she would have weathered the eiorm, Oa being landed at Falmouth the survivors wore taken to the Sailors’ Home, and afterwards to the Customs, where they made their depositions The following afternoon they were apprehended on warrant, on the charge of “ wilfully, feloniously, end of malice aforethought killing Richard Parker on the high eer.s.” After a brief examination before the Magistrate, they were remanded for three days, bail being granted.