MAROONED ON THE MACQUARIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14239, 4 July 1910, Page 3

MAROONED ON THE MACQUARIES.

OILSEEKERS' PLIGHT. The ease of the eight men, members of a sealing party, who are at present isolated on the Macquarie Islands, and who. it is thought, may be suffering privations in consequence of a lack of proper food, is arousing some interest, and was referred to at the meeting of the Utago Harbour Board ou 'Wednesday last. •

Mr. Belcher, with the frankness that generally characterises his utterances, was opposing a motion that £2O be contributed towards the Sailors' Rest in Dunediii, and lie wanted to show that the Rest authorities took very little interest in the material affairs of sailor men. Mr Belcher pointed out that.at the present moment there'were eight men marooned down on the Macquarie Islands. They had been left there with a quantity of provisions, but those supplies must have been exhausted in Marcp. last. "And here it is the end of June, and those poor, unfortunate wretches have been there on the islands all this time, and not a single solitary soul is to get up and say a word in their defence. "I have been there', and for fire months- I have had to live on what I could pick up, entirely on the resources 01 the island. I know what they will have to undergo. I -have knocked around the beach, and havo had to catch a penguin and skin the brute and go and cook him, and, thereby get a little sustenance. And* there are eight men down on that island. They .have been three months now without any tucker, and how long they ar-e likely to remain there before someone will go down there and rescue them, is tiio question." He animadverted on the tact that none seemed prepared.to put his hand in his pocket and contribute towards sending a ship to rescuo ''these unfortunate wretches."

Mr Platts, speaking strongly in support of the Sailors' Rest, pointed- out that it was somewhat remarkable that a few years ago there was another batch of men marooned on the Maequario Islands, in almost the same wav as the present- party got there, anil those interested in the Port Chalmers Sailors' Rest had been instrumental in their rescue. A number of those interested in the Sailors' Rest each subscribed £lO, chartered a vessel, and sent her down to tho islands—solely at their own expense.

•'lt is a strange commentarv upon what is alleged to be civilisation," said Mr Belcher, in reply, '-that, as stated by Mr Platts, on a previous occasion, when men were marooned down at Macquarie Islands, private individuals had to put their hands into their pockets for the purpose of rescuing the men who were allowed to remain on an island of that description alter a contract had been made with them to do' certain work and remain there for a certain length of time—l say I think it is u most reprehensible thing that private persons with their mivate funds should have to provide succour, while those interested do nothing." Sjjeaking to a- reporteAubseqeuntlv Mr Belcher said that he had been frequently on the Macquaries, and on one occasion had been left there for eight months, with eight months' provisions Ha wns not taken olf until 13 months afterwards, and in conseouence wjis five months dependent for sustenance on the bare resources of the island. He describes it as a cold, bleak, unsheltered, inhospitable place. There is no bush of any sort. The mninlaud is covered with a coarse tussock-grass and one lias to depend for fuel upon' tho malodorous refuse remaining from the operations of oil-seekers. One need not necessarily starve. There are nbundance of penguins ta he had, arid sea-elephants are also available, while it is believed that there are now «, few rabbits upon the island. But it is the general health of the men that is feared for. Men accustomed to ordinary food who are suddenly called upon to subsist upon tho coarse animal food described generally suffer somewhat