WRECK OF THE BRIGANTINE DESPATCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 31, 18 June 1868, Page 2

WRECK OF THE BRIGANTINE DESPATCH.

(Jfrom iU Wlmarti Jforald, Jiwtf \l,) In our Innfc Jhbuo wo reported ihni tho Deipatoh, a bfigiuiMno of 0H a Um«, Captain Driver, called In at tii to port; oh Friday morning for hay and water for lire Block on board from tho Chatham liUndsi Wo were undor (ho imprei«lon that the slowm wanted woro taken on board in tho afttrnoon, and tli ft t tho britfnutlno nailed for Duitodin late on I/Vlday niirht. , .11 would have boon forlunatofor lioril'jho find, for /ioon after dnrk ahoayy o,fl,K,([iilo not in, frith w M#h ik*. flapfftltt .Drives had boon on nhore during the day, and want on lioard again botweon three and four o'olook in tho nfW« noon, floon after h« got on board, fl«dl»>ff the] nod W«ln#, he ordered tlm leoond anchor to be dropped, and mudo nil onu/j for tho night. Up to ton o'olook the youol w«« Wdlnof very otwily, aud no noHit of any eoitflequenco broke ovot 1 hor, but at that hour nho who ntruok vrith a hoavy fl«n, whloh pnrtinlly Mod 'the • hold, All Whlh- were Immediately called, and net to work at tho pumps. At oloren o'olook, tho crow and piwuengeru bolng all hard at w««k At the pumpii, Captain Drlror went into tlie ftalloy to warmflomo coffee for them, wh'ori r tromondtua noa itruok tho V««so1| ewrylnft (lie ((alloy (torn ita fastenings, and buryinp Onptftfn Priror utnoiith. Ttro or throo hands instnntly net to work to olonr *w»y tho d«}>fl6, when they found thoir,oaptai» qulto dead. TIo had eridontlyboon ntruok on the head, oitlior by thooooklng «tove or.ioine of tho heary fr»mo- ! work of tho' gallay, and killod liuitanUiiooimly. Tho body irmi taken into tho oubin, ' and nouio of tho mon rosninod lliolr work at the puinpn, Uron At that Utno, according to tho teitimony of an old l aoa oaptnin on bonrd (ft pnsnon^or), it was Quito ponulblo to lmvA worked lho'v«nnello noa, 'but on' Uio douth of Oaptain Driver, the men seemed to loflo haart. nnd tnado n ) atlompt/ to ffo to noa, but thoso vrilUnef , to work" vomui»od Hio^dilj nt tho numpit, Art<ir th<» fjflller hud jfono, oontlnitoua lioavy ncan nthiok tho untortunitto yooot)), and nho opmmonocd ohortly, to '.Vlraij hot (vrioliorii, , She digged for nomo.liour/), And at 3 o'olook on Batur« day morninpf took tho honoh about tho contr* of tho Wiwhtiyko TiA(s;o«n, four inllei north of Tiumru, Hooii nftor tho ronnot oommonoed to drag 1 nho lost flight of tho light on nhoro, nnd tho/io on bonrd oould not toll hor position. ■; ' j Itnnnmu that Mr Morrison, who, in noting a« pilot and harbour-maoter temporarily, wont to Cap lain Driver on Saturday afternoon, at the ,Royftl ITolol, atid A«k<d if' the mate of tho Dinpaloh oould tnko the rowel to oca. ' Captain Drivor «t one« Hold he thought not t and Motrl. /ion replied, " Tlion you munt no on board, as you will liaro to loato to-n\g)\w' Oupluln J)rlrei* jocularly roinurkod to on* of the boalmnn whou goin^ off to hid rondel that ho would rather comd anhore'than loayo without hin Imy and walor, llttlo tlilnUng how njioodlly hin wish wan to b* veriftnd In no traffia ft manner. Whon tho ye/idol was (foing boforo t lio wind, nftor the dointli of tine oapluln, nonifl «f the er«w rofiidod to work, even at tho jiumpn, and tho nhin was nl lowed to drift hopolenaly ftdhoroi ■■■•'J.'ho wina then wi\« mwh lUivt oho could }i<M4lbty have made one of Uio bays on tho Poiilii* flula. ; i Tho orow, eiffht in nwmbor, i\n<l two pftoaonßoro (<\m of whom wan Captain Ilny/i, bMtlioc of Aft' JJpya omployod in tho Trovinoial Glovorninenfc Burvoy), got' »ftf«ly U land, a? the rowel wa» thrown noarly hlgli and dry on to tho linaoh. Tlie nhipwrookod men at onoo inado for MY llelflold'n lioutio, wlioro liiey rowultied till ftftor dftyllght, After leaving Mr Dulflnld'n home, threo of the orow took a boat at tho 'Wd»hdyko,'and crowed tli6 lagoon to ' tho hcaiiq of tho wrook. Owin^tothf «ea breaking hoavily over it thdj wero unable to iiearoh for tho body of Captain J)rlvorj hut oh Sunday thoy rolurnotl and found tho body, and ooiiveyed it U\ tho Waohdiko llotnl, whom an in» quoflt wan hold on it on Monday. Out of tho livo otook on honi'd at tho tlmo of thn wreok, (Ive of Ilia ctttlo and ono homo waro found to haro onenpod on Hudirdnj, i\tid wcro ivt lnrgo on tho Imatih, hut an Munrifir the liorio wa« found dead. Tho briffantlno now liob a comploto wrook, bow on to ncft; l»«r port-^ido <!ow|deloly nlovo in, and the doak; otoapthiK a mnall portion in tho foro part of tho voimoli nnrrind uwuyi Tho bonoh in ih# vicinity v( llki wreck pifodenla a wolAheholy flight, ao for somo dintanoe it ; is atrowod with doud oatllo and horncfl, Bpnrn, and fragmontn of wrooki, j