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Star (Christchurch), Issue 688, 6 August 1870, Page 2

A telegram conveys the intelligence that the ■visits of the Blanche and the Daphne to the Auckland Islands have been attended with no success. We fear that to hope any longer that any of the passengers or crew of the ill-fated Matoaka still survive is to hope against hope. Whether ahe foundered in a gale, was sunk by an iceberg, or dashed to pieces on some unknown shore, will now, we fear, remain for ever shrouded in mystery — unless, indeed, the visit of a steamer to the South Georgias should be attended with any better results, though that is not likely. The fate of the missing portion of the Daphne's crew adds another to the catalogue of disasters for wb'ch the Auckland Islands have achieved such an undesirable reputation. Five more victims have been added to those who hare already perished on those shores. Whether their boat was swamped at eea, cracked like an egg-shell on that ironbound coast, or sucked into the cave which was the grave of the General Grant, we shall, in all probability, never know. — Otago Daily Times. Speculation still continues rife as to the probable fate of the missing ship Harlech Castle and the barque Duukeld, and the surmises and suggestions of one day are supplemented by others, equally feasible and ingeuious, of the next day. Yesterday it was reported that a vessel, supposed to be the Dunkeld, was under Rabbit Island, with her rudder gone, but the authenticity of the statement could not be vouched for, and it was further stated that she was ashore on Ninety-mile Beach, but how the intelligence reached Melbourne could not be ascertained. With regard to the Harlech Castle, a telegram was received from Newcastle, New South Wales, yesterday, in which it was mentioned that the position of the ship, British Navy (which sailed from Port Phillip Heads on the same day as the Harlech Castle) on the 28th ulfc, the date when the Harlech Castle was supposed to have been last seen, was in lat. 38 deg. S, and long 150 deg E, the wind on that day blowing a furious gale from W.S.W. On the 29th ult., the British Navy was in lat. 37 deg S, and long 152 deg E, the gale of the previous day still raging, and accompanied with terrific squalls. On neither day, however, did the British Navy see the Harlech Castle. Action in the matter has now been taken by the chief har-bour-master, and the Government steamer Pharos, in charge of Capt Nicholson, was to leave the Bay last night for a cruise along the coast and among the islands in the Straits, and a close and careful scrutiny will be made for traces of both vessels. In connection with this subject it may be mentioned that Captain Garth, of the brig Our Hope, which arrived in port from Newcastle, N.S.W., yesterday, states that on the 14th inst., when about nine miles S.E. of Jervis Bay, he passed the deckhouse and a portion of the top sides of a vessel. The wreck, which had a quantity of seaweed and shells adhering to it, he supposed could not have been less than six weeks in the water. The wind at the time he passed the wreck was blowing fresh, and prevented a minute investigation. — Argus, July 23.