MACQUARIE ISLAND MEN BROUGHT BACK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9912, 29 July 1910, Page 1

MACQUARIE ISLAND MEN BROUGHT BACK.

THE HINEMOA'S MISSION,

LIFE ON THE ISLAND

A TRYING EXPERIENCE. [From Our, Corxvesponoeot.] INVERCARGILL, July 23. The Hinemoa, with Mr Hatch and tho Macquarie oil seekers, returned to the Bluff to-day. The men had been at the island for nine months without any renewal of food supplies. Despite Mr Hatch's efforts to send down the schooner Jessie Nicol about _ four months ago heavy weather made it necessary for the vessel to return to Port Chalmers to refit, and then Mr Hatch .made an. effort ' to have the Government .steamer Hinemoa despatched to relieve the men, who were practically marooned. He was assisted in his efforts by Mr Belcher, of Dunedin, who gave much publicity to the question, and the outcome was a deputation to the Minister of Marino, as the result of .fhich the Hinemoa was sent to the islands on conditions that' have already been made known.

The talc told by the men wlio re- ' turned by that vessel to-day was an interesting one. The oldest of the party, a veteran sailor named William ! M'Kibben (who in 1883- suffered shipwreck in the Mozambique Channel, and who was cast away on that ; occasiom 194: days),' said 'that it was no-. jthing to the..Macqiiarie Island• expert- | ence of four months without stores. "We have never had a similar experience," said the other nine, "and it will be our last." Mr M'Kibben was five months on the island before the Jessie Nicoll brought I down the other members, of the party, jrnnd so lias had close on two years' re- ! eidenoe there. The Jessie. Nicoll I landed Otto Bauer, Alexander Suther- ! land, W. Jenkins, J'. Henry, Charles | Johnston and Carl Hansen on August j 12 laat yeaa-, and returned on December 11 with stores and to take way oil. i She returned' again on February 10 and landed another hand named M'Alpine. She left only one month's provisions. Since then the party have had to subsist on what poor fare the islands could-offer. The provisions ran out at the end of March. A few biscuits comprised all that was left, and these did nob see April out. The principal diet since March has been sea elephant tongues and heart, and no fewer than 675 animals have been killed for food alone. Some 690 sea elephants had been killed previously ,for oil, producing 72-5 caaks. There was also a species of stringy weed known as Maori cabbage, whicht had to be boiled three times and then stewed in weka oil to make it edible. Wekas were also eaten, a few rabbits, too, and also penguins, but these became too scarce. For miles the beach was strewn with j carcases of sea elephants, which had ! been killed for their hearts and I tongues. The buildings were absolutely rotten and in a state of disrepair. The oil plant waa in had condition. All the cooking, eating and sleeping had to ho canned out m a miserable hut 12ft square. There was not a bath on the island and the men were all fearfully greasy. "It was an unholy time," said one of the partv, " and no more for me." The coal"also ran out, and as the weather was veiy bad the men's troubles can be readily realised. For weeks and weeks they never saw the sun. It rained all the summer and the winter was almost as bad. All that they could do was to wait and wait. The fact of the coal running; out stopped the oil business, and so their sole occupation was to keep themselves alive, that was limiting for "tucker." It was a terribly weary wait, and they could rot help wondering what had been responsible for the bungling, and they Avere very thankful to , Mr Belcher, of Dunedin, and all who had been responsible for their release, even at so late a date. The islands are simply swarming with rats and wild cats. There are a few rabbits, btit they do not seem able to thrive there. The men had just about cleaned out the "'rockhopper penguins" on the inhabited side .of the island, but there were plenty of king penguins on the other and" less accessible" portion. Clothes and boots wore out completely and trousers had to he made from spare blankets and boots from sea elephants' hide. On top of all this, by the terms of their contract, they got no pay after the season closed, and so viot only were they four months witlio.it tucker hut also nearly five months without pay. They expressed their indignation in no measured terms. Despite all the hardships enumerated by the men, they do not look physically much the worse for their experiences. STATEMENT BY MR HATCH. Mr Hatch stated that the Hinemoa reached the landing place at the Nuggets on Monday morning, hut as they could uot mako a landing there they signalled the men to meet the ship at the other side of the island, and there some of them were met. (.'aptsin Holloas told them that he was to take them off if they wanted to go. They all decided to return to the mainland, and after, a meal of tea and biscuits they were taken aboard, and about six hours after her arrival at the island the Hinemoa steamed out for the Bluff. Mr Hatch said that of the eight men on. iJio island ail were well except I'tr ■