THE WRECK AT CHALKY INLET. SUFFERINGS OF THE SURVIVOR.

West Coast Times, Issue 3221, 21 January 1876, Page 2

THE WRECK AT CHALKY INLET. SUFFERINGS OF THE SURVIVOR.

The Ofcago Daily Times, of Jan. 15, gives further particulars of the' wreck of the Will Watch;— The Will; Watch, cutter, 29 tons, Mr Joseph Moodie, loaded with timber, sailed, from, the Manukau to the Bluff. Besides the captain, there were two seamen, named Edward" M'Lean and Christopher Gardner. They called at several ports, rounding the West Cape with a fair wind. Got inside .Solander Island towards N.W. end of Stewart's Island; then encountered a heavy S.E. gale, and haa" to run the vessel before it. -Saw'full-rigged ship with no fore and mizzen topmasts, and barque evidently dismaatled. This occurred on Nov. 22, at dusk. The gale eventually, blew them by daylight, close on Bellamy reef, at the entrances of chalky and Preservation Inlets. Bounded vessel to, being about three miles from the shore. A heavy burster struck her at this time and threw her on her beam ends, thus filling instantly. The men clung on to the wreck till about seven that morning, when they managed to get the dingy righted the oars being fortunately secured in the thwarts. They were then about one and a Half .miles from land, the vessel drifting into and 'along the shore. The unfortunate men had riothing • whatever with them except wh&t the stood.in. They managed to land in Chalky Inlet through the means of the rocks, the swell of the surf being tremendious. While doing so, the b,oat was entirely wrecked on first striking, and the unfortunate men were washed ashore. At this place they found a pickle bottle tied to the branch of a tree, in which they discovered a letter, wt'itien Vy Captain Fairchild, of the Luna, stating he had been there some four months before. They stopped there that night, subsisting on a -few raw shell-fish, having no means of lighting a fire. Next day proceeded along the beach and scrub, the same night reaching the Head of Chalky Inlet. Camped there that night without food. On the following morning, there was a divided camp on account qf Moodie and Gardner saying they intended to climb the mountain and reach the other watershed, so as to make the East Coast, M'Lean objecting, knowing the difficulty of the undertaking, and believing that hd one' without fire and food would be able to stand the cold. M'Lean then left them, with a shake of the hand, the former going toward the mountain and M'Lean, towards Eiverton. The utmost good feeling existed between them, the un derstanding being that whichever party reached relief, succour should be at once despatched to the other. The East Coast party had a! compass with them, which M'Lean thinks would be of little use. M'Lean camped at Chalky Inlet two nights. It then took three days over to Preservation, about twelve miles from the entrance. Here he collected a lot of dry drift wood, and made a rait and crossed, taking a day to get to the East side of the ' harbour, where he camped. All)this time he subsisted on raw mussels and fern-root^ being in a very exhausted state, and, as he himself says, he found his brain being affected, and was almost pervaded to giie ■ himself tip to die. On Dec. 7, he managed ty make. his way down to a hut that had been inhabited by persons engaged in building the lighthouse. 'There he found some matched, a tin of beef, some rice, bisfcuit^'anu ttigfit'. "'This Wakhfe first proper mealsincelie'lia'a'l^fe the! wreck.' He then kindled a fire and dried his clothes, the rain having been ioceasanftajtrpm the time of leaving the cutter. After two days search withput finding a track, a boat belonging to Kiverton luckily .put in itfoere, and he was thus enabled, after a torttiigtit, to reach this town. Before leaving, a'Be'arclr was made among the ranges,' sigtiai fires being lighted iri different sever a(I bayd, but without any BCcecfeS. ' ' Wheto the disaster became - known, the" matter wus taken in hand by Mr Theophilua Daniel, a subscription being made to buy clothes for the poor fellow, and for his support, till he is sufficiently recovered. The prpbabjjity of the other two men being found ia small indeed, as they were utterly without food and fire, J 'apd the /weather' was extremely inclement! ' ' Aflded to thid, ft must be taken iritol.ddneitWratuSn' ;the numbers of rivers to head pr^cross^and the fearful nature of 'the country. 'HoWever, no doubt, steps will be at once taken by the Government to and save if it be not already too late. ~ ». .