HORRORS OF A FEVER SHIP.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue XXII, 21 November 1867, Page 5

HORRORS OF A FEVER SHIP.

The brig Day Star arrived off Gravesend on August 23, in charge of the chief mate and portion of the crew of the ship Golden Dream, now on her voyage to Japan, having picked her up at sea, with a portion of her own crew dead, under shocking circumstances. The report made by the chief mate of the Golden Dream is as follows : —

"At 5.30 a.m. of the 15th July, St Nicholas, odo of the Cape de Verde Islands, bearing N.E., distant forty five miles, saw a sail two points on our starboard bow. As we approached we saw that she had a signal of distress flying in her main ringing, and her sails all aback. On getting within hail, asked what was the matter. A very feeble voice answered, 'The ship is half full of water, and our crew are all dying of fever.' Our captain ordered a boat to bo lowered, and I put off to the vessel, our captain giving strict orders to be careful in boarding. On getting alongside, found her to be the brig Day Star, from Bathurst, Eio Grande, bound to London, in ballast. On boarding her, found the crew in the last stage of exhaustion ; they were lying on the deck, some evidently dying. The chief mate could just manage to crawl about, and he referred me to the ship's logbook for information. In it I found that the day after the ship's sailing from Bathurst a fever broke out, which in a few days completely prostrated the entire crew, two only being able to navigate the ship, and these were subsequently stricken down, and the ship laid helpless. On the 20th July , an able soaman, named H.Nichols, was the first'to perish from the effects of the fever. He was found dead in his berth. His corpse was at once committed to the deep. The next victim was the master, Captain Lever, then a cabin boy, and so it went on till only five remained alive, and these were considered in a dying condition when I went on board the vessel. The vessel when off Mayo, sent a fisherman to ask permission to anchor the brig Day Star off the island ; the Portugese boat came ofF with a letter from her Britannic Majesty's consul, stating that as the ship had sickness on board it would not be permitted, and directed her to proceed to St Vincent, and it was while she was thus proceeding that she was fallen in with by the Golden Dream. On attempting to leave, the survivors implored to be taken into my boat, as they knew they should all die. I told them not to think I intended to abaudon them, but I must report the condition of the vessel to my captain, and that I would soon return. I then had tho steward lowered into the boat, and took him with me to the Golden Dream. Captain Wise, on hearing the condition of the ship, determined to remove the survivors to his ship, which was directly done, where they received every comfort and attention. Five of our crew volunteered with me to return to the brig, and took to the pumps, and succeeded in pumping the water out. They then well washed and fumigated the cabins, and we made sail for London. The crew of the Day Star went on in the Golden Dream to Japan."