THE LOSS OF THE TROOPSHIP MEGAERA.
The arrival or tbe P. and 0. Company's Bteamer Malacca at Melbourne with the relief crews which were embarked originally in the Megasra puts U8 in possession of an exact, account of the loss of the lutter ship. A leak ■was found on the 9th Juno, and on the 17th Captain Thrupp ran tho vessel ashore on the island of St Paul's. An examination of tho vessel showed that there was a hole through a plate 7ft from the kesl. Other plates wero worn thin. The vessel was pronounced unGt to proceed on her voyage. All handß and a large quantity of stores and baggage wero safely landed, with some trouble. On the 16th July the Dutch ship Aurora boro down to the island. The master hud been struck with the appearance of a tree on the cliffs •where trees had never been eeen before, and a near view showed it to be a flagstaff with the ensign Union down. Tbe Aurora (not an open boat) took Lieut. Jones to Sourabaya, and the news of the lose was thus telegraphed to England : — " From Fr&ser, Consul, Batavia, August 5. — Leak reported about June 8. Kept under for several days by hand pumps. Leak increased ; steam then used ; water kept under. Insufficient coal to reach Australia ; « Bteered for St Paul's. Juno 17 anchored. Survey held j diver employed ; reported unsafe to proceed } hole through bottom ; landed provisions ; weather stormy ; lost throe anchors. June 19, ship was run on the bar full speed and filled. Lieutenant Jones left July 16, all well ; men under canvas ; 80 tons cargo saved." A correspondent of " The Times," August 5, eend3 the following account ©f tho remarkable island on which the ship ■was grounded :— •" I visited tho island on an
outward-bound voyage Borne years since, and although it was thea uninhabited and barren, it Btill offers the means of sustaining life by means of the abundance of fish to be found in the Crator Basin. This remarkable basin is about two miles in circuit, and has thirty fathoms of water in the middle, which depth is maintained until within 50ft of the shore. The rocks round the crater rise to 600ffc or fOQffc high, and the riew from the summit is very impressive. All round the edges of the basin smoke was rising amid the stones lining the shore, indicating that smouldering fires still lurked below. On landing, we found the water on the shore of the crater in some places too hot to permit our hands remaining in it for any length of time. The temperature by thermometer in the hottest part was 204deg. Great fun was created by catching fish at one end of our boat, and, without taking them off tho hook, lotting them drop into the hot water, and cooking them." The whole party were removed from the island on the stl\ September. They were on short provisions, until the arrival of the Aurora made ie certain that they wouli3 be removed within a short period. Not a man was lost during the stay on the island. The transhipment of the crews is to take place at Sydney.
THE LOSS OF THE TROOPSHIP MEGAERA.
Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3316, 11 October 1871, Page 2
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