D.—6

1879. NEW ZEALAND.

EMIGRATION. FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE BURNING OF THE SHIP " PIAKO." In continuation of D.-2., 1879.

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency. Mr. H. S. Smith to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sik, — The New Zealand Shipping Company, Christchurch, 11th April, 1879. Although I have from time to time afforded you, both verbally and by wire, such information as we received respecting the accident to the ship "Piako," my directors deem it right that I should furnish you with a detail narrative of the voyage and its incidents, and of the steps taken, as well by the Company as by the master of the ship, Captain Boyd; and I have deferred doing this until the arrival of the vessel, because I am able now to speak on the full authority of the master, with whom I have conferred, and I have the honor to report for your further information. The ship " Piako " left Plymouth on the morning of the 11th October, 187S, having on board, besides a cargo of general merchandise,4 saloon passengers, and 281 Government emigrants. The ship was under the command of Captain William B. Boyd ; the emigrants under care of Mr. Beaufoy Green, Surgeon-superintendent. The ship was bound to call and land some immigrants at Timaru, and thence to come on to the Port of Lyttelton with the remainder and with her cargo. The voyage was propitious, but uneventful, until the morning of the 11th of November, when the vessel was discovered to be on fire, and, on search, the locality of the fire was found to be about 20 feet abaft the foremast, on the starboard side. I annex hereto a cutting from the Lyttelton Times, of the 21st January, giving an account of the occurrence, which I may state was written by me, almost in the words of Captain Boyd's letter reporting the disaster. The moment Captain Boyd knew the ship was on fire he put the vessel before the wind, and, being then in lat. 7° S. and long. 32° W., he laid his course for the nearest port, Pernambuco, in the Empire of the Brazils, distant about 200 miles. He sent a man aloft to keep a look-out for ships passing, hoisted his ensign of distress, got out all the boats, beat to fire-drill and deluged the main and orlop docks with water to keep the fire under. lam fully aware that this bald description of the proceedings conveys a very inadequate impression or idea of the critical position in which all on board were placed, and of the cool, calm judgment of the master, who was ably seconded by his officers in preserving order, and in his active and intelligent conduct under the most trying circumstances in which he found himself. Most providentially the barque " Loch Doon " hove in sight, and rounded to the burning ship, whence all the passengers were safely transferred without accident of any kind, and were most kindly received and cared for by the captain of the barque, and the best arrangements possible were most effectually made by Mr. Surgeon-superintendent Green, who accompanied the emigrants. Captain Boyd and the whole of the crew remained on board the " Piako," and continued the course for Pernambuco, followed by the "Loch Doon," and the vessels reached the port on the 14th. November. Captain Boyd's first anxiety on landing was the care of the emigrants, and he at once waited on H.B.M. Consul-General Walker, to invoke his aid and advice, and, ultimately, with the full concurrence of the Consul, he arranged with Visconde do Leiramento, the proprietor of the libra Nogneira, to land and house the people on that island, and they were all removed and made as comfortable as circumstances would permit. Captain Boyd iras aided in all his arrangements by the Company's agents, Messrs. Johnston, Pater and Co. Intimation was made to the Consul-General that the people wore destitute of clothing, and instructions were sought by wire to our London office, whence Captain Boyd received authority to provide clothing necessary. And here I may refer you to the telegrams and correspondence which occurred and passed between our London Manager and the Agent-General in and about this matter in November and December, and my Directors claim from the Government an acknowledgment that we did most promptly all that was necessary without any coercion. There was no desire to escape such just responsibility as the circumstances imposed on the Company ; and Captain Boyd naturally relied with full confidence on the advice, assistance, co-operation, and support of Mr. Walker in discharging his duty to all the interests involved in his trying circumstances; and he was quite unprepared for the course threatened by the Consul-General on receiving his first telegraphic acknowledgment from England.