THE SURAT INQUIRY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 39, 24 January 1874, Page 8

THE SURAT INQUIRY.

Judgment was givm in this enquiry on luesday afternoon last, ifr Strode R.M.., Captain Thomson, Nuuticnl .Assessor and Mr Fulton, X M w°re on the Bench. The Court was crowded, the captain and chief mate of the Surat being in attendance. The judgment, which wus read by Mr btrodc, gave fiist a summary of the evidence, and then the opinion of the Bepch. It was as °The Resident Magistrates engaged in this enquiry now proceed to exnress their opinion and give their decision in the matter of the loss of the ship Surat. The ship Surat, hound for Port Chalmers, arrived off the coast of Stewart's Island between 2 and 3 p.m. on the 3!»t December last, at which time land was sighted bearing N.\V. about IS macs off the wind blowing a fine breeze from W.N. W., and the ship h^iii.r atctred a N-E. course by the magnetic compass until abreast of BrucVa reef, off the East Coast of Stewart's Island. From this point

the f>l»ip was hauled more to the northward, the master (to use his own words) " giving instructions from time to time to the man at the wheel to luff, without noticing particularly what alteration it made in his course," and passed Ruapuke Inland at a distance, as estimated by the master, of twelve or fourteen miles, hut of seven miles as estimated by the chief officer, whose watch it wn«. From thence a course N.E., and gradually up to N.N.E., was steered, the vessel going about nine knots, until Dog Island light was sighted at 7. 30 p.m., bearing W. by N. i N., at a distance, as it was believed, of 20 mile 9. At this time the Crse was altered to N E. by E. i E. by the standard compass, which master says, had only three degrees of easterly deviation, and to N. iE. by the binnacle compass, which shov.s that the latter was quite unreliable, and this course was steered until eight o'clock, when M Dog Tsland light was being lost sight of, the vessel's supposed position was marked by the master on a small scale chart (the only one he Tiad) of the New Zealand coast, the light bearing W. by N., distant, as " guessed " by the master, 22 miles, but no effort was made by soundings or otherwise more accurately to determine the ship's position. From this time until within a few minutes of 10 p m., the same course was professedly kept. On land being reported on the port bow for the second time by the look-out, the second mate, who was in charge of the deck, ordered the helm to be put up, the wind being at this time N.W. When the vessel was coming by the lee and the yards were being squared, the vessel struck heavily on some hidden danger flve or six times, without stopping her way, the land being from a quarter of a mile to half a mile away. She whs then braced up on the starboard tack, •nd stood out to sea for three-quarters of un hour, when she was hoveto, with the maintopsail to the mast, until daylight. As little Jor no water was made for the first hour, the excitement among the passengers consequent upon the ship's striking was very considerably allayed. About midnight frequent soundings in the pump showed that the ship was making water. The port pump, and subsequently the fire-engine, were started and worked mainly by the passengers. The starboard pump being found out of order, wan of no service. Between 3 and 4 am. on the Ist of January, there being about 7ft of water in the well, the vessel was kept away and a course steered northward along the shore, when a steamer hove in sight steaming to the southward. As she neared the Surat the ensign was hoisted by one of the passengers, but immediately hauled down by the master's orders, with threats that he would shoot any man who should hoist it or fire a gun. When abreast of the tt;amer it was, however, again 1 oisted, Union down, and a boat with the second mate in charge pulled towards the Wanganui, which steamer passed within a mile and a half of the Surat, without any notice having been taken, there being at the tine no officer in charge of her deck. From this time everything on board the Surat seems to have been in the utmost confusion and disorder : boats were lowered without orders, an incompetent pnrson permitted to steer the ship, the anchor let go in Jack's Bay, about 100 pissengers landed there, and with lift, of water in the hold the cable ■lipped, and the vessel beached in Catlin's Bay, where the remainder of the passengers and crew were landed by li a.m. No portion, however, of the immigrants' luggage was saved, notwithstanding the fineness of the weather. We further state our opinion on the matter as follows ;— That the master teas most blameable— 1. In starting from London with his ship in an unseaworthy condition, inasmuch ns he had not provided himself with detail charts of the coast of New Zealand. 2. In not tn king, when he made the New Zealand coast, to which he and all his officers were strangers, and when night was setting in, the necessary steps to determine his position with accuracy, not even consulting the " New Z aland Pilot," which work he had on board. That the master and chief officer were most blameable — (1) in making no efforts to lessen the leak ; (2) in allowing to pass by at the time when there was eight feet of water in the hold the steamer Wanganui, ■whose services they could easily have secured. That the master, chief officer, and second officer, were most cul pable — (1) In rendering themselves by insobriety after the vessel struck and before she was bcaihed quite unQt for the performance of their duties; (2) in making no effort after the beaching of the vessel and landing of the passengers (all of which was effected at 11 a m., the day being fine) to save tho immigrants effects. We therefore come to the conclusion that by the wrongful acts and default of Edmund Joseph Johnson, master, Abrara Forshaw, chief male, and Edward Eesselton, second mate, the ship Surat was lost and abandoned in Catlin's Bny on tho Ist day of January, 1874, and we decide that tho certificate of competency of Edmund Joseph Johnson, as master, be cancelled; the certificate of competency of Abram Forshaw, ns master, be cancelled; and the certificate of conpetency of Edward Hci-selton, as second mate, be suspended for tho term of two years from tlie 20th day of January, 1874. Captain Thomson saiJ : -As Nautical Assessor to the Magistrates engaged in the enquiry, duly appointed, I have only iosay that I fully concur in the decision jmt expressed. Tlie proceedings were then concluded. 'lhe Captain lias since been arrested on a charge of negligence.