THE MISSING BOAT.—ONE MAN SAVED.-ONE DROWNED.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 355, 28 February 1871, Page 2

THE MISSING BOAT.—ONE MAN SAVED.-ONE DROWNED.

The uncertainty which has been felt during the last week respecting the fate of the two men, James Verral aud Henry Kent, who left Purhi last Monday morning to come to Shortland, had on Saturday changed to a settled conviction that they had been lo3t, when unexpectedly, about four o'clock on Saturday afternoon, James Verrall was landed at Shortland wharf and was received by his friends as one who had risen from the dead. The boat left Shorlland at about six o'clock last Monday morning for Puriri, there being on board the two boatmen above named and Constable Purcell, who is engaged collecting the census for the Puriri district. Having landed the constable, theboatinen leftPuriri about nineo'clock to return to Shortlaud. The weather was then much calmer than it had been on the trip up, but at half-past ten o'clock, when off Shortland, and on the spit of the river, the boat was capsized by a sudden gust. They had then only the jigger and the jib set, and it was the water in the main sheet that caused the boat to upset. At this point, if the men had let go the bsat, they might have got on to the height of the spit, aud, as the tide ebbed, have waded on shore, but seeing a boat come out of the creek, they believed the accident had been seen, and held on to the boat. This was a mistake, for the boat went down the firth, and by this time Verral and Kent hnd drifted into deep water with the ebbing tide. Neither of the men had breakfasted that morning, and so were not in good state to enter upon prolonged fatigue and fasting. They held on, however, Yerrall at the bow and Kent at the stern, and as the boat tumbled about in the waves, sometimes righting itself, full of water, and sometimes iloating bottom up, considerable exertion was required to keep grip. Towards evening the prolonged exertions, and the apparent hopelessness of the situation, began to affect Kent, who was a lad of about seventeen. The shock to the nervous system was so great that he became demented; his eyes were wide open, but he could not see, and apparently he did not hear a word of what was said to him by his companion. He lost his hold on the boat, and although Verrall pushed the mast to him, and did all he could to aid him, it was of no avail. This would be about seven o'clock, a,ud during the night the boat had continued to drift towards the west side of the firth. Verrall, of course, did not know, in the darkness, where he was drifting, but as near as he can guess it was about two o'clock on the Tuesday morning when his hopes were renewed by feeling the boat ground. He goi on shore, and also managed to secure the boat, aud then lay down, utterly exhausted, till daylight, when he found that ho had been landed between Porter's Creek and the Miranda Redoubt. He walked towards the former, till he came to Joyce's store, where he was treated with the utmost kindness by the two men who were there. He was not able to swallow any food, nor could he take any spirits, but in a short time he was able to swallow some tea. He lay there all day on Tuesday, aud, although better on Wednesday, was not able to walk. The creeks having swollen prevented word being sent of where he was, but on Saturday morning, Burt's boat, which was engaged in the search, spoke two natives, who told them where the survivor was. Wo believe the deceased, Kent, has a sister in Grahamstown or Tararu, and that his mother lives in Auckland.—A dverliser.