THE DESOLATE CROZETS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2028, 13 March 1907, Page 1

THE DESOLATE CROZETS

Writing prior to tho roscuo of the Catherine castaways, the Star had tho following interesting description: Straining tlioir oyes to tho sky-lino, across fierce and angry sous; hoping against hope for tho sight of a succouring sail; tortured by doubt ns to the fato of gallant comrades who set forth in a frail craft to seek help or perish in tho attempt, a band of IX shipwrecked mariners arc at present on one of tho lonely and rugged Crozet Islands, low down in the Indian Ocean, waiting, and hoping for release.

On December 4th last, loaded with blubber and sealskins, tho 127-ton Norwegian schoonor Catherine, Captain Reo, rode at anchor off Possession Island. Suddenly, out of tho east, came a fierce blast, before tho strength of which anchors t >ro useless. Tho little vessel drifted, and finally struck. Upon a tremendous sea the crew launched a boat, and, ivoro presently drawn high and dry getting clear of the. doomed schooner, upon a beach. Early in January, tho captain and two of his crew put to sea in a 20ft boat. A thousand miles wore covered ; the bravo iellows woro almost perished, when they were picked up by the Dutch ship De Kuoyfer. Captain Roe and his comrades aro now in Melbourne, and the relief of those still on tho island is to be accomplished. The Crozet Islands, which were discovered by Captain Crozet, a French navigator, in the year 1772, are practically- on the edgo of the world. They are loneliness and desolation personified. Mariners shun the vicinity, for it is a dangerous region. Rusting on tho shores are anchors and cables, relics of long past disasters. The place is loft to the undisputed possession of seals and sea fowl. The islands have provided a temporary homo for more than one shipwrecked crew, who in their extremity have made for the desolate spot in their boats, and have lingered on for longer or shorter periods until rescued.

"Where aro these lonely specks on the ocean? Glance at the map of'tlie world. Considerably south and east of Africa you will obsorve several dots. Those are tho Crozets. A mariner would describe them as being situated in the parallels of latitude between 46 and 47 degrees south, and longitude between 46 and 50 degrees east. In Captain Cook’s voyages the islands are stated to be only four in number; but there are five. The weather in these latitudes being generally foggy, one of the islands might easily have been overlooked by that mariner. Of the three westernmost the two smaller islands lie about 30 miles apart. The smallest is six miles in circumference, and is distant 12 miles from tho largest. Tho other is twice the size, and is about 30 miles distant. The largest of these has a circumference of about 25 miles. The other islands are about 70 or 80 miles eastward, and lie some dozen miles apart.

To the leeward of the largest island is a roof of rocks about five or six miles out. On this island there are many hogs. They are very large, and exceedingly numerous, and a creature which is of great value to unfortunates cast away there is tho sea elephant. The sketch givpn is a reproduction from a drawing, authenticated, by a member of a ship’s company who spent nearly two years on the island. Tho drawing gives an idea of the iron-bound character of tho coast, and shows the mode adopted for killing the useful sea-elepliant. The largest of the creatures are about 25ft long, and 18ft round. The blubber is frequently 7in thick, and they yield much oil. The fleshy protuberance at the snout, particularly in the males, has the appearance of a proboscis, and it is to this, and their great size, that the name seaelepliant is due. „ These animals, although of enormous size, offer scare any resistence. Their tameness makes them easy prey. They are sluggish in their movements, and are, cqnseguenf.ly, easily killed. The mode of despatch? ing them is shown in tho picture. A blow is administred on the nose with the flat side of a lance. The creatures then rear on their fore flippers, and, presenting thus the parts most easily penetrated, the lance may be used with good effect. The wounded creatures move backwards, without changing the upright position. Great numbers of birds visit these islands. Those include, |n addition to the king penguin, others of the species, named Maearoonys, Johnnies, and Rock Hoppers. Other birds are king birds, petrels, hnw-ks, and divers. There arc mjm ? erous bog holes on the island, and these make walking rather dangerous. Some of these holes are ten or a dozn feet across, eight or ten feet deep, and are filled with soft slimy mud. The soil of tlte island is of a character which would require great labor to bring it into cultivation. There is a plant which in appearance, resembles a cabbage, but it is very bitter, and the only way in which it can be rendered at sll palatable is by boiling it for several hours. Fish are plentiful, and easily caught with primitive appliances. Thus, while there is no great variety of food to be obtained at this lonely place, there is sufficiency to sustain life.

Some Americans found themselves stranded on the island as far back as ISOo. Tire fact was ascertained by the crew of the Princess of Wales (cutter), 75 tons, who were past away there in March, 1820, and who, during the stay on the island, dug up a quantity of timber, old iron, nails, etc., from the remains of a hut. The date was ascertained by the tallies of seal skins, the seals at that time being very plentiful. There wore also found traces of huts which had been built on another island. At the time that the Princess of Wales men wore cast away there was neither tree or shrub on the island, which from the sea presented a perpendicular cliff, with' numerous rocks protruding into the water. About seventeen years ago a British mau-o’-war, in search of a shipwrecked crew, visited the Crozets, and left provisions on two of the islands. The crew of tho Catherine, however, found that tho hut erected had been demolished by the winds, and that much of tho food left had been destroyed. There, is, however, plenty of fresh water on the island. A notice to mariners, dated tho first of the present year, gives information which was not borne out by the experience of Captain Ilee and his men. It may be that the shipwrecked crew have failed to find tho place where the provisions were stored or some other castaways may have availed themselves of the stores. The proclamation reads:; —

“Crozet Islands. —Provision depots for the benefit of shipwrecked persons are established at Hog Island, in a hut near the landingplace on the eastern side. In 1887 tho French vessel La Meurtlio left at this depot one ton of preserved beef, half ton biscuits, threequarter hundredweight sardines in

oil, 20 blankets, 15 pair shoes, and 15 pairs cloth trousers, all care-, fully packed in boxes; also twb spoars, two hatchets, and cooking u tonsils.

“Possession Island. —Tho depot consists of huts, about 100 yards from tho coast, in tho south-east cornor of American Bay (where the Catherine was wrecked), which is on tho oast side of the island, and about sovon miles from Dark Head, tho north-east point. H.M.S. Coraus, in 1880, left hero sufficient provisions for 50 people for 50 days; also jersoys, trousers, stockings, and shoes. Tho provisions wore intact when tho island was 'visited by tho French vessel La Meurtlio in 1887.”