WRECK OF THE ISABELLA.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 601, 23 May 1876, Page 3

WRECK OF THE ISABELLA.

DREADFUL SUFFERINGS OF THE SURVIVORS. (Otago Guardian.') The Isabella left Newcastle for Hong- Kong with a cargo of coal on June 26th, 1875, and was lost at sea, off the Queensland coast, on duly 4th. The crow, after leaving the ship, landed upon an island and then divided, some again taking to the boats, and the remainder staying on the island, in hope of rescue reaching them. On the 28th ult- the Mary Mildred arrived from New Caledonia, bringing three seamen, the sole survivors of the men left on the island, the rest having succumbed to the privations of their long sojourn. A reporter of the Pilot interviewed the men as soon as the vessel arrived, and obtained a graphic account of their experiences and sufferings, which appear to have been almost unparalleled. The escape from the vessel was made in a life-boat, and all the survivors secured from the vessel was a tin of biscuits, a compass, a bucket, a bottle of brandy, ami a water-can, but no water. No water was obtainable upon the sand-bank upon which the sixteen survivors landed. As there was no prospect of succour, it was finally arranged that, as the boat was too small to be seaworthy with all hands aboard, some of them should be left behind on the unpromising place, while the rest t--ok to the boat, and attempted to reach the coast. The choice of bands was left to the captain, and he selected ten men to go in the boat, and six to stop on the island. The bread wc had saved, says the sailmaker in his account of the affair, would weigh about 561 b., and we who remained had 14lb of it, the remainder going iu the boat. I hose who went in the boat had no water, and nothing whatever to drink but a bottle of brandy, which had been in charge of the carpenter during the time since we had left the ship. Up to this time it had not been touched, and no one had attempted to get at it, although everybody know it was there. The boat was rigged with a kind of lugger mainsail and jib, they having to make shift with an oar for a mast. The life-boat was not in good condition, as some of the tanks had been found not to be airtight. Thus equipped our companions left us, promising to send us assistance immediately, should- they ever reach the coast of Australia. When left by ourselves, all we had was 141 b of bread, an old boat sail, a bucket, and the steward’s water can. With the sail we rigged a sort of tent. Our principal food was birds. They were so tame that we could catch them with our hands, or knock them down with a stick. They did nut seem to know what we were, and they allowed us to approach them without exhibiting any fear. When caught, we roasted them on the embers. After having been two days without water, wc all went into the bush to seek for some, and we looked in the hollow trees and other places where it was possible for it to rest. Wc found about a gallon, and although it was putrid, we drank it greedily ; but it lasted us till the following morning. In the night we caught some in the sail, but it was brackish. On the following day we found two gallons, and obtained a few eggs as well. Every night we kept watch, and our tire was always burning as a signal during the whole of the time wo were on the island. During one fortnight we had no water, and we used to squeeze wet mud in a stocking, and drink the drippings, which were collected in cocoa-nut shells. Those who found a patch of mud when in the bush, drank the liquid they could get from it, as the bucket was too valuable a utensil to be allowed to leave the camping place. At the end of this fortnight we caught a little water in the sail, and put it in the bucket and the can, to be saved. We then visited the holes in the trees, and used the water we could find there for present purposes. We began to get very weak as our biscuit ran out, it having lasted live weeks, through its having been served out very sparingly. By the time it was exhausted wc were again without water. Wc were now forced to try another means of quenching our fearful thirst. Wc went amongst the fallen trees, and finding some that were moist and rotten, we squeezed the softest portions through a stocking as we did the mud, which was not to be got then. The liquid produced had a variety of tastes and colours. It was bitter and salt, and alternately black, red, and green. The work of pressing it was very laborious, and it took us two hours to obtain a pint. Our hands got so sore that we were afraid we could not continue getting it. We passed six more weeks without any rain, and wt re reduced to every conceivable means of allay - ing our thirt. We drank salt water, and we bathed continually in it, \A e were reduce 1 to such a state that we drank that which would be revolting under other circumstances. During this severe trial one man died. Daniel Morris, being delicate in health, was the first to succumb. Wc did all we could for him ; wc gave him some of the juice wc extracted from the wood, and just before ho died we caught a turtle and gave him a share of the blood. He was terribly emaciated ; he had “wasted away to a drumstick,” and the rest of us were little better. We buried him in the sand. We obtained more turtle and drank the blood, which event down fresh and c -Id, but did not quench the thirst. Wc made a gridiron for roasting the meat with some non from the combings of a hatchway that had been washed ashore. On this diet eve thrived better, and improved in health. Wc made an excursion to the reef, and obtained some eggs and a feev cocoa-nuts, which musthave been drifted from some of the South Sea Islands, probal ly a distance of 400 or 500 miles. About this time eve lost the cook, and eve buried him by the side of 1 he one evho had gone before him, having nothing to mark the spot. The lire event out, and we were unable to relight it for five days, during evhich we had to eat our meat raw. We had matches, but they everc damp and would not strike. W o had a

piece of a burning-glass, but the sun was obscured, and we had to wait until it came out. '1 be sixth day being clear and bright, we were able to get a lire. We found out another method abou.: this time of obtaining water. We allowed the blood of the turtles to settle in the bucket, aid we would shortly see a white liquid rise to the surface, and this we used to suck oil the top through the quills which we gor from the sea-bird's. Several unsuccessful .attempts were then made to reach the sec-no of the wreck. Ultimately, on the Bth of January, six months after their vessel had been wrecked, they were rescued by a ketch in the bech-de-mer trade, and, after stopping with tueir kind preservers for three and a half months, wore taken to Noumea, from whence they were forwarded to Newcastle.