TERRIBLE SHIPWRECK.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 167, 7 February 1867, Page 2

TERRIBLE SHIPWRECK.

Loss of the Bkttisu bakque Coya, eodkd FKOM SVDNBY, N,S, W-, TO SAN FISAIfCISCO ' — T\\"ENTY-SIX UY£S J.OST, . The ; San Francisco papers ful details of the wreok of the British barque Coya, Captain Paige, ;bound from Sydney, N.S.W., to San Francisco, at New Year's Point, San Mateo County, California, Out of. twenty*nuie souls on board only' ihree were saved, The iron barque Coya, of Liverpool, 513 tons register, laden witU coal, sailed from Sj'dney for San Frajicisco on tbe-22nd day^of September, 1566, with 29 persons on board, including crew and passengers. When we were out about 12 days we lost a seaman /iame.d Peter Johncon, off the jibboom, and lised.all endeavors, but could not pick him up. Called fit Pitcairan Island, on 13th October, and left same day and proceeded on ' our voyage. All went well until November24th, all of which day, and day previous, we had 'very thick arid squally weather, and no sights. On this evening according to dead reckoning, we supposed we were near the Forralbne light, and standing in under easy ,•■■-.■ sail, close-reefed fore and main top-sail, and ■■"' .fore tOp-stay sail ; about 7.30 p.m. we were all down at «tea when the second mate repcrtcd land ; on the ,'cc bow. Captain Paige •A came on dtck ijuinediately,;ai!d ordered the chip to 1.0 wore fciind. shortly aftei-wards br < -a^ ers ' weie reported right ahead, and the sliip coming round very, plow) y, when all of a Eudclen efce £t? utk very Jicavily on the rocks and IsMung' round broadside on. The sea * Kept gifting her from rock to rock, crushing 0^^ 11 "'-''' She had at this time made * considerably nearer shore, and we .. &\\ gave Ourselves up f oj lost.; L The sea cpmmcKced ■hreaking over our bows, carrying everything ? tielbre it. lhe -boats were swept away by ' ithiatime.- w,ereali on deck v- now eicept^rs Jeffreys, who "had been confined:;tw6 days^revioiiEl^r The scene now; w^^etLlrigifearful ; the iraiu deck being toni^ip'by thepreifcnre from the water urclerjieath^niidc l tie of /the n^st frightful noises, ever hcaidj the: ladies zixwriufr and being

washed/away one by one, and drowning under the lee riggiug, -One M : the ladies, Mrs Rowdeh, had a liferbuoy ; oh; whicji Dr Rowden generously took off^iipselfaiid gave to his wife, thereby throwing -nearly all cjjance of his own life away io try and save his wife's, but it was of no avail. A trenifndous sea now gwept aft a.nd carried some mora poor fellows to a; watery gravij, and cleaiung avyay everything off the poop. , There.was a move upon the skyb'ght being washed off level with the deck, and Mr Byrnes was washed down head first into the cabin. The ship at this time, gave a. very heavy lurch and settled over to the windward, with .the mast on a level with the water. Those that remained now were about ten iv number, all sitting uppri the side of the tgiffrail, th§ sea breaking over us very often, until we be^an to g§t numbed in the limbs with the cold, as at this time no one had on more than a shirt and trpusers, ready to do theif best for the shqre. It was euough to pa}l the energies of any man when he looked to the leeward and saw what a frail man had to contend with. Nothing to be seen to the leeward but a mass of .hissing foam dashing with fearful violence over the rocks. The end of the last few that were now left on the doomed ship was now approaching. There we sat looking death in the face. Some were making prayers to the Almighty to assist them, while others sat in mute despair^ but not a cpy of anguish or a word was to be he^rd, even when the ship .commenced crashing up from forward and coming affc to set us all adrift on the -waves. We diil not think that one would be left to tell the sorrowful tale. All of us were tossing about on the wild billows. I could count live struggling in an eddy that was whirling us round aud round, grasping at anything that came in pur way, one man catching hold of another to save himself, and bcth going down ; it was all self now, But out of the whole coupany only three were to.be saved. The first that was thrown on shore was a young man, Walter Cooper, who clung to a piece Of timber with death's grip ; the waves washed him unrlerfor a few seconds ; he came on shore riding on the top of a wave. The next on shore was Mr Q. Byrnes, a passenger, who had a life-buoy on, He had a great struggle, t^e waves rising up over him three-times, and burying him under for several seconds ; he was nearly carried back with the recoil. The last of the unfortunate men that came oft shore was Mr Barstow, first mate, who had a cork Hfe-belt on. He had been sitting to the last alongside the captain and secqnd 'Qate, who wanted him %q lash himself on to the taffrail, the same as they had done, and take the chances when the ship broke .up of being washed ashore : but he refused. He had a hard time of it, the belt not being buoyant enough, and hs had to ges the assistance of a board to keep him up. He was very badly hurt among the rocks, but a friendly wave landed him on shore. Those that were saved had great difficulty to crawl put of the water when they were landed, they were so benumbed with cqld. The three survivors n)Qt after they got on shore .ami passed a most miserable night, huddled up together on the sand, not being aware of any habitation being at hand until daylight 'broke, when they saw fences and cattle a mile pff, which turned out to be on Messrs Fisl^ a,ud Camp's, White House Rancho, by whom they were very well received and lodged. After they had refreshed themselves they went down to the beach to look fop the bodies of their unfortunate shipmates, but only one was to be found, viz. : Mrs Jeffreys, w^om they buried as well as the state of things would permit. The place where the wreck occurred is about CO miles to the south of San Francisco, and within half a mile of where fye Sir John Franklin .was lost some two years ago. feIST OF PASSENGERS ON BOABD THE COYA. Dr Rqwden and wife, London ; Mr Jeffreys, wife, and infant, Portsmouth i; George Byrnes, Sydney j Mrs Lassctta, Napa Valley," Cal. ; Mrs reason, San Francisco ; Mrs Paige and daughter, (Captain's wife.) CftEW OF THE COVA .^^j^BSS**^ Captain R. Paige ; first inate^^gaajig^Bafliic^m mate ; James *S^lton, sailmaker ; Frank Bashby, carpenter; John Smith, steward ; James— — — , cook, (name unknowu) ; seamen, John Smith, Tom Smith, Walter Cooper, P. McNamara, Bonnenry Englisji, Frederick Myers, John Jones, George Owen, John Cooper, Oliver Tom, Peter Johnson, Peter Shimniins, boy ; James; Martin, stowaway. ' SAVEPf. George ßymes, passenger, Sydney; Thomas Barstow, first mate; Walter Cooper, seaman.