ANOTHER SAD TALE FROM THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 704, 23 July 1870, Page 1 (Supplement)

ANOTHER SAD TALE FROM THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

We take the followiug* account of the disappearance of a portion of the crew of the Daphne at the Auckland Islands, as already reported by telegraph, from the Southland News, of the 6th inst. :— " The schooner Daphne, which sailed from the New River .on the 2Cth. March last, bound for the Auckland Islands on a sealing and salvage cruise, returned last Friday night, manned by only three of the crew, viz., James Cousins, R. Boyd, aud Robert Seem an (a Kanaka). Pending the official enquiry, we place before our readers the following particulars obtaiued from the? men named : — The only event on the run from New River was that, when about 75 miles from Port Ross, the schooner was thrown oh lier beam-mlua uy a aquitu, uu»speedily righted without further casualty. She came to an anchor at Port RO3S .13 days after leaving New River, and preparations were at once made to carry on the sealing enterprise. The maintopmast and foreyard were struck and taken on shore, together with tanks, drums, and cans for receiving the oil. From this time up bo the 19th May, the crew were employed in. the usual routine of seal-hunt-ing. On that clay they were called at 3 a.m. to man the whaleboat, for the purpose of proceeding round to the west coast of the island to the scene of thewreck of the General Grant, from which it was intended, if possible, to recover the [ gold that was on board when she went down. The party consisted of the captain and part owner (Wallace) ; Joseph Moss (mate, a half-caste native of Stewart's Island) ; David Ashworth .(second mate, also part owner, and a survivor from the wreck of the General Grant) ; James Cossar (carpenter and diver); Frank Leinster and James Bailey, ordinary seamen. The men left oh board were those whose names were given above as having brought the vessel back. About one week's supply of provisions consisting of potatoes, meat, bread, and biscuit — was placed in the boat, together with two fowling pieces, powder and shot. Tacks and sheet lead were always kept in her against the emergency of a sudden leak. The diving dress was not taken, the object of the parcy being simply to reconnoitre and return to the vessel for a larger boat, built expressly for the purpose of carrying on the diving operations. The whaleboat left the ship about 4. 30 a.m. with a fair easterly wind, and was not lost sight of until rounding a headland, distant about three miles (the moon being just past the full). The weather remained, fine until noon of the next day, when it began to blow hard from the westward, and so continued for some days with very heavy sea. The men left on board state that they often went aloft to look for fires or other signs of their bhipmates ; and at the end of the week they attempteJ to go in search of them with the large (and only remaining) ship's boat, but it was too heavy for them to manage by means, of the oars, and they did not like to depend upon sails, as it was so squally. They searched the beaches in the vicinity on foot, but , found no traces, and eventually, after waiting five weeks longer, resolved to make sail for the last port of departure (New River). The anchor was accordingly weighed on the 21st June, and after a passage uf ten days, during which the vessel had to be repeatedly hove to, she was boarded by the pilot, Mr Clare, and brought up bo the Lower Pool, where she now lies. It will be remarked that in the foregoing narrative no mention is made of any memorandum having been left. at Port Ross, or of any attempt to reach the west coast or place of the General Grant's wreck on foot. These measures, that one would suppose must have naturally suggested themselves, do not appear to have occurred to the men in charge, whose peculiar position can scarcely excuse the oversight. Cousins, who was rated as cook and steward, had been a master mariner. Boyd is quite a youth, learning seaman's duty, and the Kanakaan ordinary seaman. Public opinion here is much divided on their conduct. Some say they should have taken the vessel round by the west side of the island, while others argue that they should have made more extensive search on shore. But it .must be remembered that either of these courses

might have involved the loss of the ship and their own lives, and that they no doubt acted to the hestof their judgment. That no record was left at Port Boss is mattei\ for serious regret, for it would have afforded a clue to those onboard H.M.S.S. Blanche, if— as recent tele.jjraphic advices lead us to suppose— she Jias visited the Ancklauds ia search of I traces of the Matdaka, pursuant to orders from the Home Government. A meuio- 1 randum of particulars would have also I furnished an additional incentive, if any were needed, to minutu search. The young man Boyd, whose parents reside . here, states that while the party were engaged sealing at Port Ross, they j found five skeletons within a short distance of where one was discovered by Cross, the master of the Flying Scud, when she went to relieve Captain Musgj^ve's party, and th<it they duly interred tbes^ sad relics, which they supposed were those of people from the Invercanld. (the second vessel known, to have been lost at the islands). -The whaleboat was an old one, about 28ft long, and although apparently in good repair, had invariably leaked a good deal after sustaining the strain of cross seas, or the tide rips met with on the coast. The men, he says, disliked her ; but, as we have seen, their misgivings did not deter them from putting to sea in her. Moss, the mate, was well known here as an expert whaler and boatman, and the others were experienced hands. Ashworth was relied upon to guide the party to the scene of the .wreck of the General Grant, and was very? confident as to the result. Boyd further states that the depot of stores at, Port Ross had been opened, and the tinder box, matches, fishhooks, powder, musket, &c, left exposed to the wet, which had spoiled them. (Capt. Beatson, of the Oreti, reported somewhat to this effect on his return from the Aucklands in March last.) The articles were taken on board the Daphne, and it w<is their iutention to have replaced them by others; but it was frustrated by subsequent events. If by any chance the boat's crew survive, and have reached Port Ross since the Daphne left, they would have do great difficulty in obtaining food, as rabbits and pigs abound, and goats are met with occasionally. [The schooner Daphne will be remembered as the vessel seized at Fiji as a slaver by H.M.S. Rosario.J On Monday evening, a hastily convened public meeting was held in the Provincial ! Hall, Invercargill, to consider what steps j should betaken to resolve the doubts exist- ' ing as to the fate of the missing men. The attendance was numerous, and but one opinion was expressed — that- a vessel should be at once despatched to the islands,- in order, if possible, to meet with the Blanche, and communicate to her captain the information noted above ; or, facing to fall in with her, to pursue an hide- ' pendent search between Port Ross and the General Grant cave. A committee was appointed, and negotiations opened with the Provincial Government.. The Committee adjourned till 3.30 p.m..; but before that hour its members were privately informed that the Executive, after deciding to take the responsibility of "'"l"]'*"",* fi 9jTffr l . ft *r'fffiip o ) had received ; Government would provide .funds i torxne 1 purpose to the extent of L2OC. It was I thereupon determined, with the concurrence of the agents of the Daphne, to send her back properly manned and equipped without delay. It is understood that Captain Thompson, harbor master at the Bluff, will be empowered to make the necessary arrangements — that a crew is in | readiness, and that, in all probability, by I to-night the Daphne will be ready to sail. I In the meantime an officiai enquiry will be held before the R.M. and nautical assessors. Seamen acquainted with the coast of the Aucklands are strongly of opinion that the boat's crew may yet survive on some part of the islands remote from Port Ross. They suppose that the boat may have had to run to the southward, and that, in beaching her, she may have broken up, in which case — assumingthe accident to have happened in the South (or Adam's) Island— they would be unable to return to Port Ross.