FRIGHTFUL TRAGEDY OF THE DON JUAN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 948, 10 August 1871, Page 2

FRIGHTFUL TRAGEDY OF THE DON JUAN.

The following are particulars of thistrageCljr, no cmpUoJ from ot«,tornpnt.a made by. the Chinese survivors, and reprinted from successive issues of the China Mail :— -Startling intelligence was brought over this morning (May 8) from Macao by thesteamer White- Cloud, to the effect that a ship of the name of Don Juan, formerly the Dolores "Ugarte, Captain Garay, which a few days ago sailed from this harbor to Macao, where she was sold and her name changed, has been burnt on the high seas, together with a. large number of coolies, on the route as ' • passengers" to Callao. Since the arrival of the White Cloud a fishing junk came into harbor, bringing 0A r er here 50 of the: "passengers, " who had been rescued by the master j of the junk from the burning vessel The , junk master states that on the morning of Sunday last, about 1 or 2 o'clock, he saw a ship on fire, and heard cries of "Save life." On going near to the direction of the cry, he saw a number of Chinamen clinging to a mast, crying for help. He took them on board, and they numbered 50 altogether. These men have been handed, over to the captain superintendent of the police, and are lodging in the gaol. They present the most abject' appearance, Some with their backs fearfully scalded, others with legs, arms, and body severely burnt, and not a few of them ' with swollen eyes. Some of these men can hardly walk, and are suffering" under agonising pain. A great number of them were entirely naked, while a few had tattered and half-burnt rags on their persons. One or two of the seriously injured men- are 'not expected to live, but under the kind care of 'Mr ' Douglas, the gaol superintendent, it is to be j boped that they may recover. There are about 10 of them placed in the Gaol Hospital for treatment The following is a version of the tragedy as given by the men themselves : They said they embarked on board the ship on the 25th April last, and sailed in her on the 4th inst. for Callao. On the 6th inst. (Saturday last) about mid-day, the ship was discovered to be on fire on deck. The Europeans were trying to put the fire out, but without success. All this time they were below in the hold, with the hatches battened down. When the fire had gone too far, one of the Europeans wrenched off the lock which fastened down the hatches. They all made a rush to the hatch, for by this time the hold was filled with smoke, and a great many of the men were suffocated. When they came on deck, they saw the Europeans leaving in boats, one of which, owing to the struggle the Europeans were making to get into it, was swamped, and all that were in it drowned. There were' four boats in the vessel, but 6ne of them was burnt before it was lowered ; the two others rowed away, but what had become of them these men cannot tell. Some of the foreigners that, could not get into the boats jumped into the water, and were drowned. He was almost the last European that left the ship. _He Bhouted out 1 to them to flee for their lives. By the time the passengers were let out and came on deck, the mainmast of the ship had been partially burnt, and the passengers cut, it off and threw it into the water. A great many jumped into the water to catch hold of it as the only means of deliverance. Some of them failed to get at it, and were drowned: Those who were able to do so, clung to it, and witnessed the ship burnt to the water's edge. They kept shouting for help, and a fishing junk was attracted to the scene. The ship was bnrniog from mid-day on Saturday, until three, o'clock on Sunday morning, when they were rescued. Ait that time the fire had' reached the copper sheathing on the hull close to the water. They could not tell how the fire originated, but • it, was certain it did not Begin in the hold wheie they were. : A young lad about 17 said he was one of the 12 told off to act as cooks, who were all privileged to be on deck. He was in the kitchen at the time the fire occurred, and therefore could not Bay how it originated. He believed it to have occurred through some Europeans playing, with their firearms. He heard them fire many shots,, and shortly after the n alarm, of fire was

raised; It was fuUy one hour af^er thealarm. that the hatch 'waso-jened] to the passengers.; But at this tiiae the 5 sails* and everything ori deck tod been bun*!;. Tbe vesse.l had.dn bbardljssO cdplies, and hejcould npfe tell np> many onboard. He wSs sure of the number of tidolies, as he had, along with the 11 others," to prepare their meals. One of the men who was in the hold gave the *locality:of the fire as the .Gaptain's- cabin,, which was in the stern, and was close to the hold where they were. The fire spread with wonderful rapidity, and soon filled the hold with smoke, which suffocated a great many and' prevented their escape. v .. It is said, from Macao* that', not only the captain but" the crew adhere to the statement previously made regarling the sad fate of the :Don Juan and her living freight. The sailors in Macao number 35, but whether that was or was not the number who signed the ship's articles we are not at present in a position to say. They, however, are said, on their side, to be unanimous as to the facts mentioned below ; and the case would appear to resolve itself into an arraying of the statement of the rescued coolies against the statem§nt of the crew. About' 9 a.m. on Saturday— so runs the seamen's story-^ the Chinese mutinied, revolted, showed signs of taking possession. They tore up their berths and the woodwork about their bunks, and using the planks as a battering-ram, they broke down: -the bulkhead; and got into the lazarette, which was direct aft. This was when about 100 miles from land, steering east ' Having got through the bulkhead, and into the lazarette, the coolies piled up the lumber thus torn up and set fire to the ship by its means. When those on deck saw what the "passengers" had done, a hose was got down into the hold ; but the coolies deliberately threw it overboard through one of the side-lights. The fire was apparently lighted: aft, with the purpose of forciug all those living overhead to go forward and simplify the capture of the vessel. It is= even said that, on being asked through the grating what they wanted, the icoolies declared their intention of taking the ship. However improbable this may appear, it is alleged' that the coolies openly stated their purpose. It is presumed that they expected the fire would be easily extinguished,'and that they never anticipated the horrible death in store for them. Nothing further of a definite nature has been learnt regarding the reported chopping up of the man formerly credited with haying taken down the hose in order to extinguish the fire. That one, if not more, of the crew was lost appears to be not unlikely, as the last man who prized opened the hatch was said to have been drowned when the last boat swamped. The battening dowu of the hatch is again declared to be a fact,, and no. mention whatever 'is "made (so far as we have heard) of any attempt having been made to save any of the "passengers." Things becoming desperate, the crew took to their boats, and soon fell in with fishing junks, into which they are said to have transhipped themselves and found their way to Macao. Whether the boats were or were not too far away to be of any service to the coolie victims is not stated.

In connection also with this dreadful affair, we may state that, according to advices from Macao, the Governor there has ordered a total suspension of the coolie trade as carried on at that port. It is said that no less than 2000 coolies are at present quartered in the barracoons, and that the Governor has authoritatively forbidden that any shall be taken away or any placed into these coolie-houses for the present. This amounts only to a suspension of the traffic, and any subsequent action, it is presumed, will depend on further investigation.