THE WRECK OF THE JAPAN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1085, 19 January 1872, Page 2

THE WRECK OF THE JAPAN.

(SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, DEC. 19.) Some months since the report of the loss of this whaling barque (in the Arctic), belonging to Melbourne, which sailed from that port sth March, 1870, was received from San Francisco, and also that the captain and a portion of his crew had been saved, thov having made across the land to a place named Poverty Bay, where they got on board a schooner. From the Hawaiian Gazette of the 15th November, it would appear that others of the crew of the barque have been rescued, and one of the ship's company has supplied the following particulars of tbe loss : — After a prosperous cruise, we called at New Zealand, there to refit for a voyage to the Arctic Ocean, and for that purpose lay in the Bay of Islands, where, transhipping our oil, we remained till the 9th of March, 1871. Wo sighted the Erst ice on tho 28th of April, and after capturing 10 whales, we squared our yards for the south. On the morning of tbe Bth October a strong gale of wind sprung up from the north fast, during which all our boats were swept from the cranes. The gale increased in fury during the night, and a heavy fog setting in next morning, the captain was unable to obtain any observations ; but sighting the ship Massachusetts running before the wind, and imagining the captain of her must have a good idea ofnis whereabouts, determined to follow hia example: The Japan being the faster vessel, soon left the other astern, when all of a sudden, to our consternation, we observed land right under our bows, too close, however, to allow of our clearing it. She Btruck soon after with terrific force, the sea at the same time sweeping her decks fore and aft, and carrying away everything offering resistance to its relentless force. The greater number of the crew jumped overboard and endeavored to reach the shore (a distance of about two furlongs) eight of whom perished in the attempt. Two more unfortunate men, refusing to leave the ship, miserably perished there. Two men having reached the beach in safety, took a run, endeavoring to restore circulation to their almost frozen blood, and when doing so were greatly surprised at beholding the footmarks of a dog on the snow, which they tracked for a considerable distance, aud to their great delight (the fog clearing off) espied an Esquimaux village. Immediately on doing so they returned to their almost despairing comrades, who joyfully accompanied them to the village, in which one more of our number had to succumb to the fearful cold. It may be necessary here to state that the coast on which we found ourselves so suddenly placed was that of tho extreme north of Siberia, about GOdejr north latitude. On arriving at the village, the inhabitants of which, though much surprised at our sudden appearance, treated us with great kindness, giving us akin clothing in exchange for our ice-covered garments, which they esteemed as a great prize (very few of them ever having seen a white man before), at the same time placing before us some raw walrus in a state of seirnputritication, which in that state being considered a great luxury among them, created no small surprise at our rejecting it. The gale decreasing, it fell a calm, consequently the whole ocean was frozen over, thus covering all that remained of our ill-fated ship, at the same time shutting off all hopes of saving any provision ; and to make matters worse, wood being unobtainable in this desolate spot, we wero denied the luxury of a fire during the winter, either for culinary purposes or for warmth, which comforts are quite unknown to this benighted race. It was a long time before we could partake of any of their food, which is served up under such revolting circumstances that decency forbids a minute description ; but, as the proverb says, " hungef is the best sauce," wo had to overcome our scruples, and after a few weeks could eat our share with any of them. Having come to the conclusion that exercise was tho only means of preserving health, we used to provide the houses with fresh water ice (for which wo had to take long journeys), which, being pounded up with oil, is eaten with great gusto by the natives. We also performed long journeys to the adjacent villages (during which one more of our number had to succumb to the fearful cold), at all of which places we were received by the inhabitants with great hospitality, and we wero looked upon as little short of deities, I having the fortune upon one occasion to stop an effusion of blood from a child's nose in a house I was visiting, by simply placing a piece of ice on its back, I was looked upon as something supernatural. The monotony of our winter life was only relieved by sleigh racing. In the spring, however, we performed long excursions with the natives after polar bears, seals, &c, when we frequently met with' the ' natives of the American or eastern shore,

They speak an entirely different dialect from those on the Asiatic side, and seem a much more savage race of people, la such pursuits we nr.anaged to pass the time. The ice opening a little, a great number of whales were to bo seen wending their way to the northward. A few days later schools of walrus made their appearance, followed by large flocks of ducks, which proved a great addition to our larder. The ice now breaking up, wo lived in anticipation- of seeing some adventursome whaler forcing its way through an obstacle which the sun's rays wero daily lessening. We were doomed to repeated disappointment until the 16th of June, when, to our immeasurable delight, we sighted the barque John Wells, of New Bedford. But immediately on doing so, it set in a dense fog, lasting for three days, at the end of which time we managed to get a canoe, which we hauled a great distance over the ice, and at last launched it in the open water, when, after paddling all day, we arrived on board at 8 p.m., where we were received with great kindness by tho captain, who provided us with clothing. We were finally distributed among the (numerous whalers then rapidly flocking through the straits, and on board of which we remained until that unfortunate fleet, numbering over 33 vessels, was blocked in by the ice at Point Franklin. Tho fleet was deserted on the 17th of September, and after travelling a considerable distance in the boats we were fortunato enough to meet with seven vessels, which, not venturing so far in the ice, were able to take us on board, and in one of them (the barque Chance, of Sydney), wo arrived at Honolulu after a pleasant passage.