SOUTHLAND SEALING EXPEDITION.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1229, 6 July 1872, Page 4

SOUTHLAND SEALING EXPEDITION.

The Southland News is indebted to Mr Theo. Daniel, M.P.0., for full particulars of Messrs Seymour, Brown, and Saunders's sealing cruise in the fore and aft schooner Mary, of 8 tons, accompanied by the whaleboat Lily, the party comprising the owners named and a crew of five men. Mr Daniel, in an accompanying note, says :—" Hearing that they had seen a large quantity of wreck along the beaches on the West Coast between Caswell and Thompson Sounds, and also that they had picked up a lot of papers v iu the latter Sonnd, I considered it a duty to report the information, as it might give a due to the fate of some missing vessels. The account I send is from the men themselves." The following is an extract from their log:-" On April 17th, called in at Looking Glass Bay. Here for the hrat time we saw traces of wreck— some pieces of kauri and red pine board, and port of a boat on the rocks. Dined on young pup seal, roasted, and then went on to Two Thumb Bay. Here we found part of a wreck, also a lot of kauri, boards and broken cases, strewed along the beach. These had been washed in since we called in on the way up. On the IBth sailed for Charles Sound, and remained there till the 20th. Thence the large boat with two hands ran for Thompson Sound, the Lily's crew pulling close along shore from Charles Sound, landing at several places between CaWell and Thompson Sounds. On the beach and rocks they found part °* *. V"V£ 8 bowsprit, also large quantities of ship s planking, an empty chest nearly whole, and a great quantity of broken cases and pieces of boats. After rejoining the Mary, on Sunday, 21st April, went •with the J>oat ta a beach on the opposite side of the Sound, below Crayfish. Just before landing on the beach, the sea being very smooth and clear, 1 we discovered in about two fathoms of water, laying oir the bottom, a great many books, papers, &c. Got the boat's boom, fastened a seal. hook on to the end and fished up two bundles of pipers on Hies; J 1 " 0 • family Bible, a very old edition, foil of plates, 1 much torn, and a pair of bead-worked q»rpet«Uppers. On finding we^icked up a writing-deak* with papers strewed about. among the scrub and, shingle, also a number of chequebooks, some bearing date November, 1 87-1. Next day, going down the Sound, we- .saw a ship's cabin door jammed in among thej^ofc* -On-tfre*24tft, «uidown

the Gaol Passage from Crayfish, examining every nook and corner for castaways. Passing Blanket Bay, it being veiy calm with heavy rain, towing the Mary; >we heard a loud report, which we supposed to be that of a gun, in the direction of tho other passage into the Gaol or Doubtful Harbor. We imagined at the time that some vessel, must be at anchor, there and some of the crew were but shooting, an, d were much disappointed at not finding her at Gronose anchorage, for we, hoped to get some provisions in exchange, for sealskins. I* should be mentioned that where we met with so much drift wreck between Caswell and Thomson Sounds, we saw a number of dogs on the beach, also some kakapos and woodhens they had killed, and which we gathered up for provision. After , leaving the, Gaol, we < entered Dagg's Sound, and remained till the 16th May— blowing heavy gales from all points of the compass, with torrents of rain occasionally. Here we worked all the rookeries. One day we took seventy fine young seals, six old 'clapmatohes (females), and two old 'wigs' (males). Saw no appearance of wreck on any of the beaches or rocks."

The Neios adds :— " Some of the papers referred to above were enclosed for our inspection by Mr Daniel. They appear to be chiefly invoices of good supplied to Mr H. Whitniore, Derated water manufacturer, Greymouth. How they came to be where they were found is at present inexplicable 1 - supposing them to have been washed away in the early part of the season, one would scarcely expect to hear of their turning up some hundreds of miles down the coast.