LOSS OF THE HOKITIKA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1383, 6 January 1873, Page 2

LOSS OF THE HOKITIKA.

[abous.] Intelligence of the wreck of the .barque Hokitika, owned by Messrs Spenco Bros. and Co., of this port, was received in Melbourne on Monday by ' the mail steamer, and some particulars of the disaster are now to hand by the s.s. Parana, which arrived yesterday from Fremantle via Adelaide, and in which Captain Fiulay, master of the barque, was a passenger. From the evidence given before a board of inquiry held at Fremantle, W.A., before Messrs J. G. Slade, R.M., L. Worsley Clifton, Collector of Customs, John F. Stone, J. PI, and Captain Edward Marsh, nautical assessor, it was ascertained that the Hokitika left Newcastle, N.S.W., on 7th October with a cargo of coals for Mauritius, and had moderate variable wind and fine weather on the passage until 13th October, when King's Island was sighted. On the following day strong gales and heavy rains set in, the winds being principally westerly, ranging from W.S.W. to W.N.W., and continuing until sighting Cape Chatham at 8 p.m. on Ist .November. An easterly wind was then experienced until the morning of 2nd November, when it shifted into the S.W., aud at noon on that day the barque braced sharp up, and laying W.N.W., going about eight knots, waa off Cape Leu win, which bore N. by E., 12 miles distant. At half-past 2 p.m. breakers were passed on the starboard quarter, the

break supposed to be on the Geographe Rock, and about 3 p.m. the barque came on a patch of dark smooth water. ■ The helm was put up to avoid it, but ip less than two minutes she had struck twice on the edge of a iv>ck before getting clear of it. The bark had a long roll after she struck, ann ot; r.^j pu p ips being sounded there w»? i •* uf wirer in the hold. All hnijiL iinnie i.telysetto ork at thu pu«|.-, -it in ab \v 20 minutes the wat-r had invrcused to s£ft or 6ft. The yards were then squared, and the vessel's head turnedahore ward in thehopeof beaching her. but on sunndirig the pumps again 25 m.nutes afterwards, thwviindicaced 10ft of water in the h<ild. Matters being nun to all appearance hopeless, Ciiptiin F.nl.iy ordered all hands into the •»>ats, reiiiainint/ lunaelf at. the helm, nnd k-eping the yes-el bef"re the wind, while the chief and st-eoT:d mates secured tl>e gallant, studding sail, t'-ie boat's sails, chronometer, sextant, a keg of water, and a few tr fliny articles of clothing. &c. In loss than 10 minutes more the water was up "to the main rail, rolling risjht over the bulwarks, and two minutes after the captain hal le*t the barque she settled down, at a distance of about five miles from the shore. Captain Finlay and the crew, then landed at Cape Hamlen, passed the night in a small bay about ei^ht miles north of Cape Lea win, and m.-xt morning, after partaking of biscuit and water, proceeded to the northward, reaching a small bay to the east of Cape Naturaliste at night. On the morning of the 4th November they made for the whaling station at Castle Rock, and got into the town of Busselton at 1 p.m. the following day. From thence they got to Freemantle, W.A., where they had a passage given them to Adelaide by Capt. Wilkinson of the s.s. Parana. The Hokitika was almost a new vessel, and but partially insured. Captain Finlay lost considerably by the wreck, all his private effects, and some L3O in cash, laving gone down to her. The crew also lost everything except what they stood up in. The reception accorded to the seamen at Freemantle was not very cordial or enthusiastic, no one seemin \ to care anything for their destitute condition. At the court of inquiry the evidence Tras taken of Capt. Finlay, master of the baiqne ; Matthew Kelly, chief mate; Junes Hunter, second mate; John Bull, carpenter; Robert Neill and Ed»vd. Moore, seamen, and others ; and after careful consideration of the evidence, the decision of the Court was that no blar.ie could be attached to tho master .or mate or any of the crew of the Hokitika, on account of her loss on an outlying danger off Cape Leu win at 3 p.m. on November 2nd. Captain Finlay is well-known as an experienced and a steady careful navigator, ana it may be noticed, has been ten times round the Lenwin, and often closer in shore than he was when the barque struck.