BURNING OF THE BARQUE GUIDING STAR.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1414, 11 February 1873, Page 2

BURNING OF THE BARQUE GUIDING STAR.

[SYDNEY EVENING NEWS, JANUARY 20.J Some time Bince a telegram from Java reported the destruction by fire of the abovenamed barque. The Coorong has arrived here from Batavia, but very little additional information can be gleaned. The chief officer of the Guiding Star and his boat's crew were picked up by an American vessel and landed at Java, where they were being cared for by the British consul. The master of the Guiding Star, also the second officer, with the rest of the crew, who left the barque iv another boatplrail~.iiuJrbceu--lioo.nl o£-up Icrthtj time of the Coorong's departure. Lloyd's agent at Batavia gives the following particulars :— " Five seamen who were landed this morning from the American ship Nevada, Proctor, master, gave the following account of themselves :— They left Mauritius on the 4th October last in the Guiding Star, of Sydney, with a cargo of sugar for your port. On the morning of the 18th following an apprentice names James Clark, who it does not appear acted under orders, went into the hold with a lighted candle to ascertain from below the exact position of a leak in the seam of oue of the upper deck planks, Capt. J. G. Bishop, and the chief officer, A. Evans, being at the time in the cabin. Shortly after the apprentice shouted that the vessel had taken fire, which gained so fast upon them that they saved themselves with the rest of the crew in tvo boats, barely finding time to secure a very small quantity of lemon-juice, but no water. The second boat, carrying these five nen and three others, among whom was the chief officer, was picked up by the Nevada on sth November, but the latter three had determined to proceed to Sharks Bay, to the north of CapeLeuwin, which had been agreed upon as their joint destination with Captain Bishop, whose boat contained eight others, but which, after having been separated from them on the second night afber departure, has not been heard of. The vessel burnt to the water's edge, the apprentice, through his inability to reach the deck, perishing in her." On the 22nd November they write : — JHo intelligence has reached us as yet regarding the rest of her crew."