DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE AT THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 266, 17 May 1865, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE AT THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

WRECK OF THE BARQUES JULIA COBB AND AL3TEH. —-LOSS OF TWELVE LIVES. The arrival, yesterday, of Hie brig Lnlla Rookh, from tlio South Sea Inlands, brings intelligence of a most destructive hurricane that swept over the islands on the 28th January, doing great damage both to life and property. We hive been favored fay Captain Hamilton, of the Lalla Rookh, with the following particulars : The Hamburg barque Alsfer, Captain Hansen, was totally lost at -Tr moorings, in Apia harbor, during a dreadful hurricane that swept over the Navigator Group on Saturday the 28th January last. The sea got up so suddenly and so high that no volunteers could be got off to the vessel’s assistance, although large sums were offered. She is supposed to have struck the reef h tween 9 and 10 o’clock at night but it was so dark, and blow ing so hard, that she was neither seen nor heard from the shore. In the morning there was no part of her visible, and, melancholy to relate, the captain and all hands perished. There were thn teen souls on board.

The ship Vernon, of Sydney, was lying in Apia harbor, dismasted, when the Lslla Rookh left, having experienced the same hurricane that swept over Samoa on the 28th January, being then about 700 miles to the N.W. of Apia, and having got up an excellent jury rig, reached the port on the 14th February.

The. .American. barque Julia Cobb,, from San Francisco to Adelaide, with lumber, was lost on Palmerston's Island on the 251 h November—all hands saved. After remaining some time on the. island the mate Mr. U'Afillan, and three hands left in an open boat to seek for assistance at the Aitutaki, but could not fetch it; they then bore away for the Navigators, and reached Apia in safety on the 27th January, just one day before the tlie captain and rest of the crew have been taken off Palmerston’s Island by the schooner Amue Laurie, of Tahiti.

During the hurricane of the 28th January .the ■Lalla Rookh waa on her way to deliver the mis sion freight at the Hervey Group. On the 27th, in latitude 20'§9 S., longitude 159't5 W., she experienced a heavy gale, which continued without intermission'for sixteen hours—barometer 29 00 On the 3rd February, between the islands of Mangia and Rorptonga, experienced a hurricane with fearful sea, wind commencing at X.K., with thick cloudy weather and heavy rain. At 10 p.m. shove-to under,colse-reefed maintopsail, laboring very heavily and shipping a deal of water; wind S E. to S-W,; midnight blowing with great, fury and costant ram—barameter 29'10, thermometer BU-0J ; , daylight, the same ; noon more nroderte, and_ sea gradually decreasing: .Febat the, islands Ater and ML terra, whirs ws-fdntW -‘tlfHhe houses and

churches without exception blown down; also most of the cocoa nut, breadfruit,' and banana tree?. 'The natives wors-iu great distress for want of food 'i hr Lalls RooVh-brings the chief oScer and fifteen meu belonging to the ship Netnon, the chief officer and throe men of the barque iTulia Cobb, one distressed British seaman said one native of the South-Scas. . . fhe Lalla Rookh left Apia, Navigators’ Islands, on the 15th ultimo. Experienced light winds most of the way. Sighted the Viscount, of Lorn don, on the 25th ultimo, in latitude 2252 S., lon* gitude 176‘13 E., supposed to be from New Zealand, steering for Torres Straits.— Empire.