THE WRECK OF THE MARIA WITH THE NEW GUINEA EXPEDITION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1310, 27 April 1872, Page 2

THE WRECK OF THE MARIA WITH THE NEW GUINEA EXPEDITION.

(atjstraiasiaw.)} The story of the loss of the Mana -with? the New Guinea Expedition reads likethe record of a disaster in the-early days of maritime adventure; The whole of tke arrangements at the outset seem, tohave been of the most haphazard primitive and except in the possession of six-barrelled revolvers,, it does not appear that ihe expedition had any advantage of equipment; or scientific: direction over one of two centuries ago.. In a gale that they encountered,,the old: ship sprang a leak and the water "was not dropping, but running" into thevessel.. It wa& determined, to run forshore, and the frequent display o£' "'corpse lights " at the mast-head added to the depression of spirits and. boded; feeling of evil at handl They got entangled in the reef with breakers all around,, run helplessly on. a rock, andi the vessel began to break up. The mate,, while constructing s-orae frail rafts, was "crazy with excitement,!' and soon afterwards the captain with- six- men* took away the only good lw>at they had,, leaving the rest to their fate. One or. two members seem to?have acted witlis all the courage and calm, intrepidity im which Englismen have in times of peril never been found wanting,, and: the se* cond mate, Mr C. F. Andrew, perished: while aiding, with his last efforts to facilitate the escape of his companions. Even at this moment of crisis the occasion was nob destitute of elements ot q,uaint grim-humor. A discussion, aroseabout tlie disposal of the liquor on* board, and one of the men proposed to* his mate that they should take "a big, drink for the last," to which the other answered, with the strangely expressedscruple,, "No;, no it won't do to go to» hell drunk," herein differing from the sailois at the shipwreck, in. " Dwiu Juan,," who Ere they sunk,. Thought it would bebecomihg di^ink. In terrible contrast with, this incident.. is the picture drawn by the simple description of the sinking, of the ship with* those that were upon it. "'•There-was; no outcry, only a slight wail from thosewho were-suddenly submerged-." Then the subsequent wild vicissitudes of the survivors, their miserable privations,, their struggling for days through the bush, suffering hunger, thirst, fatigue,, and constantly harassed by the savageattacks of the murderous blacks, while their companions left on the rafts were falling victims to the weather and thesea, and many were floating dead around the few timbers they had hastily bound together—it all sounds as terriblea romance as that given by Kingsley in "Westward Ho!" Who is to blame for all this ? what degree of recklessnesswas shown in the navigation of the ship? and what amount of official neglect was involved in allowing. a< vessel of such a character to sail away on such a journal with 70 or 80 men,, who by an evasive fiction were enrolled as seamen, but were quite unacquainted with the working of a ship ?—these are questions which may bo the subject of authoritative inquiry. In the meantime, we have to regret the loss of 30 or 40 brave enterprising men, who perished in the attempt to push the outposts of civilization into a region hitherto beyond its influence, and to carry on further the work of exploration and settlement in which Englishmen have for the last three centuries been engaged in every quarter of the globe.

We extract the following story from Uie " Life of the Rev. W. Harness":— "When T. Hook was travelling along the south coast, he arrived in the course of his journey at Dover, and alighting, at the Bliip Hotel changed his boots, ordered a slight dinner, and went out for a stroll through the town. Returning at the appointed time he was surprised to find the whole establishment in confusion. A crowd had collected outside the door— the master of the house was standing at the foot of the stairs with two candles in his hands,, and on Theodore's entrance, he walked backwards before him, and conducted. him into the principal saloon, wheie all the waiters were standing, and a magnificent repast had been provided. The wit was much amused at the dignity to<

which lie had been promoted; but bein£ an easy-going fellow, made no scruples, and sitting down, did full justice to what was set before him. Next day he signified his intention of departing, and ordered a coach ; when, to his astonishment, a carriage and-four drove up to convey him to his destina tion. He inquired, with some apprehension, what he was to pay for all this grandeur, and was no less astonished on receiving the'answer, 'Nothing whatever, your Royal Highness.' He was never more thoroughly mystified ; but the next night, on taking off his boots, which he had bought ready made just before he went to Dover, he found «H.S.H. the Prince of Orange ' written inside them. They had originally been made for the Prince, who was then in England, suing for the hand of the Princess Charlotte, and notice had been given that all his expenses while in the country should be set down to the charge of the Government." o