A TERRIBLE VOYAGE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1449, 8 October 1872, Page 2

A TERRIBLE VOYAGE.

(From the Otago Daily Times, 6thSe.pt.) The following is an extract from a letter of a lady passenger from Dunedin to London, by the ship City of Dunedin, which left Port Chalmers on the of April last, and arrived at London on the 9th July : You will be .surprised to see my letter commenced at so late a date, but when you hear all I have to tell I think you will be almost more surprised thai we are left to tell the tale. We had very stormy rough weather after leaving Dunedin; everthing was very wretched—a head wind, and we were shipping water more or less. We were in continual fear and dread for three weeks before coming to the Horn. The Ist of May (Wednesday) I shall never forget as long as I live. T remember the lasi di'.y of April was remarkable for its sudden quietness. We were glad of a day's for up to that time we had been knocked about like shuttle cocks, and were black and blue all over. The Captain did not like the day On the next day, I heard the wind rist- at about four o'clock in the morniug, whistling and shrieking through the rinsing, and it was with great difficulty 3D O' *-> we got dressed. The wind continued to increase, and at dinner time the table could not be laid. A little dinner was, however, handed to us in our cabins. During the afternoon we had a sea or two in, but not very much The wind had moderated a little, and Ihe table was laid for tea. AU at once the ship gave a tremendous lurch, and seemed as though she were going right over. 1 clung to the side of the berth till the weather side of the ship seemed to form the ceiling, till I was dashed down with great violence to the other side. So long did she lie over that I thought she was not going to right herself again. The sea theu broke over her, clashing in the skylights, putting out all the lights, and Hooding the sa loon, I can leave you to imagine our alarm; eveiy one was pale with terror. Of course the tea was not thought of. From that time the storm got woise and worse. About 1.0 o'clock Mr L's cabin was carried away, together with the companion ladder on the staiboaul side. By this time we were most of us in Mrs C.'s stern cabin. The wind had risen to a furious gale, and there was a

frightful sea on. Wave after wave kept dashing over the ship, and a little later on, to crown this night of horrors, the whole of the front of the poop was diiven in. Oh, what a dreadful scene J Wave after wave, crash after crash of timber and glass. The sideboard was shivered into a thousand pieces, the saloon table caught up and sat on its end, and then dashed into little *plin ters. After this there was no impediment, to the whole body ot water. Three cabins on the starboard side were gutted—ours being the last of the three; the whole oi the cabins being entirely swept away, leaving nothing but one door standing. By this time we wore sitting knee deep in water in Mrs C.'s cabin, the body of water literally form iug 'in end to the poop. The agony oi that night I cannot describe; we all expected to go clown. Tiie captain and mate came down as often as they could, to reasMite us, and tell us there was no danger, but their faces belied their a* surances. There, with the storm raging overhead, thud after thud, as if the sides of the ship would be stove in; then immense bodies of water tilling the saloon every five minutes. Tt was not until thet;e began to drain out a little that we knew were not tilling for the last time. We indeed all looked death in the face that night. Each one had said the last prayer, and had prepared to meet their Maker. Every now and then an attempt was made to nail u sail across the poop end, but be-

for<3 this could be half completed, another sea would come and tear all away again like so much rag. About five in the morning the wind abated somewhat,. the ship still i oiling fearfully, and shipping sen after sea. The steward brought us in a Utile brandy and water. We* were all thoroughly exhausted. The whole of that day we sat in water. Nobody Gould pass in or out of the cabin, with the debris. Trunks and clothing were dashing from side to side in the water. As soon as I could, 1 asked about a small tin box containing my money and jewellery. I did not know then that our cabins had been carried away. I was told then that there was. not a thing and everything swept right away. As I could. see some boxes dashing about in the saloon, I thought it possible that mine might be amongst them ; but as aU hands were engaged on deck, nothing was done 1 awards clearing the saloon.. During the day the box was brought to. rao —the padlock broken, and everything was washed out, except two print dresses. Although I had scarcely a hope of ever again seeing the bag in. which, you will remember, 1 had put the money and jewellery, I described it to the mate, so that when the debris was cleared away, it- might possibly be dis* covered. As night came on. the scenewas fearful. The ship lay over so* much that the rail of the poop was in the water. Two men were placed at. the wheel, hVst one, and then the other,, being constantly washed away. The captain and mate could not stand, they were dashed dawn continually. Themen at the pumps were washed about the main deck like coiks. Bulwarks were torn aw ay, hencoops gone half the live stock drowned, the second mateill, washed out of his berths the second class and sti erage passengers taken into, the forecastle. The captain told us hehad no control over the ship, and hehad just to let her drive before the wind. Almost every time the ship, was in the trough of the sea, a mass of water would just sweep over the ship from stem to forecastle. The baromeier was below 2.8. The next day the sea gradully went down. Wewere driven by the storm into latitude. 58 30. And nov the passengers began, to realise their great losses. Mr L.'s, Mrs U.'s, and our cabins were washed away, so that we had lost except Mi L,, who had saved a box early in the storm. Nearly all his., clothes were picked up before the end of the pooj) was drh en m. .Fortunately he is insured. In the evening the bag containing my money and jewellery was actually found amongst the ruins; The jewel oases were a mass of pulp, co'.hat I had simply to peel them off and throw them away. 1 cannot say how 7 thankful I w r as, for I should have landed without a fraction. I cannafc give you a list of what I lost; it is too long; but I can tell you all J saved. The tin boxes were picked up with everything washed out of theni excepting a few underclothes at the bottom of one, and two muslin dresses at the bottom of the other. A pretty prospect, and but three weeks of the passage over ! The following fortnight was perfectly wretched—not a dry article of any kind to put on, thick fogs, all day, and constant calms. Bible picked up in the sheep pen. On the 10th, got back to our new cabin, anl a wretched place it was— two berthstemporarily fitted up of dirty old bits of wood, the floor and sides all oozing out salt water. Haifa matti'ess kindly lent by Mrs C, in a wet berth, with a. borrowed blanket, which whs not a quarter enough to keep me warm those dreadful nights. Not a toilet requisite, not an article of any kind indeed hail we; clothes strung up in the rigging nothing drying and no dry clothes toput on ; not able to get on deck at all, ihoioiighly chilled, feet wei and cold, chilblains on hands and feet, cabin wet, walls running down with talt water, saloon like an old battered outhouse, and as cold and as damp as a well, and becalmed all day. This was repeated without change for more than a a fortnight. Worn out with fear and want of fdeep— nothing can describetW miseries of the voyage. On the 21sfy, entered the tropic o , and then we began to breathe, and if I'd had only a & vv ' decent clothes I should not have felt so bad. Subsequently, we were nearly nm into by a steamer, and had *

dreadful thunderstorm on the const of England. Particulars of these I vill reserve till I see you. I must add that the City of Dunedin is a very good ship, and her sea-going qualities seem not to be the least impaired. We had an excellent table all the way notwithstanding the loss of so muck of our live stock.