LOSS OF THE "WITNESS."

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 281, 11 July 1855, Page 4

LOSS OF THE "WITNESS."

The following letter has been handed to us by James Kelham, Esq., Lloyd's accent, to be published for generalinfovmation. It is written by the master of the schooner- Witness, which was unfortunately wrecked in Palliser Bay, on the 29ih June, and gives a painfully interesting •account of the melancholy event: — Wairarapa, June 30th, 1855. Dear Sir, —This is to inform you of the loss of the brigantine Witness, on the morning of the 29th June, 1855. The circumstances of this awful event are as follows: — On Tuesday, the 26th day of June, we left Port Cooper, laden with a cargo of potatoes, onions and cheese, bound to Melbourne, Australia. We had a fine breeze from the south west the greater part of that day; night, light airs and clear; on Wednesday, light winds from the N.W.'quarter •at 5 30 p.m., Cape Campbell bore N. N..W., 12 miles distant; the wind hauling round to. the northward, tacked, and the wind freshening, single-reefed the topsail and mainsail, and stowed the top-gallant sail; at 8 p.m., fresh gules from the north ; double reefed the mainsail and topsail, and stowed the jib; at 10 p.m., blowing a complete gale, stowed the canvass, and hove the ship to under a double-reefed mainsail ; the ship head up, N.E. offE.IN.E., drifting2£miles per hour; at 6a.tn, moderate ; set the double-reefed topsail and fore-sail, main .stay-sail and jib : at 8 am., .calm, moonlight, air from the S.E. quarter with thick drizzling rain, the ship's -course N.N.W., and running, abdut.4 miles per hour; at 6 p.m., blowing n complete gale from S.S.W.; furled the fore-sail, jib and main stay-sail; at 8 p.m., hove the ship to; at 4 a.m., saw the land on the lee bow; set the main st-iy-sail and fore top-mast stay-sail and storm fore-sail; in less than five minutes the sails were blown into atoms in a heavy.squall.of wind ; we then set the double-reefed top-sail, but lite ship could not weather the point of land; we then wore ship and stood to the S.E., the ship being then embayed and in broken water at daylight; saw men on the hill swaying to the uotthward, wore ship; by this time the sea was breaking co-npletely orer her, and in five minutes time, the ship struck,'and in less than a quarter of an hour there was scarce a vestige of the ship or cargo to be seen ; there is some of the cargo now coining on shore about two miles from the wreck. How we saved our lives God in Heaven only knows, myself and five men being saved, and one boy nuined Robert Kendall, being dmwned ; his body hns not yet come ashore. I have nothing more to say at present, but remain, Your obedient servant, Thomas Kempthorne, » Master of the late Witness. Jas. Kelham, Lloyd's asreitt, Wellington. — Wellington Independent. [The Witness sailed for this port on the 28th June, witii a lair wind, having on board a full cargo of produce, shipped by Messrs. VVaitt, Hargreaves and Co., the wbole'cif which, wo believe, was fully insurer!. Mails for Enirlaiwhind tho neijrhlxiuriuti colonies, including many newspapers from this Province, were forwarded by this vessel. A portion of the contents of these )iiiiils hiive been washed ashore, and we understand that the authorities in Wellington have written to our postmaster, Mr. Howard, stating

that they will return to him all that may be recovered by the first opportunity. Fears are also entertained for the safety of the schooner Queen of the South, 100 tons, Ashmore, master, which left this port on the Bth ol June for Sydney, loaded with produce, like the Witness. But as the captain of this vessel is known to have had urgent business at Auckland, it is considered probable that he has run direct to that port instead of calling at Wellington.