Colonial.
LOSS OP A SCHOONER BY FIRE. OnThursda3 rafternoon,Septßth, considerable interest was excited in town by observing a strange boat, full of sailors rounding Evans's Bay Point, as it was generally thought to be a boat belonging to some vessel that had been wrecked on the coast. On the boat arriving- at Swinbourne's wharf, our worst fears were realized, as it was found to contain the master, mate, and crew of the schooner " Jane," which we regret to state, was totally destroyed by fire on Monday evening last, oft' Cape Palliser. The master and crew were unable to save anything but what they stood upright in. The master, Captain L'imont, is a very great loser, as besides his chronometer's charts, clothes, Sec, he lost 150 sovereigns that were in his cash box ; and the mate and seamen are left entirely destitute. The following particulars have been furnished us by a seaman on board :— Monday, September Ist, —Breeze from S. E.> steering up towards Gape Palliser; noon calm, Cape Palliser, distant abqvit 12 miles; at 4 p.m. shift of wind to IST. W., with all appearance of a
strong breeze, at 8 p.m. took in the first reef in the fore-top-sail, at 8 30 p.m. Peter Jones, souman at the helm, called out that the binnacle was on fire. The master and mate, (William Henrj Williams) were standing at the starboard main rigging at the time. They immediately looked in the binnacle, but it was all right, but the smoke was coming up out of the cabin. Master and mate on goiing^ down, found that the after hold was on fire. Called all hands to get water to put it out, unlocked the after hatch, and kept throwing buckets of water down. Every exertion was made on the part of the crew to extinguish the flames, but it was unavailing. Five minutes after the fire broke out, the cabin was ail in a blaze, so that it was impossible to go down against anything. There was no communication betwixt the after hold and any other part of the ship, but by the after "hatch, and it was always kept locked; when we found it was impossible to save the ship, we cut away the boat's lashing and launched the boat over the starboard gangway. We remained by the ship until the decks were giving way abaft, It was impossible to run the vessel on shore, for the wind was blowing off the land and was gradually increasing from the 2sT. W. By this time we were about 15 miles off the land, at about 9 15 p.m., we abandoned the vessel, and pulled for Cape Palliser, and after a hard night's pulling, we effected a landing there at day-light next morning", off Pharazyn's Station, Palliser Bay, landed and walked to Philip's station who conveyed us inhisboat to Wellington on Thursday afternoon.— Wellington Independent. Public Holiday.—Thursday having been appointed a general Holiday for the commemoration of Peace, the Bank and other public buildings were closed, as were also the stores in the town. The flagstaff at the Government House was dressed with flags of all nations, and other manifestations of a similar kind were made in honor of the occasion. At 12 o'clock the 65th regiment were paraded before Col. M'Clevertv. commanding the Southern District, and Col. Gold, commanding the regiment, and fired a feu de joie. The afternoon proved unfavourable, and the heavy showers- which| fell i must have interfered considerably with the amusements and enjoyment of the holiday. — Spectator. Patijjg the Stbeets. —Bit by bit we seem to progress in the European refinement of paved pathways. If such are estimated luxuries in the land of the west, how much desirable and acceptable should they be considered in a land of mud and dust; for the qimate of this part of Australia seems to be'fast approaching to that of countries situated between the tropics, and divided into two seasons, the hot and dry, and rainy or damp season. — Geelong Observer. Mebmaid, Bukyip, ok Seal. —We have heard a strange story of a person having very lately seen, in Portland swamp, what he himself declares to be a mermaid. The observer to whom we refer positively declares that, in a part of the swamp near the foot of Mr. Trangmar's paddock, and down among the reeds, he saw a living object, in shape half-woman, halffish, with long flowing hair, which (as we understand) said mermaid was engaged in smoothing, apparently as if combing her tresses. Some strange animal has, we cannot doubt.been seen there-abouts in the swamp, as we haveheard others declare to the feet also, but these have declared it was, or must have been, the famed Australian Bunyip. The most probable explanation that we have heard of this singular apparitionisthatitisasealjwhichhas.foiuiditsway up the creek to the swamp, and there sports itself among the reeds. — Portland Guardian.
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Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 406, 24 September 1856, Page 7
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815Colonial. Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 406, 24 September 1856, Page 7
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