WRECK OF THE BARQUE VARNA NEAR POINT HIBBS.
Statement made at the " Sailors' Home," this
21st January, 1858, by the mate and crew of the barque Varna, of Greenock, bound to Melbourne, with a general cargo, and one passenger, Hugh Matthew.
" That on the 12th August, 1857, the Varna, 550 tons register, left Greenock, bound to the above port. On the 20th November, lost a boy, by falling from the fore-top, and on the 3rd December, 1857, the master, Captain Duncan Fleming, of Greenock, died after ten days' sickness, with swelling of the body, in consequence of a violent cold. The ship was then between the island of St. Paul's and Cape Leu win; fell in with the American ship Rodman, whaler, of New Bedford, United States of America, on the 19th December last, and on the 22nd December spoke the ship Crystal Palace, from Sydney, bound for Batavia, when about three miles off Point Hibbs, on the north-west coast of Van Diemen's' Land. On - the 24th December, at about 4 o'clock a.m., a violent gale, with heavy rain and thick weather, sprung up from the south-west, and continued with unabated violence until about 10 a.m., when the vessel became altogether unmanageable, all efforts" to stay or wear the ship being without avail. For the safety of all lives on board (being 19) it was thought most advisable to run her into the clearest part of the coast we could find, as she was going fast to leeward, with a heavy sea run-. ning. We remained on the beach, by the vessel, for four days, thinking that some part of her cargo might he saved, and used every effort to do so, but without success, as the gale continued. On the fifth morning after she struck, we all left in company, having very little provisions with us, with the intention of travelling until we should find some habitation. We continued travelling along the rocky beach for three days, when the second mate, carpenter, and four-of ..the seamen agreed to run back again to the wreck, in order to procure a boat. On arrival at the wreck, after two and a half days' journey back, from stress of weather they were unable to procure a boat from the vessel until six days after arrival at the wreck, when they succeeded in getting the ship's long boat, with a sail and oars; they proceeded along the coast for three days more in the boat, when they overtook nine of their companions, four of them' having turned'back to the vessel. After fourteen days travelling, they all got into the long boat, and continued along the.coast as far as the S.W. Cape, where they fell in, on the morning of the 25th, with two fishermen, belonging to Hobart Town, who piloted them to this port, giving them three loaves of bread, they having lived upon one biscuit a-day for the last ten days. The long-boat is now in this port, and the chief-mate, second-mate, and crew are at the "Sailor's Home," Campbell Street. The crew arrived last evening at about 9 o'clock, and Avhose names are as follows:—Henry Murray, chief-officer; Thomas M'Fadgen, second-officer; John M'Farlane, carpenter; Hugh Matthew, passenger; William Wilson, seaman; James Piper, seaman; Peter Prudence, seaman; John Rankin, seaman; John Brown, seaman; Thomas Lowe, seaman; John Stewart, seaman; Archibald M'Lean, seaman; Edward Jones, seaman; John Smith, seaman; Francis Keggins, seaman. — Ta&manian Daily News, Jan. 22.
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Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 557, 6 March 1858, Page 4
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573WRECK OF THE BARQUE VARNA NEAR POINT HIBBS. Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 557, 6 March 1858, Page 4
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