ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 557, 6 March 1858, Page 4

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

Yesterday, Lloyd's Agent, T. D. Chapman, Esquire, and 11. B. Tonkin, Esquire, Warden of the Marine Board, were engaged during the day in taking evidence relative to the above disastrous affair. A most searching investigation is taking place, in consequence of certain inexplicable features connected with the wreck; and the Wardens of the Marine Board have been summoned for this day at 11 o'clock, to continue the enquiry. The following information, as gleaned from the evidence of Henry Murray, the chief mate of the Varna, may be relied on as authentic-—

The Varna, Captain Fleming, left Greenock on the 12th August, having a crew of 20, all told, and one passenger. On the 24th of November, one of the seamen, named Nicholas Robertson, fell from the foretop and was drowned. The captain had been suffering from a severe cold prior to this accident, and, gradually growing worse, died on the 3rd December, and was buried on the same day. From that time, the wind appeared to be continually veering from S.W. to N.W. No observation of the sun was taken after the captain was unable to come on deck. From the mate's statement we learn that, although he was sufficiently acquainted with a quadrant to be able to ascertain by it when it was twelve o'clock at noon, yet he. could not read off from the index of the quadrant the altitude of the sun, neither was he acquainted with the method of working any observation of the sun, or of ascertaining the latitude or longitude at sea; nor was there any one on hoard the vessel capable of ascertaining it after the death of Capt. Fleming. On the 10th of December, the mate boarded the Rodman, whaling ship, belonging to New Bedford, and obtained the latitude and longitude of her. On going back to the Varna he noted the latitude and longitude in the ship's log book, but

that, together with all her papers, was lost with the ship. When on board the Rodman lv mate states that he requested the captain t send one of his mates on board, telling him th *■ the captain was dead, and that neither he n any one on board could navigate the shin tv he refused to do; but gave Murray his cour,!? by which he steered. Subsequently on the S of December they spoke the Crystal Palace from Sydney to^Batavia, and passed within hViE distance; from her, also, they got the latit, ig and longitude, and promised the captain orp G port him at Melbourne. He told the CantJf" that Captain Fleming was dead-, ton^SS neither he nor any on board the Varna *^ navigators. She passed too rapidly there was no -code of signals oh S'- afi£shewed no flag or signal bf distress* S the same night they made land t+ 0a that the wind fell, and she fatted it £ m T d about one mile of the shorein SL W.l^ m gig, to discover, if possible, some sal W a,n's They subsequently g 6t the E % harbour. again, and sLd ok fiflfia ftiboufV\ ***' when the wind changed from N F X q w nules ' drizzling rain. He put the ship o ff?l'S Wlt£ kept that course till four in thpZ *-°«E.» a"d. 25th, when the land bore KEI uS&l of the miles. The breeze increased,"and » t» Ut l 0 got up, when he shortened sail The lJ y Bea tinued increasing and the vessel drifted D Xv on shore. Several were sent off in boats *3 thejmip after an attempt had been made to anchor her m yam. He then intended to run her on shore to save the lives of those on board but she struck before he could do so The re mamder of the crew were then landed, after an ineffectual attempt had been made to get to the cabin for the ship's papers. The following day he returned to,the ship, and found her full of water above the beams, and the cargo washing out of her fast. The weather was moderate but the whole of the fittings of the poop had been washed away. The men remained by the ship for three days, getting some bread from her, after which, seeing no chance of saving any portion of her cargo, they left in search of some harbour. They travelled by land for 14 days when they were overtaken by three of the crew who had returned to the wreck for the long boat. They proceeded along the coast, and reached Hobar^ Town on Thursday last. Two days before the long boat came up, four of the men,'who> were worn out, turned back to the ship, and have neither been seen or heard of since. Murray says he shipped at Greenock, as a competent officer; had been 14 years in the employ of the same owners, Messrs. John Kerr and Co., of Greenock. His last ship was the Trinidad, in the West India trade, of which ship he was the chief officer. The crew had been without provisions for five days previous to reaching Hobart Town, with the exception of shell and cray-fish, picked up on the beach. This is the pith of the statement made by the chief mate, who is a very illiterate man. The chronometers, the captain's watch, and.some money have been handed over to Lloyd's agent, with some very strange accounts as to how they were obtained from the ship; There seems to be considerable mystery about the whole affair; but it would be unjust to anticipate the result of the enquiry now instituted.

As it is probable that the men who turned back may be still alive, Lloyd's agent has called for a tender for a steamer J;o proceed to the wreck, to ascertain their-fate, as well as to see if any portion of the cargo can be saved. If they have succeeded in reaching the tents where the vessel was wrecked, they would find food. The owners of the Mimosa have offered to send her to the wreck for £500 for the trip, with an additional £30 per day for every day's detention after the arrival of the steamer at Point Hibbs, with the additional proviso that a" pilot be provided at the expense of Lloyd's agent. Hobart Town Mercury, Jan. 23.