INVERCARGILL.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 200, 29 March 1865, Page 2

INVERCARGILL.

We publish the following letter from our late Maori Point correspondent, as its contents may interest many parties. The letter, it will be perceived, is written from Invercargill:— Invercargill, March 23. Sir, —I beg to enclose you the following informatior : The ship Elizabeth Curie, which sailed from here crowded with passengers, narrowly escaped being dashed to pieces and every soul lost. Passengers who have returned to go in some other vessel describe the scene as something awful. It appears that she left Invercargill with many more passengers than she could accommodate; men and their wives and children having to sleep on deck. She got off pretty well as far as what is known as the South Cape, when a gale of wind caught her and drove her on towards Stewart's Island, when she got in amongst the breakers, and so near to rocks that, one of the passengers told us, that he could have jumped on to it, and yet they were about two miles from the main land. This deliverance from sudden death seems to be owing to a man named " Scottie" well known about Queenstown, but a stranger to me —who rushed to the helm, and by giving the ship a sudden turn, saved her from being dashed to pieces. "When the seas broke over her every berth was levelled, and at the first burst all were shook together in one mass on the floor of the hold. Two lives were lost, young Pennefather, who was storeman at Hallenstein's, being one of them, and Buller, the other. The former was swept off the deck, and with him what cash and drafts he had. He had his brother's wife (Mr Pennefather, of the Escort) with him, who has done nothing but cry ever since she lost her brother-in-law. She was offered a passage back to Invercargill, but, _ with the courage of a Douglas' wife, said she would go on, as she knew that her husband would be at the Okitiki before her. When the passengers knew that she had lost all her money they, true to the Wakatip propensities for generosity, made a subscription —some giving 10s and some ss; so that she is not likely to want among them. The cargo seems to be in good condition, because the hatches were closed at the time of the rush of waters. How the ship got out of her perilous situation I am unable to learn. Whilst I write Cobb's coach has come in loaded with passengers, and one of the most extraordinary escapes from a serious accident they had too; for just within a hundred yards from the office the tire of the hind wheel came off, when immediately the coachman drew up at the door. While the passengers were jumping out every spoke came out, and the coach pitched those out who were too tardy in their first efforts to jump. No one was injured, and the crowd which had gathered (about one hundred) were quickly enjoying the fun, and heartily shook hands with most of the passengers, with whom all were well acquainted. The crowd consisted of the Wakatip men who had booked for the Jane, a very fine schooner of 220 tons burthen, in which your humble servant sails for the West Coast this day.

Barrett's claim, Maori Point, is again taken up by a new party, who intend to work it under a better system.

Parties are reminded that Thursday is the last day upon which applications can be received for the agricultural areas on Frankton Flat. Had this announcement been given eighteen months ago what a splendid rush would have occurred • We should have been rejoicing, and not mourning. We should have seen a settled yeomanry, who—if any of them visited the West Coast or any other goldfield—would in all probability have returned to their homes in peace and joy. To-day we have no such feelings. The heart aches over a mockery, and the sale will not, we believe, do any good for us now. The following account of the fatal accident on board the Elizabeth Curie we extract from the Dunedin 'Daily Times.' We have also seen private letters, which state that the schooner carried, instead of about 40 passengers, nearly 150, that a grog-shanty was on board, that the decks were never free from blood through fighting, that the officers were frequently intoxicated, that several of the respectable portion of the passengers refused to sail with the vessel, in fact, the accounts represent the vessel to have been a floating hell:—"News has been received at Bluff Harbor of the loss of four lives during the passage of the schooner Elizabeth Curie, which vessel sailed some days ago from Invercargill to Okitiki with a large number of passengers. From a gentleman who was passenger by the Airedale from the Bluff, we learn that during a heavy gale the vessel was driven towards Smoky Cape, and throughout Saturday night she was buffetted about by the heavy sea which had got up, to the great discomfort of the passengers, who were in such numbers as to seriously overcrowd her. About 2 a.m. on Sunday she was rolling heavily, shipping much water, and, on account of the state of things under hatches, many of her passengers preferred remaining on deck. this time she gave one heavy lurch, after which some men were missed, ana, on examination afterwards, there were four who could not be found, two of them of the names of Pennefather and Buller. Afterwards, she got close amongst the breakers, and on trying to weather a large rock she slightly grazed; but she fortunately reached open water, and, after being hove-to for some hours, she made for Port William and anchored.