MELEANCHOLY SHIPWRECK.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 4, Issue 65, 19 June 1851, Page 2

MELEANCHOLY SHIPWRECK.

We grieve that we should be under the necessity of recording the melaneholy less of the French National Corvette "L' Alemene," of 32 guns, commanded by Mods, lu CTohij:to d'Hanouit. Tliu tiijiistui-, as fai - as we have vol been iilu'c to loam, occurred on the \Ve=t Coast at Ilipiro, near Alaiingautii, uliout mi '.way between the heads of Kn'par.i and The. ship, it would appear, wns on her passage from Hob .it Town to Hokianga, and during thica days hail been becalmed at u distance of thirty or forty miles from tlie land, towards which she continued t.> drift, when she was caught by the heavy gale of Iho 4th i:.st., By tnis time she lia.l become completely embiiyo.l and found herself totally tillable to reach olf the lee shore Inwards which she was so unhappi'y driving. Having become entangled with thehivak crs, and lio hope of ;-;iv tin' sliii> pre senting it-elf, she was steered for the beach and took tin- ground providentially at the very top 01 high water, and at j the foitnnalo hour ol' nine o'clock in I the morning. Wo cannot tell whether I sonic of (lie ere.v endeavoured to swim on slioio, or whether any boats were latiltehed for the purpose of reaching it; —one way or oilier twelve iin-n were drowned and twelve more "ore sorely -wounded. Had these ill stanvil soami-n hut patiently waited for the fall of the tide, in a I probability 110 life would haw boon lost. When the tide ebbed, the ship fell over oil her bi go, and tlx decks parting, she sepanito.il in pieces, whirl) remain 011gulplii/d in the sand. This, although it enabled the ship's company (including a llotart Town lady, the wife "I one of the officers, and grand daughter of ('o 1 . Davey, at one time Governor of Van Diemen's i.aiid) t'i re.ieli the shore in sal'etv, caused the total less ofali th> ir eli'cui3. Tliey were thrown npo:: a sliange const along which t.iey wiindi tvd, until they happily encountered the tribe of i\<ra iapa l>y whom and their ■ liicl Matin, they were a", once coniucteil to the viila.o of Okaro whore all that kindness and the most 'jeneious hospitality could olVect to all.jvialo their di-tiess was ungrudgingly i ciuiere l. It nlfonls us nns|ieakalile pleasure to he again able to record suclt lioli'.o conduct of our native friends f> shipwrecked mariners, au I we do s > with a liliiional su'isfacti->ll tip >ii tho present oci asion, beau.se, the people to whi-m they have manifested stteii generous friendship being ihii citizens ol'a groat and powerful fou'ig'i

state, this evidence of native iiunianity and liberality will be hoii"urably spread throiigliout tlie world ; and mankind will point "with exulting approval as they exclaim, " ami this ia the conduct, (of reiterated occurrence) among people we lia>e been in tlie habit of regarding as barbarians I" We rejoice to learn that this noble coilduct lias not escaped the ii"tio • of our worthy Lieutenant-Governor, who lias promptly awarded the sum of Ten pounds to the chief Matiu, whose nephew accompanied some ol the French Officers to Auckland to communicate their tuneslivery means are being taken by His fixthe I.ieut.-Governor, the Ollicers oY tlie OSth Regiment, and of II.M« !>liip "Fly.'' to mitigate the sufferings of the shipwrecked creiv. Lieut. Ualnca'is, Dr. Thomson and Mr. Luke, liavu departed to tlio head of the Waitcuiata, with every description of neressiry clothing and stores, which will be forwarded, by means of a party of natives, (o the West Oast, so that the suft'erers may be brought on to Auckland with the least possible delay. In Auckland, every preparation is making for their reception ; Mrs. Wynyard having, meanwhile, kindly transmitted a variety of clothing for the poor lady's use. The large stone Building in the Albert Barracks lias been vacated for the accommoilaiion of the crew. The petty oliicers are to mess with llie Serjeants—anil tlie superior oflicers are to dwell with the oflicers of the gallant oSlli ; t< -r it is ever the pride of one biii'O spiiit to soothe ami sympathize with the sufferings of another. We rejoice that our native brethren have approved themselves neither insensible nor forgetful of that social and sacred inax'm.