Swamping of the Cutter "Maori".

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 3, Issue 74, 23 October 1851, Page 3

Swamping of the Cutter "Maori".

On the morning of Tuesday the 17th instant, the government Ferry Boat, "Maori." was unfortunately upset, in a heavy squall, on her passage from Oiiebunga to Waitikn. There were 15 natives and 5 European passengers oil hoard at llie time of tliis disastrous "c<ident, the pat titulars of which may thus be biiefly stated. The Maori sailed from Onelmnga about A past 10 in the morning, and the wind being adverse she was under the necessity ot healing out; but as she carried the tide along with her, lit r progress was good, After rounding a point of laii'i, i-al'ed Cape Horn, (he wind increased, with sharp squalls, so that it was deemed advisable to take a reef in the mainsail nnd haul down the foresail. The latter, however, was speed i!y hciUed up aga n. At this -time the ebb tide bad ii'inost ceased, and the cutter hail nearly cleared the main channel. A few minutes more and she wou'd have rounded the saw'spit in the Manakau ; but. just ai khe was tacking in the_ midst of a 'heavy squall, she lay over bodjlv and immediately filled, although she did not nt once go down. Mr. riers Geale and Mr. Wil'iam Cooper, who were siting in the after pait of the vcs-el, climbed up on tie weather side ; and in a minute more Mr. Cooper found himself struggling in the water. He contrived, notwithstanding to regain the cutter, and there foiled Mr. Geale, evidently in a very weak state, together with Mr D>.nne;a man named William Kew; and the naive passengers. At this time Captaii Smale, the commander of the •' Maori,'' was seen by ftlr.Cooper to beswimu ing, abotithalf wai between the vessel and the saudspit. The 'natives reached the land ; but the unfortunate Captain, em-umbered as lie was by his sea boot-, and heavy clothing, pen'shed. Mr. Donne urged Mr. Cooper, as his only chance of life, to nmke for the shore, and immediately sprang into the water. He never readied the s.ind-pit Mr. Cooper, having divested himself of all his clothing, except his shirt and cap, readied the simdspit together with Kew. On the saudspit. Mr. Cooper found a native who intended going inlo the interior along with Mr. Geale. This man desired Mr. Cooper to bid Mr. Gi a'e swim for the shore and to teU him that he would push oil' to his assista-.ce. Mr. Gea'e did as he was requested, and the native made every i xcrtion t • rescue him ; but before he coii'd accomplish it, Mr. Geale was dead and the native was obliged to quit the body in order that he might save himself. The survivors were then compelled to use all po.-sib'c despatch lett the tide should flow and cut them oil'from the main land. Eventually, with tunning, wading, and swimming, they succeeded in r>aching the settlement of Mangere, where they were most kindly received by the natives, who supplied them with clothes, food, and a pas age in n canoe to Onelmnga. Every -~ elfort has since been made to recover the of the sufferers, but, we regret to say, without success. There has never, perhaps, been •> year in which the humane, the generous, and been the manly character of the New Zealanders has been more honou.ably distinguished than the present 1851. Shipwrecks and disasters on the coast have been numerous j anil, upon every occasion native sympathy in beliinf of stiU'eiing humanity has been preeminently conspicuous. It is most gratifying to the lover 3 of the native race to be able to

record sii-ii praiseworthy conduct ; and it is doubly gratifying to find it not only eliciting tin; commendation of all classes, but receiving the just ati<l sulistantinl reward of LI is Excellency the Lieutenant Governor- In the hist "Government Gazette" we frul the sun) of Seven pounds e'ev n hillings awarded to Te Kuwait and Karipa for their gallantry. S ich conduct as theirs is '>• -y.ii.il a'.l praise. Since the foregoing was in print, we have learnt that the body of Air. Geaie has licet; discovered hy u native ; it was found hy the White Blufil (ahoat a mile below Onelmnga) and Cipe ll'-rn. It was very little disligured, and was interred in the Church tnrdof Onehung.i on Tuesday last, the funeral ser>ice being pyi formed' hy Mr. I'uruhas; Major Kenny, Cn: t. Symoiuis, Mr. Sherifl' Berry and nb"iit a dozen of the most respect dde colonists ntteudi'ig the corpse to its linal resting p'ace.