WRECK OF THE WHALE SHIP HORN.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 117, 16 June 1853, Page 2

WRECK OF THE WHALE SHIP HORN.

It is our unpleasant duty to record the total loss of the ship Horn, which, for the last 69 years, has been employed from Dundee in pursuit of the greenland whale fishery. The Horn ean.uhl her lasl lish <ai Ihe'mh orOflolter, It'll Iho ire on the K'.lh, pastil ihroiruh lite tl'eiillaml l'irli) on the Isliuslanl, a'utl was sirantlftl in £l. Amlrew's Itav hetween 10 ami II o'elot'k on I'ri.lay se'nniuhl. "n I'ritlav evenin.u iho eaplain stippo'setl dial he was mar die nntiilh ol'ihe river, lie kepi sonn !ia.; ilarinj; the wlniheveiinu, ami, compaviiU'. Hi • depthsolitainetl with ;i'l ilnwii in the eharl. eonehi'le.l dial he was al least lour or live miles oil' the laml. In almnl h\e nriiiiilo;, however, alter liiiilin.u I'i lalhoms. die vessel slrmk the rorks'l'or.vaiil, anil swuni; n>'.ui:l. All on Itnaiil were, of eoiinf, lilletl with ama/e----tueat, espe.-ia!!v ie; na one know oa v.hal parlieiilar pari of da- f<.:"l Iho vc.-.-el was :lraii:le<l. an I as die ni;,!ii v.as Mttlark thai li.i nlijee: hi'.-on,! the h r.:;ll< "f die slop was \isii,te cm -'pi ih.- vhite i'o..in of die eurliiy v,a\<-. i '.■••' I" a\'. sea deal was rollin;; in. .!.!•:, .I v.il'ii t. arl'iil \io!!-m'e o\er the ship, ~.,.| ,:,:,..!,• |i r eii-akaii'l cnin.-li in a manner • |, ,•:■■.•;•.-■!(■! lii .i.iul (';• ; i'iielitui. AH on ; . I . i!, ; ,ii. ! in a :ia:e of die mosl alaii.'i- ;;, . ; i..,eiee '.'"!• :ipwa:-.!s of thiee li.-urs, . .' 1..:. 'v.!:ii'-ii time lie-i!.:rki:e.ss was s.i iiu- :• i.i ti'ahle ll'lll !!■ • --••- 'l «" VinslMhle, Wiiile ~. li,\e 1..!.e!l lo die l-oals wo'.ilil, ill rueh ii -.-. Ip.tv,. Peen certain tlealh. I'oiluualely ■!,,.'•: • v.:-.. i-fi-tlm:: wli-.-a the ship slriiek, . i, , ,1, . ,u; • ;;i Hit' was dial the eli'ft'l of i'.ii '•'.-•.,■■. on 'l!:e unhii lunate ship sli;Jilly !!i!iiii:--lse.i. Tin! eaplain hal ;;iven iiislruetinii. to his men lil'iy in numlier—lo ;;e| :.!! iii. li lollies mi li'tk, in onler lo laml as i .-. i i.-,i. Ai ahoiil -1 o'clock die heavy rain v.Uiih Ir.-.'l Kiutiiiiutl lo fall incessantly from !•' iil;.-> afteriieo:.. eoiisiilerahlv tihaletl, ami lantl lictame visible on llie slaihoartl side, M.il it was tliseovered thai (ho vessel had lrttck on Iho Soulli shore ol'Sl. Amlrew'.s Pay. She had swim" round immediately on •ir'ikiuu, so thai her how lay in a norlh-easl-erly iliVeclion. One of iho seamen, a lirstralt! swimmer, possessed of a very darin.u spirit, and »realslren.ulh, iiuinetlialely volunteered lo swim lo Hit! sliore vvillt a line, ami efi'eel a eommunicalitiu with iho shore, for die resi'tte or the rest on hoard. In Ihis In—tr.'piilcnlorprisehosuirreileil, Iml llmsi; who have seen die coast eaniiol iindersland why l,e was not lorn lo pifffs aninni; the painted rocks dial look like so many spires, iwo or Ihrec. feel apart. On lauiliu;u. he. hauled ashoro a hawser dial had heed allached lo Iho lino with which he 101 l Iho ship, and made it fast round one of die large Mumps or rocks. The end of die hawser on hoard was llun made lasl to iho lop of one of Iho ship's masts, so thai il had a eonsideralile incline lo the shore, and was hiuh old of the water. An apparatus depemlint; from the hawser, tihmu vihlch il was drawn lirlwcon the ship and the short! liy ropes, was then eonstrucleil for die removal of Iho crow ami llieir elVecls. The surgeon was die first put on shore hv this means, in order that ho iiii!,'hl proceed instantly lo Duiidec with Iho iiilelli:;eiice to die owners, liy (i o'clock even mm of die crew, with their ei'ecls oxoepfmu the eaplain anil lv.o men, were landed. The ship!till held together. \«i pni'iiiui of her had ivl-en way. Caplain leuivork ilteiilel'lllieship.lml wheiialitiul half ■ ..•'.a iit)i-e; the sea, ;;; llie ti'le h.nl lie:;ini lo ni'i'kejmve the ship tie.!' .r shore ami slackened die ha,\.•:■!• d'v wliich i t.nmiiimcaf.on ■ias mainlaiiiedi, so thai every wave as it ■ rolled its hug'' la-ia-.l lo die rhore, overv "iclilicil Iho canh'iii ami llirealeiied Ins ie.laul death. I'iis periioas silualioii was • •:■;• :!y increased Itv die I'po hv which lie V,.|.. h''ii"J i!i :::!;;>• i to the s'ltote havili;; hrnl.eii. a:i ' he i'is lel'l vitlii-ulauy apptireut rei'.i'edv. 'l'w.i i.!' lii ■ hrai.-di. arletl men, liii'' e-.ei. who l;:i I re.ielie.! ||,e shore, inillie- !';■.: ;, ~., |,e i into lln- ;■ a lo his resriie. J.', i ",,. . • • ■..: e!re. I", liie ha.'.ser which ■■ .'. ~,.'.:;nv, la-' 'i.i >l'i--ve. s\li reeled ill ...... ■ ■ i.i-, ii ■■ ;.. ciie. ■l'Mpi.'iuantl hriirjug liiiii a>it'ii-t'. v.l.eii il • as tii-ctr.crcil dial he liel liocii £(;\erelv lacerated liy die rocks, among which lie had loon dashed l>y die

waves. Tliir hawser could not now be j liidilriied, iinil Ihe Iwo men were slill on j board. The onlv prospect of sal'cly was in 1.-iKiii!,' lo one oflhi! )io:ils stud pulliuLt out Id !i;'i; lull Ihe danger was in ui'lliiis; ihe |io:it lo li-dil lair in the water, so that ;he iniulil tint he swamped. Choosing the lioal iin'llie slarboarrd (punier, which was nexl tin; shore, iind HiiTi-hy shrlioivd IVoin ihe hi-avv sea rolling in, llii-y bolh entered, look llieir"l;nivrs, and by a miiUial signal, nil tin* lacUcs at ilio sanie. instant, and the boat ilro; pcd straight iulo the walcr. The danger was over—lhcy pulled oil'lhe shore, in I which Ihcv Jwrrc g'rrally aided liy the wind, which liii f now veered round lo a somberly 1 dirrrlion. A M'hoo-.icr pooh hove in sight, and look Ihcin in low tinlil opposite Ilnar-Idll-rrirli, id ihe enlraiirc to whirli a largo crowd of people «ver<- assembled, liy whoe si-nals Ihev Ibrliiiialoly siii-ccdi-.l in pulling the lioal saVelv to land. Thus every lilt! was saved, where at lirsl even lo hope seemed in vain. Alter bring ivlVr-hnl al Mr. Simpson's, a iieighlitiiu-ini? larnier, lo whom the highest priii.M- is dm- for his siin-iilioiis, many nl' Hie stilleieis sialic 1 home. Severed sins incidi-nls niviinrd with lie seam n. nolwilhslaiming their piriloii■; sanation. The Horn had lotiflti-d at Ihe Orl.nrvs. when- some I'owis and sheep were lalien im hoard, and llit-se Ills' seamen wi.nhl not leave on hoard lo perish. One brought along with him a sheep and a hen. Oil his wav'home he got overcome wilh sleep, and was liniiid king al ihe road side, wilh Ihe two animals" lied lo his vvrisl liy a piece of lopr-vurn. Another m-i-iiitil :i rock, and o:her" Iwo a fnvnui ill! ral each. .S'neli instances ol'goodness in Ihe rough hiraslnfa Cm nlaiiil* sailor, wilh ilealh slating him in llie I'aee, deserve 10 he recorded. i in Ihe course ol' Saliirday Ihe main and inizon masls weal over hoard, and helwecn S:ilm-il:iv nielli iimlSiunhiy morning Ihe lore- • topmast".-mil lop-gallanl-masls iilso went over the side, and Ihe stern IVame was washed onl, hv wliicli it issiipposed a porlion ol' Iter carj-.o 'has heen washed away. <>n Saliirday, the managing owners went down, iinmedialelv on rrreving Ihe inleHigoiice, with Ihn steamer Hercules, bill could nol appioah Ihe wrecli, and on Sundav, thesamesleamer, wilh a lighter, again went down, bill slill nolhing'coiild be done on accoiuil of the heavy : sea. The ship lies on a small inf. called llarbcrluess, between Kiiigbarns and lloaihills, ami about.sK miles soiuh of St. Andrews. , The cargo, none ol which was insured, is valued al about ■..'i.0011, and il is expecled Ihal, should Ihe wealher be moderate, a porlion of il may be .saved. The ship was insured le Ihe cMenl ol' ahoul 1 -1,11110. The Horn was built in Sunderland in 17.55 - Dilutive AitrerlifiT. '