THE WRECK OF THE STRATHMORE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 166, 5 July 1876, Page 4

THE WRECK OF THE STRATHMORE.

In the course of an article on this subject, the Saturday Bevieio of the Ist April says : — "In 1766 Captain Cook sailed upon -bis last voyage, and, after making the Cape of Good Hope, be steered southeast; and thus, as we are told, he arrived at some islands which had been discovered by the French four years earlier. These, no doubt, were (he Crozet Islands, and Captain Cook at the same time gave tbe name of Prince 'Edward, afterwards Duke of Kent, and father of the Queen, to an island which he discovered to the weflfc of the Crozet lalandai One of title objects of Cook's voyages was to introduce English animals and plants in tbe regioos which he visited , and we are told that, in his last voyage, be bad two horses with him, which were landed and ridden by him and another officer in the island of Otaheite. In this, as in other respects, he was a type of his class ; for sailors, as we know, will always get on horseback if they can, and an admiral is at this moment the first authority on the Turf. We do not know what became of Captain Cook's horses, but there is little doubt that tbe pigs and 'rabbits which abound in ranany of tbe islands of the Pacific were introduced either by Cook or his contemporaries, _to tbe benefit of the natives, if there are any, as well as of possible European visitors. It has been said that the pig is the great civilizer of tbe Pacific, and that no preaching against cannibalism has been so effective as placing before the natives a more dainty dish than man. In some parts of New Zealand pigs bave become a nuisance, and some districts of Australia are eaten up with rabbits. This is too much of a good thing, but it would still be useful to propagate these animals when there is not likely to be any cultivation with which they could interfere. As there is a Society for everything else, we recommend that one should be formed for stocking uninhabited islands with pigs and rabbits. The carelessness of modern seamanship makes shipwreck possible anywhere and at any time, and as iron ships do not last long when among rocks, and there is therefore little time to get out provisions and stores, it is highly desirable that some resources stould be provided wherever land exists. Although penguins may > amiably invite us to knock them on tbe head, yet they are not pleasant food ; and for our own part we should prefer on landing on an uninhabited island to meet a sleek comfortable pig who would welcome with cheerful grunt the advent of civilization with its machinery, including perhape a sausage-mill. We learn that, if the boats ef the Strathmore had not been lost soon after the ianding of those who escaped from the wreck, the party might have been transferred to Hog Island, which seems in every way worthy of its name. There are pigs and rabbits there, and as it has been used as a sealing station, it also possesses tbe accommodation of a hut aud boiler. An imaginative and benevolent person might take pleasure in breeding pigs and rabbits in som9 island where their natural enemies could not follow them, nor any vivisection threaten their tranquility. Huts and boilers might be placed on tbese islands on tho same principle that similar conveniences are provided among the high Alps. They are not aften useful, but they are sometimes; and if the boats had not been accidentally lost, the party from the Strathwore might have passed a tolerably comfortable winter. It is stated that her crew were an iodiflerent lot, and she had lost her captain and first mate. Jt is not wonderful under these circumstances that proceedings on the island were not so orderly and exemplary as they might have been if the same accident had happened to a man-ot-war. There was some approach to that state of nature where the strongest take, and they keep who can; and it was fortunate that penguins and molly hawks came abundantly for all, and /there was little else to quarrel over. But this and other recent instances of shipwreck have shown bow desirable it is that the officers, seamen, and passengers of merchant ships should, if possible, be to some extent instructed in their respective duties, so that danger may not necessarily involve destruction. In this case we cannot help thinking that better management might have saved more lives. The captain seems, when the ship struck, to have in effect given up command, and left everybody to shift for themselves. We must allow, however, that some skill was shown in finding & landing-place, and some of the men who had gone first handsomely came to fetch their comrades who had remained in the rigging of the ship, although, perhap-, they may also bave had an eye to the brandy nod other Stores which the ebip contained. This story is iv many ways remarkable, and not least so for the light it throws on one of tbe controversies of tbe day. (Jan any reasonable man doubt that this party bad a better chance of life and comfort on the island after they had brought to it all tbe wine and brandy tbey could save from the wreck? There used to be a book called The Swiss Family Bobinson, wbich waa a very mild copy, with additions, of Defoe's veracious history. We should recommend the Alliance to spend some of its abundant money in getting a pretty tale written of a serious abstaining family, which, beiug cast upon a desert iaUnd, and having (he oppor-

tunity of taking stores out of a wrecked ship, left all the wine, brandy, and tobacco on board, and lived harmonionsly on penguins and cold water until relief came.