BURNING OF THE ST. RAPHAEL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 191, 3 August 1876, Page 4

BURNING OF THE ST. RAPHAEL

The Sydmy Morning Herald of the 20th inst publishes the following extract from a letter frr-m a lady passenger by the ship Yorkshire, from Melbourne, bound to London, respecting; the saving of the ship St. Raphael, burnt at sea: — "And now I am going to tell you the sad story of the shipwrecked crew tha' we were fortunate enough to pick up and Rave on the Ist January, when wa rounded the Horu. Their ship, the Ft. Rjphael, was burnt at sea, aud when we found them it was twentyseven days since they had left her. Farly in the morning the Captain 0/ the Yorkshire was sii-nalling the John Duthie, when he noticed something on the horizon. On taking the glass he saw at once that it was a boat; so we began to heave-to. The John Duthie began to do the came, but when they saw that we were doing it they Bailed on. Whether they b\w the boat of course we do not know, but at all events they might have waited to see what was the matter or if they could lend any assistance. I then heard that there was a boat coming to the ship, and, slanding at the cuddy door suw the men being helped over the main deck, 'ihey looked fearful, such poor wretched creatures, their arrua all covered with frost boilp, their teeth chattering, and shaking all over as if they had the ague. There were six sailors and the first mate, Mr Kiigour. Just as they came on board we heard the second boat was coming to us, with five men in her. They were got on board safely. The men were so weak that they fell back into the boat as they were trying to get on tbe ship. Their feet were all frost) bitten, One poor i

fellow's sufferings were dreadful. The doctor had to amputate both hU great toes. He was ill for a long time, but you now see him shuffling along the deck. They suffered much when circulation was returning. It was one of the saddest sights I ever saw. The poor fellows wept like children directly they came on board, and 'God bless you all ' was their firat exclamation. They all lived, and are now on a fair way to recovery, but the doctor says they will » all be rheumatic. They say their feet feel quite dead, und it is now two cnontbs since they were picked up. It waa 25 days since they had abandoned their ship. She was a larger one than ours, bound for Valparaiso with a cargo of coal. They had moßt tempestuous weather, and, of course, they had to round the Horn, where the winds are nearly contrary. So they bad been out a good deal over 100 days. The veesel took fire when they were near the Horn; spontaneous combustion. The hatches blew up. They discovered the fire three days before they left the ship, and made all necessary arrangements. The captain and his wife were in the long-boat with his officers, and they had all the provisions, charts, and compasses put in her, intending to keep together. The captain, who used to drink, became so disagreeable that the first and second mates, who each had charge of the other boats, agreed to part fro'm him. He then gave them as much provisions as he deemed sufficient, but keeping the lion's share for himself. They had only enough to allow each man two ounces of preserved meat a day. They landed on some of those rocks off the Horn, and agreed that when on land they would touch none of the provisions, but keep themselves alive on what they could get ashore. The only thing they could get was mussels, but they bad enough fresh water and plenty of boxes of matches; but with the fearful cold their feet were in such a state that they could hardly crawl on the rocks, eo those who were not so bad gathered for the rest. But you may fancy the amount of mussels it would take to make sufficient food for a meal, They used to cruise about, and had hoisted a red shirt for a sail. They saw several ships, but were not seen. They had been back to the island twice, and when we picked them up had been cruising about two days. Mr Kilgour told ue it was as much as he could do to get the men into the boats again. They did not seem to care for life. They had almost given up hope when we saw them. Of course, we do not know whether the longboat haa been picked up. They had determined not io put back upon tha islaud again, and if they saw one boat id danger to turn their backs, aa neither of tbe boats w>a big enough to take them all. They showed Spartan courage about refraining from the food when they were almost starving. They had sufficient left when wa took then on baard to have lasted them three days longer. Just think what it must have teen to be twenty-seven days out off Cape Horn in those fearful waves (it blew a hurricune for seven days, when they were obliged to remain on the land) ; the careful rowing it required— for if they had once lot a wave get over the boat they would have gone over in a second. When they came alongside, both the boats were half full of water; they had both been hurt in lowering over the side of the San Raphael. The day after they were rescued there was a dreadful storm and sea, in which neither of the boats could have lived, so they had a most marvellous escape from a watery grave."