A TALE OF THE SEA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 37, 12 February 1879, Page 4

A TALE OF THE SEA.

The following article appears in the Dunedin Age of tbe sth instant :— "A strange tale of the sea has reached us, and one we refrain from commenting on until the whole of the ! circumstances connected with it have I been made tbe subject of au enquiry. The facts transmitted to us are theso : During the passage of the barque Easterhill from London to Otago, and on the 9th of January, about 8 o'clock in the moroinsr, a lad named William Taylor, uged 17 years, a native of Dunedin, aod one of the ship's boys, was ordered to go aloft, and overhaul the fore-royal bunlliue. He had nearly rpacbel the royal y„rd when he slid down as far as tbe cross-trees. Here he removed his boots, and making a Becond attempt he succeeded in overhauling tbe buntlines. He tben returned on deck, and was at once ordered up the main riggiug, to overhaul tbe main royal buntlines. Having reacbei , tbe main. top he shouted lo those on j deck that he could not proceed. This j did not avail biro, and ao order wasgiveo tbat be sbould not come on deck until he J had performed his task. Again the j poor boy essayed to do so, and once more removing his boots, he managed to get bis knee upon tbe footrope, while ] he held on to tbe main backstay with one hand. Apparently, however, lie was too much exhausted to get on tbe ; yards, and therefore slid down the slay until he reached the port outrigger ; then he missed his hold, and turned a somersault and fell on the lower rigging, striking the ratlins io his fall, and breaking one of them. Thence be struck the rail, and slid into tbe Bea. At this time one of bis shipmstes, bd A.B. named JohnstoD, ran af«, and jumped overboard to bis rescue. He succeeded in getting witbin a few feet of him, but could not reach him. At this time the ship was goiog at the rate of two knots an hour, while the sea was comparatively smooth. A rope was thrown to Johnson by one of the passengers, and he succeeded in getting back to tbe vessel. Messrs Wylie, Burnett, and other of tbe passengers assart that no boat was lowered away k to rescue the unfortunate boy, aad that

although he was floating in sight the master ordered bis steward to place breakfast on (he table. We heard that he stated to ihe boarding ctticers'of H.M.^'s Customs tlat lih had lost a lud, hut it is most ceitain that uo euch information was supplied to the representatives of the lour Dunedin papers, all of whom boarded the vessel /or her report, and remained there as long as circurosinnces will permit. We shall carefully wutch this inatmr, and lay it before our renders.