FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT ON THE MANAKAU —LOSS OF THREE LIVES.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 573, 11 October 1851, Page 2

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT ON THE MANAKAU —LOSS OF THREE LIVES.

To tie Editor of the New Zealandfr. Auckland, October Bth, 1851. Sin, — Will you have the goodness to insert in your columns the following account of the loss of the Government cutter " Maori," which was up3et yesterday, betwepn the hours of 11, a.m., and 2, p.m., on her passage between Onehunga and the Waiuku, and in which I was embarked at the time of the accident. I am, Sir, yours, &c M William Cooper. We left Onehunga about £ past 10, a.m., and, the wind being contrary, were obliged to beat out, which we continued to do, making very fair progress. As soon as we rounded a point which is called Cape Horn, 'the wind became stronger, and blew in puffs; we then >took a single reef in the mainsail, and lowered the foresail, which, however, Captain Smale ordered up again in a few minutes. Mr. Geale and myself were sitting aft, talking to Captain Smale. The tide was at this time nearly out. We had almost passed the main channel, and in a few minutes would have rounded the oand spit in the Manakau, when, as we were going about, in the middle of a heavy puff of wind, the vessel lay over till the water touched her sails, when she immediately filled, but did not go dovva. Mr. Geale and I climbed up on to the side of the vessel, and the .next moment I found myself struggling in the water. I managed to legain the vessel, and there found Mr. .Geale, evidently in a very weak state, Mr. Donne, a man of the name of William Kew, and some of the of whom we bad about fifteen on board. Capt. .Smale I saw swimming about half way between the boat and the sandspit, which several of the natives had reached ; I never saw him again. Mr. Donne said to me, " Make for the shore, it is your only chance;" and immediately sprang into the water ; that was the last I saw of him ; he never reached the sandspit. I, having divrsted myself of all my clothes except my shirt and .cap, followed shortly after, and reached the eandspit in safety along with Kew. When I arrived there, I found the native who was going into the interior along with Mr. Geale on the sandspit, and he told me to call to Mr. Geale to swim for the shore, and he would go and meat him, which I did ; Mr. Geale immediately jumped in and made for the shore, and tbe native met him about half-way, and endeavoured to drag him ashore, but before be could accomplish this he was dead, and the native was obliged to leave him in order to save himtelf. We were then obliged to start off as quickly an possible, for fear the tide should flow and cut us off from reaching the main land. However, with running, wading, and swimming, we contrived to reach the settlement of Mangere, where we were most hospitably enterlßined by the natives, who gave us clothes, food, and a passage in a canoe to Onehunga. , From thence I returned to Auckland. To the best of my knowledge, none of the natives were lost. [We sincerely unite in tbe general regret ft'lt on this ilistresaing occasion, a regret which goes beyond that

which so lamentable a catastrophe must have produced, even had the unfortunate persons been strangers ; but ( aptnin Smale wa<* well known and much esteemed in tin* neii,'i)bi>uihood ; Mr. Donne, his nephew, and Piers Geale, Esq. (brother, we believe, of the Countess of Foitescue), had also clamu, upon regard arising from a residence of years in tlie colony. The melancholy occurrence has been universally spoken of with feelings of the utmost .«.orrow. The conduct of the Natives merits the highest commendation. No account has yet been received of the recovery of any of the bodies. — Ed. N. Z.]

The Moa wus signalled early on Wednesday morning, and reached her anchorage about ten o'clock, having sailed from Sydney on Monday, the 29th ulu She brought no mail, but by the customary courtesy of Captain N orris, we have been supplied with Sydney papers to tbe morning of his depaituiv. The km ma, with the Mail on board, sailed on the Sunday niormnif before the Moa left. The Helen S. Page, hence the sth ult., arrived at Sydney on the 2'2nd uit. The brig Emma entered the harbour yesterday morning. Sh« experienced strong gales throughout the passage from Sydney.