DREADFUL SHIPWRECK. WRECK OP THE "CATARAQUI" EMIGRANT SHIP, 800 TONS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 55, 25 October 1845, Page 3

DREADFUL SHIPWRECK. WRECK OP THE " CATARAQUI" EMIGRANT SHIP, 800 TONS.

Br the Teazer we have received Port Philip papers to the end of September, from which we have extracted the latest English news, and also the following most distressing and melancholy account of the shipwreck of im emigrant vessel in Bass's Straits, in which only nine lives were saved. It is our melancholy duty to lay before the public the particulars of the most awful shipwreck which has ever occurred in these colonies — the total wreck of the emigrant ship Cataraqui, upon the iron-bound coast of King's Island. The following particulars are from Mr. Guthrie, the chief mate, who, with his eight fellow survivors, reached the shore almost in a state of nudity, having of course lost everything they possessed. The Catataqvi, Captain C. W. Finlay, sailed, from Liverpool an the 20th April, with &69 emigrants, and a crew (including two doctors, Mr. C* Carpenter, and Edward Ctrpenteff

two brothers) of forty-six souls. The emigrants were, principally from Bedfordshire, Staffotdshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire. About 120 of the passengers were married with families, and in all seven ty|three children. Nothing particular occureoT until about a fortnight prior to the 4th August; with the exception of thje weather being boisterous, with a strong gale of wind from the north-west to the south-west, and incessant rain. On the night of Sunday the 3d August, at seven in the evening, the ship was hove to, and continued laying to until three o'clock on the morning of the 4th. At lialfpast four, it beitig quite dark, and raining hard, blowing a fearful gale, and the sea running mountains high, the ship struck on a reef situate on the west coast of King's Island, at the entrance of Bass' Straits. No opportunity had offered for taking an observation to enable the captain to ascertain the ship's course, for four days prior to the ship striking; and from the dead reckoning kept, it was presumed that the vessel was in 141deg. 22m. east longitude, and and 39deg. 17m. south, which would make her between 60 or 70 miles from King's Island. Immediately the ship struck she was sounded, and four feet water was in her hold. The scene of confusion and misery that ensued at this awful period, it is impossible to describe. All the passengers attempted to rush on deck, and many succeeded in doing so, until the ladders were knocked away by the workings of the vessel ; when the shrieks from men, women, and children, from below, were terrific, calling on the watch on. deck to assist them. The crew to a man were on deck the moment the aLip struck, and were instantly employed in handing up the passengers. Up to the time the vessel began breaking up, it is supposed that between three and four hundred were got on deck by the extraordinary exertions of the crew. At this time the sea was breaking over the ship on the larboard side, sweeping the decks, every sea taking away more or less of the passengers. About five a.m., the ship careened on her larboard side, washing away boats, bulwarks, spars, a part of the cuddy, and literally swept the decks. At this critical period the captain gave orders to cut away the masts, hoping the vessel might right, to enable the crew to get on deck the passengers left below. The masts were forthwith cut away, and everything done that was possible, under the circumstances, to get the vessel upright, but it was all to no purpose. At this time the passengers below were all drowned, the ship being full of water, and the captain called out to those on deck to cling to that part ot the wreck which was then above water, till daylight, hoping that the spars would he of some service in making a breakwater under her lee, and thus enable the survivors to get on ihore in the morning. As the day broke, we found the stern of the vessel washed in, and numerous dead bodies floating around the ship — some hanging upon the rocks. Several of the passengers and crew (about two hundred altogether) were still holding on to the vessel — the sea breaking over, and every wave washing some of them away. Thus those who weie able continued to cling to the wreck until about four o'clock in the afternoon, when she parted amid ships, at the fore part of the main rigging, when immediately some seventy or a hundred were launched into the tumultuous and remorseless waves ! The survivors on the deck still, however, continued to exert themselves to recover back all they could; but many of them were dead, although but momentarily immersed. Ridge lines also were stretched a'ong the side of the wreck, to enable them to hold on. — The remains of the upper deck now began to break up, and wash away. The survivors now began to collect bits of rope, so as to construct a buoy, with the view of floating it on shore, and thus enabling one ol the crew to land. This measure would have enabled them to save the lives of at least a hundred; but notwithstanding every effoit, the buoy could not be got nearer than twenty yards from the shore, owing to its getting entangled with the sea- weed on the rocks, and there was no one on shore to catch it, and secure it on the sand. The fury of the waves continuing unabated, about five o'clock, the wreck parted by the fore rigging, and so many souls were submerged in the wide waters, that only seventy survivors were left crowded on the forecastle! The buoy rope was then hauled on board to rig life lines, and lash the survivors, who were then clinging to the wreck. Thus, the sea breaking over them, the winds raging, and the rain continuing heavy all night, the poor survivors continued clinging to the vessel's bow. Numbers died or fell overboard, or sank and were drowned at the places where they were lashed. As day broke the following morning, it discovered only about thirty left alive — the survivors almost dead through exhaustion and hanging where they were lashed. The previous evening the quarter-boat- (the only remaining one) was attempted to be launched, into which the boatswain and doctor (Charles Carpenter) with

four ,of the crew got,,but she immediately capsized, and all were drowned;' As the morning rose, the sea was making a clean breach"' into the forecastle, the deck of which was rap- . idly breaking up. About "this time, whilst numbers were helplessly c'inging to the bows and continually dropping off without the possibility of succour, the captain attempted to reach the shore, but was unable, and with the assistance of si me of those who were able, regained the wreck. The lashings of the survivors was now undone, in order to give tl*em the last chance of life ; Mr. Thomas Guthrie, the chief mate, now on the sprit-sail yard, was washed out to the bowsprit-; he saw- the cafftain and second mate and steward clinging at the bows, with about eighteen or twenty only left alive, amidst a host of dead bodies on- the fragments of the wreck. Mr. Guthrie was driven to a detached part of the wreck, but soon found it was impossible to live with such a sea breaking over, seized a piece of plank under his arm, and leaping into the water was carried over the reef, anil thus got on shore. He found a passenger who had got ashore during the night, and one of the crew (Robinson) who got ashore in the morning. John Roberts, a seaman, plunged in when he saw the mate ashore, and partly swimming, and partly driven, reached the land. Five other seamen followed, and got ashore dreadfully exhausted. Almost immediately afterwards the vessel totally disappeared. Thus, out of four hundred and twenty-three souls on board, only nine were saved. The names of the saved are — Mr. Thomas Guthrie, chief mate ; Solomon Brown, emigrant; John Roberts, able seaman ; William Jones, ditto ; Francis Millan, ditto ; John Simpson, ditto ; John Robertson, ditto ; Peter Johnson, ditto ; William Blackstock, apprentice. They had neither food nor drink from the time of theship >triking to the Tuesday afternoon, when they found one small tin of preserved fowl, after eatng which, they went and laid down in the bush, having got a wet blanket out of the water for their only covering, and being quite destitute of clothes. The beach was strewed with pieces of the wreck and portions of dead corpses in horrible profusion. After a vain search for water, and being unable to find any more survivors, they slept that night in the bush. The following morning they found a cask of water ashore, but were unable to get means to make a fire. However, about 9 or 10 o'clock in the forenoon, they observed a smoke, which, presuming they were on the main land (according to the captain's calculation), they imagined it was a fire of the natives. However, they shortly saw a white man approaching them, who turned out to be Mr. David Howie, residing upon the island. It seems Mr. Howie and Oakley, with one black, perceived there was a wreck on the coast, through seeing portions of wreck, and most humanely arranged 'to instantly reconnoitre the whole island ; and fortunate, indeed, was it for the poor exhausted and benumbed survivors, to whom he instantly afforded fire and food, and constructed a shed against the weather. As Mr. Howie's boat was wrecked, there was no possibility of leaving the island. The party, therefore, constructed a hut ; and remained five weeks, during which time they were most hospitably provided for by Mr. Howie and his party, according to their means. The supplies having to be carried 40 miles over a mos. difficult road. — Last Sunday (September 7th), they saw the Midge beating for the island ; they immediately signalised her by a fire,* and from her received every assistance. The Midye took them off the island with much difficulty, by means of Mr. Howie's whaleboat, on Tuesday last, and they arrived in ' Hob.sou's Bay at half-past ten this day. Throughout the whole of these trying events, the survivors give all praise to the captain and crew for their exertions : it was not until hope was utterly extinguished that they left the vessel. Mr. Guthrie, the mate, also is warmly commended. It was to his encouragement that most of the seamen saved ascribe the saving their lives in the manner above mentioned. They employed themselves in burying the dead bodies they picked up as far as was possible, the mangled condition of many ot which it is too painfully horrible to describe ; and they speak in the most gratified manner of the exertions of Mr. Howie and his party of sealets, who reside upon King's Island. j The survivors also particularly wish to exprsss their public thanks to Messrs. Fletcher and Croley, owners of the Midge, for their promptness in attending to the signal upon the island, and themselves incurring risk in waiting to fetch them off. Most of the ship's papers and the mail (except thirty-five letters) are lost). Captain Finlay, who was a native of Dublin, has left a wife and two children in Liverpool to lament their loss.

* Mr. Howie's party wish to have it notified, that they are in the habit of making one steady fire if they wish to get. assistance; but if they wi^h ,to wnni a vessel of danger, they make a range of fires.