WRECK OF THE "ROSETTA JOSEPH.”

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 571, 22 January 1851, Page 4

WRECK OF THE "ROSETTA JOSEPH.”

[From the Maitland Mercury, Dec. 18.] I The barque Rosetta Joseph left San Fran. : cisco on the 15th October, bound to Syd ney ' I having as passengers Mr. Rudder and two I sons, Mr. J. H. Green, Mr. Israel Joseph, | Messrs. John Adams, Thomas Gilroy, ty' | Hanley, G. Shaw, J. Renwick, Alexander I M‘Lean, Robert Orr, Chai les M‘Rorie, J o h n | Gale, Jonathan Tunbridge, Samuel William, I Andrew Cummings, Edmund Hayes, George I Lumsden, Morris Power, William Cahill, W, | Langham, James Burns, Mr. Hurley and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw and two children, and | hree others remaining in Port Macquarie, f Nothing particular occurred on board till the I night of the Ist December, when the vessel I struck on a reef known as Clark s or Eliza. I betb'sßeef. Theunfortunate accident struct I terror into every person on board, and atnosi B anxious night was passed. December 2. —All hands busily engaged I infilling water casks and getting the boati | ready for launching ; the first attempt made ' was with the jolly-boat, but she almost ini. | mediately swamped, with two menwbonar. I rowly escaped drowning. In the afternoons ; second attempt was made (the wind having i abated and the sea gone down), which proved < more successful, and by five, p.m., the pro.’ visions, passengers, and crew, were all got | safely off from the ill-fated vessel, and laid at | anchor in the long-boat, pinnace, and jolly. I boat all night. December 3.—Commenced with getting | the boats ready for starting ; divided the pas- | sengers and crew, being 47 in number, includ- I ing two females and two children ; 28 were I put into the long-boat, 14 in the pinnace, and « five in the jolly-boat; set sail and steered for ! Howe’s Island, the wind being from the N.E.; i at night the long-boat took the pinnace in tow, ■ with the jolly-boat astern of her. December 4. —The morning cloudy, wind I N.W., increasing and soon rose to a gale; I this obliged us to scud before it, taking the jolly boat in tow, and the pinnace on our lee; the boats laboured and made much waler, the sea gt this time running mountains high ; the jolly-boat nearly swamped, the men in bet then begged to be taken into the long-boat —indeed their safety demanded it, <Ac caf tain then gave orders to lighten the long-boat for that purpose ; this was immediately done by throwing overboard all spare clothes, wet blankets, and some packages of gold dust; 4p.m., the gale still increasing, we found it necessary to lay the boats to ; this was effected by swamping the jolly-boat and making a drag of her ; making fast the pinnace to the stern of the long-boat, with oars out in

each boat to keep them head to sea; arrange. ® ments were then made with respect to the pro- | visions ; and by a careful distribution of them | we found our supplies would last ten or twelve i days; Messrs. Rudder and Green were appointed to serve out the provisions, the latter gentleman taking charge and serving out the water by the way ; the supply was so limited, W that it did not afford more than two gills a day per man ; this, with one gill of preserved ?■ meats, and a reasonable quantity of bread was the allowance for each person on board the boats. At sp.m. the wind suddenly changed; and came from the southward, blowing a heavy i gale, with an exceeding high and cross sea, During this frightful night we expected momentarily to be swamped. Morning came, and we found that a quantity of our bread had g been damaged, which caused a deduction io our usual allowance. The latitude by a very imperfect observation being 30’20 south, longitude per chronometer 159’11 east. From the sth to the 10th December, the y boats stood in for the coast of New Holland, but were frequently in great danger from the heavy weather. On the 10th, at 4 p.m., go l ■ close in with the land, and made it out to be Port Macquarie; hoisted signals of distress; the inhabitants perceived them, and to a imsl rushed to our rescue. A boat was launched■ through the surf and came alongside, taking L out the females and those persons who wetf; in the most exhausted state ; the boat g and conveyed all safely on shore. At 5 p.®> | got the boats on shore and hauled up above ■ high water mark. Now a struggle took place, by the inhabitants as to who should show the | most attention ; quarters were provided io th® g hospital, and the wants of the people well | supplied.