WRECK OF THE ROBINA DUNLOP.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5126, 28 August 1877, Page 3

WRECK OF THE ROBINA DUNLOP.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY. The inquiry into the circumstances connected with the wreck of the Robina Dunlop was continued yesterday afternoon, and the following evidence was taken : Hu"h Hood Lawrie, second mate of the Robina Dunlop, said he held a Board of Trade certificate of competency. Remembered the 13th inst. He had the watch from 8 a.m. to noon that day. The vessel was then on the port tack. Put about at 11 o’clock, and the ship was then lying about N.N.E. Got instructions from thej captain to heave the lead occasionally, which he did, and found no bottom at 20 fathoms. Went below at 12 o’clock. The weather was then hazy. The log was hauled in at noon, and showed six miles. The captain was present at the time. The mate took the next watch. He received his orders from the captain. Witness came on deck a"ain at 4 p.m. The weather was then hazy. At 5 o’clock reduced sail. The vessel was then on the same tack. Stowed the mainsail and reefed the fore and main topsails. Hove a 7-lb. lead afterwards, and found no bottom at twenty fathoms, which he reported to the captain. The patent log was hauled in again at 6 p.m. He got the number of miles from the captain and marked it on the log slate. He then went below and turned in, having been on deck nearly all the time since leaving Wellington. He was roused about eight o’clock by the ship bumping. He immediately turned out and came on deck. Before he had got to the break of the poop she struck a second time. Heard the mate giving orders to back the foreyard. Witness then went and slacked away the lee braces, but the vessel would not back off. The sea then commenced to break on board. Tried all means to get her off, but without avail. He saw no one the worse for liquor on board that day. A few glasses of grog were served out during the day to the crew, ■ Witness had a glass of_ wine himself, but he did not see the captain have any. The captain was perfectly sober. The captain was not_ a teetotaker, he took a glass occasionally. Witness never saw him the worse for drink. The patent log was always used by them when in the vicinity of land, but the reel was used at sea. The log was made fast to the starboard quarter. The night the vessel was wrecked high land could not be seen a mile off. Dow land could not be seen at all. He_ joined the ship in Dondon, She was a fast sailing vessel. She was going about five knots when she struck. He had seen her going from 12 to 13 knots. Neil Bloom, an A.B. belonging to the vessel, said he was on the look-out on the night on which the barque was wrecked. He had instructions from the mate to keep a good look-out. Shortly before 8 o’clock he saw something white ahead, but took it to be some current, and consequently said nothing. About two minutes afterwards the vessel struck. He was standing on the topgallant forecastle head. There was a boy along with him at the time. The'night was very dark, and he could see no land. John Hannaford deposed that he was an able seaman. He was at the wheel from 2 to 4 o’clock on Monday afternoon. She laid_ a course then N. by W, It was blowing a stiff breeze. . He kept her close to the wind, and she was sailing about six knots an hour. Knew she was going at six knots, because he heard the second mate say so. The log was hauled In twice —at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock. He did not see it hauled in at 2 o'clock. He thought it was hauled in at 10 minutes to 2 o’clock. It was hauled in at 4 o’clock by one of the able seamen. He did not know his name. The mate had charge of the watch. The man that hauled the log in looked at it and then threw it overboard. He did not show it to anybody. What he-said previously about the log was not true. He never saw the log hauled in at all. He had no conversation with the captain or officers. He only guessed she was going at six knots. He saw the second mate and the steward heave the lead on the starboard side. Christopher Dnnd was an able seaman on the Robina Dunlop. On Monday, August 13, at noon, he was on deck. He saw the patent log over the stem that day. The line was made fast on the starboard quarter. He did not see it hauled in. He was at the wheel from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ■ When he took the helm at 4 o’clock the weather was misty, and all sail was set except the royals. At 4.30 it became squally, and sail was reduced. He steered the vessel a N.N.W. course during his two hours at the wheel. The mate looked at the compass several times when he was aft. It was very dark at 6 o’clock. He was in the forecastle when the vessel struck. He did not think the log was hauled in while he was aft. None of the crew or officers were the worse for drink. ■ Thomas Dloyd was an A. 8., on the Robina Dnnlop. He had the wheel from 6 to 8 p.m. on the day she was lost. She was heading N.N.W. He gave her a N. by W. coarse daring his two hours. The mate had charge of the deck, and he looked at the compass once or twice. No one else looked at it. The captain was lying on the grating when he went to the wheel. He did not see anyone taking basts with the lead. He was at the wheel when the vessel struck. The log was not drawn in while he was at the wheel. No one could have taken the log in without his seeing him. He did notseethelogduringtheday.He had heard the other men saying the log was over the stem. He saw something white ahead five or six minutes before the vessel' struck.. He did not tell the mate, as he supposed the mate knew what it was. He thought probably it might be a current. John Hill, steward and cook, said he remembered the 13th August. He saw the lead cast between 12 and 2 p.m. Himself and the second mate did it. He threw it for amusement ; had no instructions to do so. He got no bottom at seven fathoms. There were two glasses of whisky given out to the men. He had the same himself, and that was all he had. The officers had none. The captain was perfectly sober at 6 o’clock p.m., and went on deck and laid down on the grating. The patent log was nearly always overboard. He did not see the lead hove between C'p.m. and 8 p.m. There was a log-slate kept in the mate’s berth. He was certain the log was over the stern. He Saw it towing behind all the day. It was possible for a person to haul the log in without the man at the wheel seeing him. Malcolm McKinnon, carpenter, was on the Tessel.on the 13th inst. He was on deck at. 31 o’clock a.m. He did not see the log. He was on the poop between 7 and 8 p.m. The mate was there. He did not see him taking soundings. He saw the second mate and steward taking soundings during the afternoon. AbontVtwenty minutes to. eight p.m, he saw a kind 'of ; haze ahead. The sailors were then pumping the ship, and about ten minutes afterwards' he looked over the side and saw breakers,, and cried “ Breakers ahead.” He then ran aft to the captain, but the mate was with him. He heard an order to back, the foreyard. The mate gave, the order. He was on the poop. About five 'minutes after she first struck she bumped a second time. It was dark hazy weather, and the wind was squally., All. hands were sober during the flay. 'The. mate might have thrown the lead between'six and eight o’clock for all he knew. He wont below for five or six minutes during that time, The mate was then standing aft near, the wheel. He did not know where Ihe log was fastened to. He could not say he had ever-seen it hauled up. He never paid much' attention to it. When he saw the haze be did not attach much importance to it. He thought it might be a current. The mate was on the poop all the time after she struck. She was in breakers all the time after she struck.

Between 8 and 9 o'clock the hull commenced to break up, and when he left her at 6.30 next ■morning she was -a complete wreck. When the vessel struck he could see no land around. It was very dark. . , . Captain Graham, recalled, said he hauled up the log at different times from 11 o’clock to the time she struck. . He examined the patent log. The last time the log was hauled up was shortly after his teal He was not sure about the time. He did not know who was at the wheel when he took the log in. He com" heave the lead without the man at the wheel seeing him, because there was companion between them. If the man was doing his duty steering it would be easy to take in the log without him knowing. Witness would take about four minutes to haul the log in, read it, and throw it out again. He would swear it was hauled in several times from noon to 8 p.m. He always kept the lead going when he was in a narrow channel. He thought The vessel was valued at between £6OOO and £7OOO. He did not know if she was insured. She was insured for the voyage out, but be bad not heard if she was insured for the trip to Batavia. , , , , ~ The Court then adjourned till 10 o clock this morning. ’