NELSON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 401, 11 August 1877, Page 2

NELSON.

P\RTICUL,V!IS OF THE QUEEN" BEE CATASTROPHE. August 11. The Aurora found the missing cutter at EhnH'e, French Pass, ycsUrday afternoon. The following are the particulars : The cutt.-r left the Queen Bee on Tuesday morning at, 7 a.m. with 21 passengers. In all the boats they had only three oars, which were almost useless, no sails, rudder, or mast, and m> water, ixcepting one bottle which a passenger hiip.ion-d to have, and three tins of p xser\ e 1 mea'. "We tried to keep ne ir t.ie vess.l in ord..a- to gj; rid of souu of the pessdijers, as the boat was overloaded, but could not do so, the wind and sea being very high from the w.st. After struggling for an hour, we had to run before it. When two-third across the bay, found we were making no southing, and expected to be blown to s award, the boat tilling three tunes. Fortunately, the wind shifted to the north-west*, an 1 by means of a rug, held on to a brass rod, we made a little southing. At eight, o'clock we sighted Savage. Point above the French Pass, when the wind shifted to the west .again, and blew us to the mouth of Prenia Harbour, where we held on to our oars all night, and had hard work to ke p her oil the shore At, da\ light, gradually rawed veto Prenia Harb.-ur, lauded on th,o beach, and made s .and boil d w:„?er. Some of the crew went over t, ,o hill, to look (~r habitations, and fell in. witn a Maori s ttljment, waere they were treated with m-eat hospitality. We r maiued in Prenia Harbour till the following day, when we were rowed into ttltuslie's plac :, wlierj we were picked up by the Aurora, all in the best of spirits.''