THE WRECK OF THE ORPHEUS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 2 August 1880, Page 2

THE WRECK OF THE ORPHEUS.

Captain Wing writes to us as follows ; "In looking over your paper of the 15th inst. I noticed the comments of one who styles, himself 'Ao Old Durham Boy,' and that he was glad to see in your of the 10th the correction I had furnished relating to the story of the loss of H.M.S. Orpheus ; for which paragraph I now tender my sincere thanks, notwithstanding his stating that I had written rather carelessly in saying it was about ten days after the wreok the body of Mr. Haslewood was picked up ; when, according to ' Old Durham Boy's' statement, it was nearly six weeks after; and that the crew of the Colonial steamer Avon, when cruising off the bar, saw the body floating, and took it ashore, and hastily buried it in the sand at the Blowhole. From the above remarks, I was led to re.fev to a closed memorandum book, which had not seen daylight for upwards of sixteen years, and therein I found it notified that we (the pilot orew), on the afternoon of the 3rd of March, 1863, picked up the body of Mr. Haslewood, which date appears to place the ' Old Durham Boy' about fourteen days out of hia.reckoning; and further, I feel quite confident that I, Thomas Wing, took the clothes off the body for identification before the body was plaoed in the sand to await a coffin to place it in. On the ninth of the month I disinterred the body, and placed it decently in a coffin and took it to Onehunga, and on the following day, at 6 p.m., it was buried in St. Peter's churchyard, Onehunga. Now, if the ' Old Durham Boy' doubts my statements respecting the picking up of the body, I kindly invit© him to come and peruse the' old memorandum book, in which he will read of many earnest acts on spay part to close the horrible sight connected with the Orpheus wreck;, which have not been fully brought before the public, and I trust this explanation will be the last, as I have no desire to keep the matter open."—N.Z. Herald.