A MISSING CREW DISCOVERED AFTER TWENTY-SIX YEARS.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 65, 24 November 1875, Page 3

A MISSING CREW DISCOVERED AFTER TWENTY-SIX YEARS.

.Recent revelations have, says a Chicago paper of July FI, excited an intense and growing interest in the fate of the fifteen or twenty men, who more than a quarter of a century ago, chartered the schooner Florinda and sot sail for California. For twenty-six years the families of the adventurers have mourned them as lost. The last news of the Florinda was received late in 18‘IU, from Rio Janiero. Who had put into that port some, time previously, and then proceeded on her way leaking badly it is said. A vessel touching at Rio Janiero shortly afterwards reported having spoken the Florinda in the Pacific, just beyond Cape Horn. From that time forward nothing more was ever of the Florinda, and it became an accepted theory that she had been cast away somewhere on the Southern Pacific coast, No tidings reached the families of the ill-fated men, and twenty-six years slipped by without anything occurring to disturb the melancholy conviction which had sealed the record of their lives. Within the last few days, however, the startling anuonneemeni has transpired that Herman Joims and his fellow-voyagers were not lust, bill are now alive on some nameless and unknown island in the lower Pacific. About a month ago a friend of Mrs iiermou Jones read in an English paper an account of some British vessd having been driven out of her course in a storm and sighted an unknown island. Much to the surprise of the crew, the island turned out to be inhabited, and, still more astonishing, by those who spoke the English language. The rest of the story, as given in the paper referred to, is that the castaways told the ship’s company that they were the Florinda party, who had sailed from New Orleans in IS-ll) for California; that they had been wrecked on the island, and had dwelt there over since, it being then more than twenty-five years, the paper gives the names of several, all of whom are known to have been of the Florinda,s crew, and in many other ways, according to the version of Mrs Jones’s friend, the identity of the party was

established, as none but themselves could have established it. It further stated that the Briitsh vessel offered to take the men on board, but they declined, saying that they had been lost for a quarter of a century, that they knew not in what condition they would lind their families they had left, and that they preferred staying and ending their days there rather than venture back to such an uncertain future. Tins paper was four mouths old when Mrs ■lones’s friend saw it, one month ago, and the facts narrated were described as having occnred four months previous to the issue of the paper. It is just nine mohths, then since the island was discovered by the British vessel, and at that time all, or nearly all of the Florinda party appear to have been alive. It need not be said that this news has aroused the deepest interest. Within the past few days the relatives have been living in a state of constant excitement, umj many of them, especially the sons Jones, John A. Sydney, and Captain Kennmre, the skipper of the Florinda, have devoted themselves to . following the clue given by the friend ivho saw the English party. Extensive enquiries are now on foot, and the British Consul has agreed to forward to the War Office in London a full statement of the circumstances, so that the name of the vessel which touched at the castaways’ home can be ascertained, and the healings of the island taken from her log. It would greatly facilitate this cud, however, if the copy of the paper giving the original story were found

It is still Impel that some one who sees this publication may have notice! the [taper, am! he able to .state where a number can be hath On that contingency depends much that will simplify ami expedite the tpiest; but it is certain that in any case the friends of the Florinda’s crew will never rest again until the mystery is fathomed to the 'utmost depths.