THE DUNDONALD WRECK.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 9017, 3 December 1907, Page 2

THE DUNDONALD WRECK.

Disappointment Island, where tho Dundonald was wrecked, is from point to point about miles long by one mile wide. Tlw coast consists of high rugged cliffs. The place whero the ship struck was certainly a very difficult and dangerous piece of coast. She was washed stern first into a kind of tunnel, working round iu a semi-circular direction, and hencejit was-that' the ship was tossed about so. much by the rough seas washing in from each end of the tunnel. As we passed, says the narrator-, we could se.o a projecting rock with the sea 3ust washing over it, standing about half a ship's length from the mouth of the cave. This must have pierced a tremendous hole in the bottom of the ship, which accounts for the fore part going under so quickly. One could quite understand from this how she tompled over on one side, throwing the masts against tha cliff's side, it was a wonder that auyone survived on the island. There is only one possible landing place, which" was discovered only after considerable search by the Dun* donald castaways. At almost every step in tho climb from the landing place we met molyhawks sitting on nests. One egg eacli seemed to satisfy them, but each egg was as large as four ordinary lien's eggs. Passing over the brow of the hill we came in sight of tho huts which had been built by the shipwrecked crew. On nearer view,they were seen to be very much of "the shape of a Zulu kraal. A hole about two; feet deep was first scooped cut of the ground with a piece of wood and the hands, and some branches and twigs were placed over tho top of the whole. When finished the huts looked like miniature haystacks. Inside the huts seemed most comfortable and warm, and must have been a great comfort and improvement ou tho first arrangement of sleeping under a piece of sail from tho ship. Altogether thero wore fourteen of these huts, but one or two did duty as cookshons and another as a store house. "Occasionally a hut- would catch fire, and the occupants would have to make a hurried exit, on their hands and knees. Then the "village fire brigade" was turned out and tho lire extinguished, apparatus which consisted of sticks being brought into play. Lying about tho huts was to be found ample evidence of the food the men had subsisted on. Heaps of bird skins, feathers, bones, pieces of sealskin, and seal bones were lying about everywhere. Great must have been the slaughter of the birds, for tho men declared that it required from three to four birds per man por dav to satisfy thorn. Seals they did not eat until all the birds were scared away.