AN INCIDENT AT SEA.

Southland Times, Issue 620, 18 January 1867, Page 2

AN INCIDENT AT SEA.

The following narrative of a singular incident which occurred during the last homeward voyage of the Swiftsure.is from o London paper, and possesses even greater interest than the brief account in the Argus of Friday, relative to the boy who fell overboard from the Superb on her voyage to this port, and who was so cleverly rescued from what might have proved a watery grave : — " An extraordinary incident occurred during the passage of the clipper ship Swiffcsure from Melbourne to London. About half-past nine o'clock on the morning of the 30th May when in lat. 42.37 N., and lon., 30 W., and while running with a heavy sea at the rate of eleven knots an hour, the startling cry of ' A man overboard !' rang through the ship. The first thought was for the life-buoys, two of which were flung over the stern to the fast-receding object, now discovered to be the boatswain's hoy, G-eorge Hopper. One of them fell about ten yards from the lad, who being a good swimmer, struck out gallantly and got possession of it ; but the speed of the vessel at this time was so great, and the sea ran so high, that the boy rapidly disappeared from sight. The vessel was at once hove-to, and the lifeboat manned and lowered ; but although the gieatest promptitude was displayed, ten minutes had elapsed before the boat left the ship's side, and consequently the boy must have been at least a mile astern. The boat pulled off in the supposed direction of the boy, but those who watched it tossing and plunging among theboisterous waves reluctantly cenfessed to themselves that its mission was almost a forlorn hope. TJp to this time the recovery of the boy was the only source of anxiety to those on board ; but grave ap.prehensions for the safety of the boat now began to fill men's minds, for a heavy squall of wind and rain coming on, created a thick haze, which totally obscured the boat from view. This unfortunate circumstance, coupled with the fact that the vessel, although hove-to, was drifting from her position at the rate of nearly three miles an hour, caused the greatest al&rm and excitement. Every moment increased the peril, for the boat was pulling from the ship, and the ship was rapidly drifting from the boat. It was at this critical juncture that Captain May hew displayed the greatest coolness, and judgment. Having taken carefiil note of the time^ when the boat was last seen, and its bearings, he determined to put the ship about and go after ;it. To innocent landsmen the undertaking appeared about as hopeless as finding : a needle in a truss of hay ; but events proved the captain to be the right man in the right place, though even his most sanguine expectations could not have anticipated what was about to occur. The ship had proceeded on her voyage of discovery for about forty-five minutes, going in that time about five miles, when a joyous cry of ' Here's the boy ahead' was heard from the bows, where a number of the passengers had congregated. ' The boy !' cried everyone. Yes, wonderful to relate, about 250 yards ahead of the ship was the poor lad on the life buoy. The ship was immediately put back, and the other lifeboat lowered; but before it could be made of any service, the ship running dead on to the lad placed him in the greatest peril of being run down and carried under ; but he saw his danger, and by a vigorous effort got out of the direct course of the ship, coming in contact with the lee bow. A rope was quickly thrown to him, which he caught, but in the attempt to haul him on board he was pulled out of the life-boy, and being too much exhausted by his struggle for life and long immersion in the water to retain his hold of the. rope, he, to the horror of the onlookers, fell back into the water, where he would probably have sunk to rise no more had it not been for the heroic conduct of the sailmaker, Patrick Hunne, who, seeing the iminent danger the boy was in, seized a rope, and jumping over board caught him by the hair of his head until another rope was thrown over, which he made fast round the lad. To do this, however, he was obliged to abandon his own rope, and, not being a swimmer, was in.imminent, danger of losing his life. He, however, succeeded in recovering hisrope, and got back up the chains, the boy having iv the meantime been hauled safely on board in an insensible condition. The usual remedies for restoring animation were quickly resorted to, and the boy in a few hours had perfctlj recovered. Still no signs of the boat and after the marvellous recovery of the boy the excitement respecting its fate became if possible more intense. The vessel was put on her course again as soon as possible, after a a long half hour of painful suspense, the general anxiety was relieved by the boat being sighted from the foretopsailyard about two miles to windward. It is needless to state that the news occasioned universal j oy. The* ship was once more hove-to, and as soon as the boat neared a gun was fired, and the boat ; signalled to return, which she did with all despatch. In order fully to understand the marvellous circumstances coiinected]with this extraordinary affair, it should be borne in mind that when the vessel tacked round to go in search of the boat the boy must have been fully five miles off, and that the ship should, in a raging sea, have steered directly on to the "boy can only be regarded as a most wonderful interposition of Providence. The sum of £42 was subscribed by the passengers, to mark their I appreciation of the conduct of the sailmaker and the officers and crew of the lifeboat. It was apportioned as follows : —£15 to the sailmaker ; £5 to ths boy ; £12 to the crew of the lifeboat ; £10 for purchase of testimonials to officers. It is hoped that the intrepid conduct of ! . the . sailmaker will not escape the jfotiob of the Roy 4 B^iaqae Society,"