WRECK OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN.

Southland Times, Issue 659, 19 April 1867, Page 2

WRECK OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN.

It is with regret we have to record the total wreck on the night of the 2nd inst., : of the Magnificent Steamship, South Australian, happily without loss "of life, the South Australian struck on a reef about four miles northof Coal Point, which reef is very clearly -shown on some of the larger maps of the coast. The reef is, by rough measurement, about 44< miles southerly from Cape Saunders, and 15 or 16 mnes almost due north ofthe Nuggets; the marks on land be- . >""»• »— s= ■•••■ ■>■*. — v— • — n^nit'^ Head and Coal Point. Captain Mackie who~ was recently appointed to the command of the' vessel, was so thoroughly acquainted with the Coast, that he must have been fearfully misled to have got his vessel where she now lies. It is suggested that a probable explanation of the wreck is this :— -A current sets northerly along the coast, and is at times very strong. If Btrong on the night, of the catastrophe, the slow rate at which the South Australian was steaming would make her extremely susceptible to the current; and if the compasses were sufficiently wrong to lead to the course of the vessel having anunsuspected inclination shoreward, there is an explanation^ of how the reef north of Coal Point was struck, when Capt. Mackie must* have thought that he was considerably to the east, and at least a score of miles to the southward of it. The South Australian had on board over £13,000 worth -of gold— 2,l4ooz. shipped by the Bank of New Zealand; arid l-,1380z. by the Uriioii Bank of Australia, all of which was saved. About 40 tons of general cargo, of no great yalue, represented the whole of the ship's other freight. An official enquiry, relative to the loss of the vessel is now being held at Dunedin.