WRECK OF THE GERNERA GRANT AT THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS, 18 MONTHS AGO.

Southland Times, Issue 885, 20 January 1868, Page 2

WRECK OF TH E GE RNERA GRANT AT THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS, 18 MONTHS AGO.

9#EAT LOSS OF lIFB, » -*• \ ABHIVAI, AT Tflß BLOT \ o? i THE BRIB AMHERST WITH 10 OF THE SURVIVORS, FULL PAKTICULIRS OP THE L033 OF THE SHIP, AND SUBSEQUENT UNPARAKALLED SUFFERINGS OP THE PASSENGERS AND GREW. On Monday morning, January 13th, Invercargill was thrown into a state of much excitement by the receipt of a telegram from the Bluff, stating that the ■whaling brig, Amheret, Captain Gilroy, had just couae in, having on board a number of people (among them one woman), rescued at the Auckland Islands, where they had been enduring great hardships during the long period of nearly two years. By degrees people became aware that one more dreadful catastrophe had to be added to the long list of disasters at sea. That a goodly ship, with some eighty souls on board, and bearing a valuable cargo, had, in the darkness and gloom of night, and with appaling suddenness, been dashed to destruction on the rooky shore of a desolate island. By the time the train arrived from the Bluff, shortly after 12 o'clock, a large crowd had collected on the platform in the expectation that the survivors would be up with it ; they did not, however, reach town until about half-past five in the afternoon (a special train having been sent down, for them), at which time a dense crowd had also collected, who expressed their sympathy with the sufferers by cheering them warmly as they stepped from the carriages, numbers of the people pressing forward to shake hands. The female survivor, Mrs Jewel, wife of one of the seamen saved, arrived under the immediate caro of Mrs Taylor, wife of His Honor the Superintendent, who had, with commendable promptitude hastened to the Bluff to offer the sufferers her sympathy and assistance. The Btory of the General Grant possesses features of interest just less thrilling than that of the ill-fated London, to which vessel she bore, we might say, a somewhat ominous relation, having been freighted in great part with the wool intended for. her homeward cargo. She left Melbourne under the command of Capt. j William H. Loughlin, with a fall cargo, i and complement of eighty-three souls on board — a Btout aud noble ship — on the 4fch of May, 1868, proceeding on her homeward voyage to London, via Cape Horn. When only nine days out, during a dark fo^gy night, the dim outline of land was seen, still no immediate danger seems to have been apprehended, the ship's cours? was simply altered to give it a wider berth. An hour afterwards, more land is seen, and fears begin to be felt. There is but little wind, not enough to render successful the manoeuvres adopted to extricate the ship from her perilous position. Gradually> but inexorably as fate, the treacherous current drifts her on the iron coast, and in about two hours from the first appearance of dangershestrikeswithaheavycrashagainst theperpendicularwall of rock. Easingoff a little, and still mastered by the current, the helpless vessel was carried up a narrow cove ending in a huge cave, into which she ■was carried, her towering masts, mingled with pieces of rock, being sent in splinters to the deck through contact with the roof. Of the horrors of that nwful night, spent in that dismal vault, with the groaning, straining ship, and the angry, sullen splash of the surging water ever sounding in their ears, those only who have escaped can form a just conception. At last the never doubtful contest between wood and iron and rock is over — the struggles of the ship have but hastened her own destruction, — the roof of the cave has forced her mast through her bottom, and the hungry waters rush in. Slowly she nils, and settles down, down ; — the people prowd hor poop, but no hope. Still the waters rise, anct none can save her. At last she gives a shiver, a plunge ; there is one Jong, wild shriek, and all is over — the ."General Graut" has disappeared for ever, 1 and her living freight: left struggling with ' the j seething waters. Of the eighty-three souls who but a short white before were full of lite, and life's busy projects,, aud all the hope* and anticipation* incident to a homeward voyage, only fifteen survived the wreck of the ship, and gained a landing on the island. Of these fifteen, four it is feared, have since perished at sea, having bravely volunteered to risk their lives in the forlorn hope of reaching these shores in a.

small boat, without compass or guide of any Bort, save the suu by day and the stars by night, that; they might Bend succour to their comrade*, while one died during their captivity .• thua teu only have lived to tell the tale,, We cannot conclude without referring to the noble manner in whioh the wants of the sufferers were attended to on beard the Araherst. It would be superfluous to Bay much, It was a providential circumstance that Bhe fell in with the poor oast* away a at all, and having fallen in with them, Capt. Gilroy and his company Beem to have done everything which humanity could Biiggesb and circumstances would permit to alleviate the suffering* of the strangers, It must have, entailed a great gaoriftco on the owners, to leave . the whaling ground in the middle of the season while the ship was not nearly filled up, not to speak of the extra exponse incurred in maintaining for some two months so large an addition to the brig's complement of hands. The action of the Amberat deserves, beyond all doubt, substantial cknowledgement at the hands of the Government, and will we doubt not be suitably recognised. Of the particulars of the disaster, and the survivors mode of life while on the island, their weary waiting and watching, we will leave them to speak for themselves in the following. I»ARRATIVE OF THE WRECK. For which wo are indebted to Mr James Teer, one of the passengers saved, (formerly well and favorably knoWn as acting pilot in the early d lys of Hdkitika) by whom the events were originally chronicled, and to Mr Wm. Murdoch Sanguily, by whom they were subsequently transcribed from the original manuscript (sealskin parchment written with charcj.il) while on bo.ird tho Amherst ; The ship General Grant, Gtiptaiu, Wm. H. Loughlin, left Hobson's Bay, on Friday, May 4th, 1866, bound to London, with eighty-three souls on board. Experienced fine weather with light westerly winds until the 11th, when the weather became thick and foggy, and the captain ordered a look-out for land to be kept on the 12th, as he had taken no observation after 8 R.m. on the 11th. A sharp look-out was ordered to be kept on Sunday, 13th for the land, which whs sighted at half past ten o'clock p.m. on the weather or port bow. The watch below was called on deck and orders given to square away the yards, to clear her from the land, which was instantly done. The land was soon lost sight of, and I weut to bed. But as I had not fallen asleep I heard the man on the look-out give the cry of " Land on our starboard bow." While I was below the captain had hauled her on her course again, The land had the appearance of a fog bank and it was on our lee beam, about three or four miles distant. The wind was fast falling away, and in a few minutes it was a dead calm. I afterwards noticed that in this region westerly winds fall away at nighfc, and commence to blow with the rising sun. The land first sighted was Disappointment Island, one of the Auckland group. The captain thought ho could pass between it and the Main Island, but as I mentioned before that the wind lud fallen to a dead calm, the ship was totally unmanageable. The captaiu did all in his power, with every f|aw of wind from the flapping sails, but his attempts were useless. The yards were hauled in every possible direction that might enable the getting his ship off of the shore, but all to no purpose, as the heavy S.W. swell was constantly setting he"r" nearer and nearer to the fatal rocks. About 12 or 1 a.m. the ship was close to the shore, and the current seemed to be setting her nod hward along the coast, until a rock stopped her progress. She touched it with her jibboom and carried it away. She then* shot astern to another point, which she struck with her spanker boom and rudder, injuring Severely the man at the wheel. It \va* just half- past one a.m. 6n the 14th. The two points Struck formed the entrance to a cove, Her head fell off towards the cove, and her side was rubbing againt the perpendicular rocks. Owing to the darkness, we saw nothing save the dark mass-above and around us. Lamps were held ovei the side, as the ship was lying very easily, We could then see the overhaugiug rocks, and no place where a bird could rest upon them. Soundings were taken, and ] think it was twenty*flve fathoms under her stern, and all the while she kept working into the cave. The boats were then thought of, but the captain finding her lying so easy, and piecos of spars and rock coming continually %own, made it dangerous to attempt getting them out uutil daylight. The water being so smooth as we entered the cave that he concluded it was best to wait till daylight before he would be able to launch them. The ship continued to go farther into the care. She caught the overhanging rocks with her fore royal mast, and carried it away; the topmast and lower masfc also fell ; the stumps of the oiasts touching the top of the cave brought down large pieces of the rocks ; one piece went through her forecastle deck, while another went through her starboard deck .house. Duringthis timoall on board, kept aft as the after part of the ship still continued, to be safe. Nearly at daylight the inizzin top-gallant> mast came down and at daylight the captaiu gave ordere to get the boats in readiness. There were three boats on board, two quarter- boats, each twentytwo feet over all and five feet beam, ana a long boat, thirty feet keel, and six or seven feet beam. A quarter boat was )i n ea... launched over the stem by m^ane

of a spar rigged for the purpose, Iv this ( boat there were three men, Peter M'Nevin, ( Andrew Morison, and David M'Clollnud A.8.3. A line and some iron were placed in the boat to be used as an anchor , ( and droppod outside to haul out the i other boats with, she waß hlbo to aeo if i a landing could bo made outside the cave. | This boat was expected to i^turn for i inoro persons, bat owing to some mis- ] understanding of the orders given, she i laid outaide, and did not return. In the i mean time, the second boat waa got j ready. A quantity of beef and t>ork, i ai»d about fitty tias of bouilli were placed ] on board of her. This boat waa intended , by the captain, for the transmission of 1 wotfien an children to the first boat, and , then to return to the ship. Mi's Jewell i (stewardess), was made Fast to a rope, i and jumped into the water, her husband following her, and with the assistance of the i writer, both were got into the bout. After her, H. Caughley, and N, Allen (passengers), slid down the rope into t&e boat. These wereallthateould be takeniatho boat owing to tho heavy Bea which waa getting up. Tbis boat took five of her passengers to the other boat, leaving Mr Bartholmew Bi-own, CO., Mr N. Scott, Corn, Drew, A.B.s, and myself, who were to go back to the ship again for more. By this time the long boat then lying on the quarter-deck was filled with p.isßengers, nnd the ship was sinking rapidly (the main raasfc having evidently been driven through her bottom by contact with the rocks above),* till the boat with ifca cargo was floated off her decks. Owing to the small space in the cave we were obliged to Wait till the long boat wasquite cie^qt'theship-.but the sea breaking over he* filled her with water, and she was swamped when about 100 yards from ! the ship. We then went as near the ; boat as ifc was safe to go and saved three of the passengers, being all who were able to swim through the surf to us. L Ashworth, *)a33enger, William Sanguily and Aaron Hay man, two of the crew. Mr Brown wished to go to the ship to save hia wife Who #as on board ■ and also the Captain who was seed in the misxen topmast crosstrees. The hull of tho Ship was under water. The rest of us wished to save some of those in the water, but in a few minutes they were no more. One man was Been on the bottom of the boat and we made signtils to the outer boat to save him, but prudence forbade them from , rendering him any- assistance, as the boat ; was so near the rocks, with the sea break- , ing heavily. When the mate wished again to return to the ship, we thpUghtifc i useless, as W6 Were unable' to render assistance, and placed ourselves in great i danger owing to the heavy sea and the constant increase of wind. While outside deliberating upon what was best to be i done, I had an. opportunity of seeing the 1 whole of the cave. The rocks around it, I think, were about^ 400 feet high, and orerhangirig> The ship wua \n ttride'riieath ; these about two lengths of herself. The ! coast, as far as we could see, was high, 1 perpendicular rocks, and we saw uo possii bility of landing. We now consulted ' with each olher, and with those in the * other boat, upon what Was best to be done. We concluded we could not assist i those insidej aB it was only edddtige"rmg ourselves, 6wiiig to the constant increase of sea and wind. We thought it besc to i pull to Disappointment Island, about six , miles distant iv a westerly direction. We ; had more trouble than we anticipated to • get there; out* boat having such a quantity i of beef and pork and bouilli tins in her '. and seven men, it was only with Incessant ! baling we (Jdiild 1 keep' oiit tho water which 1 from time to time she lifted. Ooco or twioe she was all but full, and at last we gave up and intended to run our chance i among the rocks to leeward, trying at the i same time to gdfc as far: towards the north end of the island as possible, hoping to i find a beach where some might get ashore ; I but as We pfddee"ded to the nor'fchward, we saw that the sea and wind were decreas--1 ing. We again pulled head to wind, 1 and seeing a large rock about one nnd a- , half miles distant to the N.E. of Dis- ; appointment Island we palled for it, and : reached it jusfcdt dark. The other boat, : which, like ourselvesj had given up, . before it moderated, cairie to the island , about t\verity minutes after we did. At t this place we put iv a most miserable i night, wet asd cold, aud without a drink ; of water. We opened some bouilli tins 3 but little of their contents were eaten. . We were obliged to keep on our oars all I night so as to prevent our being blown - off the land. At daylight on the 15th we , attempted to pull round the uorfch end of i tho main island, but owing to the inp creasing sea and wind during the night . we could make but about half a mile after , an hour's pulK We turned back and \ during the day we were able [ to reach Disappointment Island where ? we found good shelter, but on \> attempting to make a lauding with the 5 boat containing the provisions she was [ capsized. We were able to save but j three pieces of pork and nine bouilli ; tins. The other boat regained the i swamped one, baled her out, and > her crew got on board again from i the rocks. We afterwards landed, got some water, but were not able to procure any wood for a fire. The wind was ■ falling away, and about 10 a-m. it was a dead calm. We pulled away, and succeeded in rounding the north end of the island (main) and entered a place called North Harbor ; but, not thinking it a fit place to Btop at, at daylight on the 16fch started again, and reached Port Boss. On that evening camped within quarter of a mile of the trees marked by the steamers Victoria and Southland, on Enderby's old settlement, but did not notice them at that time. Had a few matches : tried one aud it lighted, but, as We had ho dry brush or grass in readiness, it was wa3ted. Gathered some dry wood aud grass, but could get but one match out of all that remained to light. From this one match we obtained a fire, which, by constant care, we never allowed to go out during the eighteen months we were lon the lplanji. Boiled one ox two birds

obtained on Disappointment Island and one tia of bouilli. Gathered some limpets, which were cooked with the birda in the empty brmilli tina. This was our flrat meal alter thrcd days and two nights of suffering, and never did Bumntuous repast taste better to a king than did this frugal meal to us, On the 17th gathered aotne | limpets and made our breakfast. Having i now but seven tinß of bouilli, we kept j thorn for cases of sickness. Pulling along ' the south side of the bft£, we Fell in with an old hut : the walls had fallen in, and Ihe roof rested on the rafters. We left one boat and nine persons to fix up the hut and arrange it for the night. The other boat started in Bearch of a better Bhelter, and were fortunate enough to find some old huta, one of which was in pretty good condition. We went back with the news, gathered Borne limpets, took our Rupper, and retired to rest on a shake down of grass juatgathered. KeXtmorniug, 18th, made a breakfast on limpets, when one of the boats started to explore, and the other boat started for the hub. This d^y Fortune again favored us. We killed four seals on the sandy beach at Enderby's Island : saw the goats which the Victoria had landed there, but we did not succeed in catching any of them. Saturday, 10. — Pulled round Enderbys Island in search of Musgrave'a hut, but we knew not at this time where it Wassitiiated. Weintend; ed leaving no apdt od the 1 island without a thorough search, as we expected to find there a depot for clothing arid provisions. I may here mention s^me of us were without shoes or stockings, while some had neither these nor coats or hats to keep them warm in a cold and Wet cl'tnate. We had four or five knives amongst us. Our only cooking utensils consisted of four or five empty bouilli tin 3. We were able to roast the seal oa the fire, and boil sonic sd as to drink the broth, but the worst thing w&s the want ot salt* Sunday, 20tb; — Bested from Our labors as We Were' tiearly knocked lip. Monday, 21. — Andrew Morjson, Cornelius Drew, P. M'Nevin, David M'Clelland, Win. Ferguson and I started to go along the coast (east) to seek for Musgrave's hiifc, looking in all the bays as we proceeded. Night coming on we camped, havirtgbrought fire in the boat. We alao brought some cooked seal and a piece of pork, which was saved from the boat which was capsized. 22nd.—KamaintiJ here} owing to the Weather. 23rd. — Started again, but wefe dbilged 1 to put back on account of thick fog which was coming oil: The seal beirig finished, wo Were obliged td gather shell- fish; Miissles were plentiful, and seal could not be got. 24th. — Again started. All of U3 were taken sick with dysentry. Made but little progress. In the afternoon it rained and blew very hard, and we put in a small bay about five miles to the north of Carnley's Harbor Here we got a seal, but beitlg .all, sick,. We dat sparingly, as we fancied the seal was unhealthy. We passed a miserable nighfc, wet and cold We found the remains of an old niiami where we fancied some unfortunates like ourselves had camped. 25th— "Took some raw seal and again started. On coming to the entrance of MusgraVeV . Bay, we tfero 'inable to go further. We cfid riot lindw at hhk tirtie this wasthebay we were in search of, being so much reduced by toil and dysentry, we gave up the search. We were so weak we could scarcely lift our oars out of the water. It was then we found relief from the piece df pork which had been for" so long hoarded up. Sonle \VeVe friable, dwirig td sickness"* to eat even their small allowance • while those who ate it found relief and gained strength, enabling us to pull to one of the bays, where we camped for the night. 26th. — 'Started again, but were not able to reach home. Camped in a small bay about five mile 3 north of the place" left that morning Here We killed a seaL \te remained here till the iJjSJfch, whetl we arrived home. We found here all sick like ourselves ; and, in fact, they were raduced to mere skeletons, and we did not know each other after an absence of eight days. All things tave an end. It was wonderful to see how fast we improved when we\,got a little Used td. our rieyt mode of life. Still thought Afdsg'raWfl hut could be found. Made an attempt to make a sail of the New Zealand flax, which grows in small quantities at the old settlements. During this time some of those barefooted tried to make shoes out of the seal's skin, but did not succeed very Well. One day I thought of the mocassin and made a pair for P. M'Nevin. Soou after this all h&uds were able to make them for themselves. These were good substitutes during our stay on the island. I made some needles from the bone of the albatross ; also some salt. The salt was made in a piece of an old broken pot which I found at tho hut. It held half a pint of water at a time, therefore the quantity made was small and useless. 2(3th of Juno.— 'A sail having been made from the seal's skin, one of the boats again started in search ol Musgrave's hut. I was unwell, and therefore did not go in the boat. After much suffering from the inclemency of the weather and camping out in the rain, snow and wet, the long looked for hut was found on the 11th of July. But picture our disappointment, instead ol finding a well stocked depot we found nothing of value except an old boiler, afterwards used to boil salt in and some old canvass which lined the inside of the hut, all else having been carried away. The boat returned on the 13th. Bui during the absence of the boat we were searching around home with our othei boat. We found the papers and the trees marked by the Victoria and Southlaud at the old settlement^ where we learned thai there was nothing of any value to us left by them, and that we might give up all hopes of either steamers returning to these islands. Saw some pigtracks at the head of the bay, but nc piga. Wheu the boat returned, thej were all well, and when we were told what was left in the hut, we offered uj: many a hearty prayer. .'

On the return of the boat's orew they I wished all lian la to go to Husgrave'e hat as it was larger than ours, and tho »eal wer« more p'entlfulonflhtpart of tbeishn^. After allttle con* slderation it was deoidadthat half were to stop, and the ot'ior half to go to m* grave's hut, bo aa to k?ep a look-out for passing ships, or & lealpp that might enter at either end of the Island. 14th of July—Some who were away in the boat \tuhad to sea the papora left by the steamers j went to tho settlement, and while there they v»e?o fortunate enough to flad an ©mi Iwlongidg to i stove j this male & good pot for cooking in. During the boat's, absence we visited a small Hand Iving between Enderby's and the niatn isla.nl, whora an old hut was foind all ready fitted up with throe bunfca, some wearing apparel, a few oU bouiUt tins, an old adze, and a sp >do. The hut appeared as though recently vacated, aa tiia hind part of a seal was still hanging to a tree. Rabbits wore very numerous, butwe had no means of (»afoh« in? any i we gave it the name of Rabbit Island. 18th-»went to HJudorby's for seal, and caught three kids, and found one dead j we tied lip tho^e that were alive thinking to catoh the old ones suckling them, but as ihfl boat started liaok to Musgrave's on the 19:h, did tidt go back till the day after. One kid Was do>td, bdt we oaii^hfc the mother of the two other kids, da I brodglifc them home. A. few day* later iound another oven at the settlement, and s'o&o gilranizod iron, from which we male frying pans • tho oven was used to mako salt in. After (his the weather was very cold, and we oottld Seldom get a day to go for seal as we were oblige! to use the boat for this purpose;. no seal cou'd be got where we were living. Nearly all out* tirtie Was ecdployed in mending o'dthes. At night we cradled into our grassy beds bulging close to one another to keep warm, the frut being colder than when tho otherdightwerethere. Tue eigitatMdsgme'ahut, I imagine, lived pretty muoti as we did, lUt as 1 was not therj I am unable to give the particulars of their moio of living, but when I nuatiou our mode of living I suppose th -ir3 is the same. Ist September— Caught a goat and brought her home, having then four live animals sharing our hilt with us. We tried every means to" manufacture seal's Bkiri into clothes aa those wa had left wete all thwatbHre, and the skins we li\l to kedp tiswariri tit night were like boards. We scrubbed them with Sand, rind esratfed them with glass, but to no purpose. At last t hit upon a successful plan. I was trying to get a patch for mr trousers, and thought of paring the Skin 3 with aTknifoj.bu't I cut a hole in every square nch ; t saw the plan would answer byparfrig the dried skins clctee to the roots of the hairj the akin was then" -ieij soft, and by perseverance and pnotica I found thM we would be able to make clothes much better than we imagined. (?n September }9th. alter seven weefcs of vory Beve'ro weather, the boat returned from Miisgrave's bringing some seal, thinking we might be s'lort, owing J.o their scarcity, but they fouri lus all rijhb. Weather being fine they started the next morning, and reached the hufc at mUnigbfc. F. P. Caughey, D. Ash'wonh, and in fact nearly all of U3 were taken sick.wiih a swelling of the linfta, which commenced at the stomach, and worked its way to the legs and fept, rendering them almost helploss. At first thought it was tho scurvy, aa fie swollen parts when any pressure came upon them retained the indenta'ian made for quite a long" tiirie" I but we have since found out that the disease is knotfn to whalers by the name of the "Cobbler. 1 * The weather being fine w.i ware able to gd about int search of anything U3eful. On Krictarbya we killed some fur se il, the skins of which when pared iriaie 1 blartket3. Wj found a couple of files, a gun uirtf-, And dne or two old knives at the old huts. We m*di sorefa tinder, which saved each man the trouble of a two hour's watch over tho fire at nighc. October 6th — While at Babbitt Island a Bhip was seen, fires were started on tho island, four of Us took the boat ani made a cha'e b*ut ec/iild ndt Oitcli her^ She must have seen tlie rfrrtofce'; as vta w^.*e within a couple of miles from her, an 1 a3 she was ptfasirfg ift we hjisted the sail to attract her attention, bu"t on she went leaving us to pull home in low spirits. This camed rieits to be paid to Rabbit lalan 1 very often. There we got a nnmbor of rabbits by knocking them over with 1 Bticks. As spring set In we got soiris soa- fowls eggs, wliich Were 4 great change, and caught q lite a number df fish. About November Ist, we caught another goat, rtncf dtl the Bth of. December, the other boat returned for gocftl. We Were at this fiine able to make coats, vests and trousers o\it. of the seal's skin. Those who hal been at Mus>rave's had nothing made of seal's skin, but after making some sails for the boat they pitched up their clothes with the remaining pie-es of caavas. One day while at the old huts, which ha 1 been burned, when gathering nails, found an axe; and the same day those at home g~ob one in the stump of M did tree in" front of the hut we lived iv. We co>nm°erl(!e°d to fit up* tho boat for a passage to New Zealand, as before the suminfer was over she was expected to start — D.V. The boat left on January 22nd, '67, not being able to star" fc before on account of the weather. Her crew consisted of Bartholomew Brown, chwf-offijer, William Newton Scott, Andrew Morrison, Petsr M'Nevin, Aiß's. The boat had been decked orer witli seal's Bkin. They carried about 30 gallons of water in seal's gullets, a' so some seal's meat, and the flesh of thi'^e goats, and about twenty doze i of eggs — "all coolie'dL There" was also a very sma'l stove made by W. N. Slcolt, add eoms charcoal to burn in it. They had no compasS of nautical instrument of any sort. They did not know 1 the cou 1 se as they thought that steering east-north-east would bring them to New Zealand, but since We have learned that the course was north, or a little to 1 the west of north. Whei the boat left the widd wipta 3.W.* but it shifted the flrat night to the N.W. with raid, It blew very hard most of the night. On the 23rd it shifted to" the S.W. and remained so till the 29th with fine weather, giving them ample time to reach New Zealand if th-*y survived the first night. There is a possibility that they might have made Campbell Islan Is, a* they are about 100 miles in an eastarly direction, if 80 they are most likely there still. After the boat was away about five weeks we bagan to give her up, and thought of keeping a look-out on Enderby's for parsing ships, and where seal might be procured without the constant use of the boat, which we were obliged to take groat care of. Bth March — Went to Enderby's and built two huts, also built a small hut for a lookout station, where a look-out was kept from day light till dark all the time we were on the island, the men taking it in turn. On the 23id of April we gathered a pile of wood for lighting as a signal, in case a ship was seen. When the huts were being built we went to North Harbor in search of boards along the beach, and saw quite a ? number of pigs. We caught a small one, and ' were within five or six feet of several largs ones, I but could catch none. Any sort of weapon would • have been of great use. Seal being very plentiful , on Enderby's we had' but little trouble in procuring enough to eat. Befow the whiter Bet in we ' went to Musgrave's an I brought some casks, and ' the old boiler for making salt in. Salted some i seal down, and it was well we did so, as tho winter f was very severe. Had we been living at the old j [ hut we should pwbaWy have been obliged quite often to have gone without anything to eat, aa | ' there were three or four weeks together tho boat ' could not have been used. Our original woollen > clothes being all warn out, it took \n all our time to mend and manufacture seal's skin coats, and make : thread from the New Zealand flax. About this [ time we found, on the mainland on a point inside ' Enderbv's Island, a stave on which whb written with charcoal the words " Minerva — 4 men, 1 I officer— Leith— May 10th, 1864 — March 25th, ; 1865," A nun's name had evidently been added, - but was illegible. From the relative position of ' the words, our impression was, that the ' word Leith. had reference to tho man or I men, and not to the Minerva. During the \ month of June wo caught a small pig, which was . kopt three months iiefore she was killed. On the ) 3rd of September, 1867, David M'Lelland, an old man of 62, who had passed through all our hard l ships, departed this life. This sad event, ' owing to its suddenness, and which by many wob ) entirely unexpected, cast a feeling of deep gloom . upoijj'us. He was buried upon the saud . bill o»

Bndarby Island. Prenoiw to hU death he stated; that he was born in Ayr, Sootland* and hal, fa* Mtue yoarc. boan oiaployed by tho flwn of fifostut Toild and M : Grre?or in Glasgow. HU wife atUl resiles in Partiok. Glasgow, We wera badly off for some m*an« of oiptu' l 'in(» the niija, but at Itt^ hit upon the following plan : — v*o ■> » 1 * •»);> them in tho bay several tines and oout I v iloli 'voqq t I at last proposed a " hook," wtiiuH ,was rf Ifaiilod hyjqnta, but I determined to ipy.it, and 4\t had idirfe piedjs df oil irtfa, that f.«ord time tef time ware Diokad up, I got a half-inch boll and pointed ifc. bent it hi the shape of as good a hot* as might be expected under the oifoumstanoea, and then made a flax line, secured it to th> hook, and made the hook slightly fast to a pole 10 fwi long. A. few days later we saw pigs on the beaoh. triad 'ho hook and found it » suwess. I hooked a fin-> sow, the rod pullin? from the fastening of the hook, leaving her fast to the rope j alto caught a son 1 ! one. We all made hooks, bdt a£ the Weathef was still bad we tfera unable td g*J oiit to ,iho place where tfia pigs nfcrat. plentiful. Threi ( .or four ; weeks. later, oi^goW atangthe thpre wa got another pig. We h»a not ridr hooks refcly but a?, he took to the w^ter we caught him by means of the bo»t. Next day Were prepaid with ou 1 * h<Wkß-^uvr sovrti arid caught three, 1 pro Tin? the suooess df 0U«? tt'oa'pbii for pig hunting. Two days after {his went ttf North H r*)or, or a^ we hare na^ied it, Pig Bay. Killed two large pisp and brought home nine small ones alive. Had we been anoustomed to tb»" hooks we would have got many more. Following week krle I seven and brought five small one* »Ure hoTU > . Were not out again for two weeks j thU tiirie.was tafen Up iri fiiirfgowrpig-^ardsand in planting ortf potatoes. _ I fo'r^op to , mention; thit about th'q old huts in different ps»rfc of the, island tfiiiqh had been pwvioualy used as g \fdgni by tlis old settlers,, wo found some very small poUtded growing vfifd.^ M>urkedthe place? where th*y grew, and when ripe 1 gathered fchfiri for seed* About this time we sent off a small boat iri me* hope that some vessel might pick it up, and that lam of our existence. We subsequently sent off another small boat and at various times we sent otf the inflated bladders of tha piga and goats we b'lleo! witfl a slip of Wood attiched to them. 1 The boats wero formed Cf a rd'ugh piec:e of Woad 1 / about three feet lons, to whidll by way of keel^ t attached a heavy piece of iron so as to irini tW little craft by the stprn. to keep her beforS. iml wind, a sflor4 sjSoiitplxst with a tin, sail completed the : little vessel.- Ori.tlw deck of the boat was' carved the Bhip's name, dafo,; dni place of wreok^ number of survivors, and thadf^te' otf which thrf boat itself was launched. The Batne were also punched with a nail into the tiri «lil/ and carved on tho labels attached to the bladder^ We also pufc the words " want relief" on the bowVoftlHs boats and on thqsail* and lab^lff: Another boat and stfvefai Welders -were ready to 1 bp sent adrift when we* vifofe take^i off by «W I iLmherst. AH the seeds planted ity tho Southland are dead. The next time we were At Fig Bay, nine* j ui^s were killed, and caught 3 small ones'. It rafined 1 thardia the afternoon. Wj took shelter, atfdl i* j did not clear till the next morning. After stana- \ ing ftiviid the fira all night, in the morning felt I more like sleeping tfeui prig-hunting, co we started for home. We salted the pigs down. We wure preparing to go out dgarint and bifild a btft far shelter us from the rain as We" intended to salt all the pigs we got fora winter's stocli. We were to 1 let loosd all the small ones on EnderbVff to' stocfc the island. Seal were getting scarce tttii ous' troubles wer<» soon to end. 19th NovembeY Hie man on the look-out sighted a Bail to the east wtftf* of tiw island wh eh afterwards proved to be the "Fanny" (nutter) bound to this island, but as she passed 1 on without seeming to notice the smoke we made as a signal to her we bogari to give up all hopes not knowing tbafr relief was so rtear at hand. Oh the 2"lst NoveW :ber sightel the ht\* Anriierst, Ciiptain F, Q-ilroy, of Fnvercargul, nldcfing along the lanoi from the southward. Tha bdit was launched^ and we pulled and got on board. We were very" i kindly receive! by bbth officers and crflw". On? ttte following morning, after nearly nfoefeetf months off ttte severest hardships all of us weta* taken aboard. Z&id I—Let1 — Let loose the pizs uporf the island for the benefit df others. iWhenai of us were aboard, we had such" clothes- given us as could be well Bpared by both the ofEeera rfridcrew of the bri? Am'ier ?t. For these were we and are ntfoat thankful. E ery thing aboard was given witfr tha greatest kindness, and in fact we could not be better. treated by them. December s—We5 — We aw' the Fanny (cutter) in Carnley's Harbor. C ha* cc/ptalri hs,\ in* seen tho papers left by tha Vie* toria" at Mu»grave's, ou the back of whieTi we had 1 ' written our na'iries, where we -were, and the name' of ship in which We were wrecked, had put his' casks ashore, and was ou the 1 way to look for us' when we saw him. For this we ftiel greatly thankful to Captain Ackers and the ere vr of Sb* " Fanny Cutter."