AUCKLAND ISLANDS SEARCH EXPEDITION.

Southland Times, Issue 890, 29 January 1868, Page 2

AUCKLAND ISLANDS SEARCH EXPEDITION.

The following correspondence has been handed to us for publication : — • Superintendent's Office, Southland, New Zealand, 20th January, 1868. Sib, — You will doubtless have received intelligence by the " Tararna," which left the Bluff Harbor immediately after the arrival at that port of the Southland whaling brig, "Amherst," Captain Gilroy, of the discovery on the Auckland Islands of the survivors of the crew and passenaers of the TJ.S. ship, " General Grant," which * left Melbourne on the 4th May, 1866, with a cargo of wool and 59 passengers, for London. It is unnecessary for me now to give you any detailed account of this terrible disaster, as you will find a copy of the depositions of the persons examined before the Court of Inquiry, and also a full account of the events attending their rescue, in the papers which I send enclosed. I have requested Mr James Teer, an old New Zealand settler, formerly pilot at Hokitika, who waa a passenger on board the " General Grant," to wait upon you and give you any more particular information you may desire. This is now the fourth wreck which is known to have happened at the Auckland Islands within as many years, and it would be well could some means be adopted to diminish the risk of accidents in future, by maintaining a light on some prominent point on the windward side of the main island, as this group is in the direct course of vessels going from the Australian ports, eastwards. As this, however, is a matter which doas not lie within the scope of provincial authority, I must content myself with suggesting the idea to you, and communicating on the subject with the General Government of New .Zealand. In the meantime it is my intention, as soon as the weather moderates, to send out the brig Amherst to explore the adjacent groups of Islands — the Campbell, Bounty, and Antipodes Islands — on the, I fear, very remote chance, of picking up the four men viz., the mate and three of the crew, who left the Auckland Islands in one of the " General Grant's" boats, on the 22nd January, 1867, in the hope of reaching New Zealand, who have not since been heard of, but who may by bare possibility have fetched the Campbell Islands. I enclose a map of the Auckland group, made by Mr Baker, Chief Surveyor of this Province, when he visited it two years ago, in the steamer *' Southland," in Bearch of the survivors of the "Gra'ton." Had there been time I would have had it lithographed, and sent you a number of copies for the use of shipmasters, but you will probably be able t'> get that better done in Melbourne. You will perceive that the East Coast is so indented with deep bays that it is very unlikely any vessel could come to harm on that side, which ia, moreover, the one most rarely approached ; but the west side is precipitous, iron-bound, from one end to the other. I have had prepared here, and instructed the captain of the brig " Amherst " to leave at the different points — marked with red figures on the map Nos. 1, 2, 3 — casks containing each the articles named in the subjoined list, for the use of any persons who may unfortunately be cast away there in future. No. 1. Head of Saddle Hill Inlet. No. 2. Musgrave's hut (with notice on Musgrave's Peninsula where to find it.) No. 3. Old settlement (Enderby's), north of Laurie Cove. Articles stowed at each of the above places in casks. — Large-sized pocket compass, with floating card (variation marked), and sailing directions for reaching New .Zealand j matches, flint, steel, tinder, axe, knives, fishhooks and lines, warm clothing and blankets, hammer, saw, chisel, nails, gimblet, spade, a few tins of preserved meat and biscuits, a chart, viz., a tracing of the one now sent, and a small map of New Zealand, a few watertight boots, and stockings, needles and thread, camp-oven, pannikins, and a little ordinary medicine. No. 4. Enderby's Island — On this Island have been turned out four goats (left by the Victoria), also sixteen pigs. There are here plenty of rabbits, and any number of seals, which can be easily captured without boats. Here also have been left two old axes, two ovena, and a boiler. It would be well to make it kaown that mutton birds abound on all the islands. These birds form a' staple article of food to the natives of Southern New Zealand, and to many of the settlers. The " General Grant's " crew were not aware of this, though they had passed twenty months on the islands, till told of it by the "Amherst's" men. The birds burrow like rabbits, or like the English sand marten, and their nests can be reached by the hand. Captain Gilroy is also instructed to leave casks with similar contents on Bounty Island, and at the Campbell Islands, and also to turn out some pigs and goats, and, if I can get them in time, some wood-hens and rabbits. As I have no chart of these last-named places, I cannot indicate the exact spot where the stores will be found ; but, on the return of the expedition, I will forward you a copy of the report of the officer in charge, which will give a description of the exact locality. I hope that these little precautions may be the means of alleviating the sufferings of any unfortunates who may in future be cast away on these islands ; but I hope still more strongly that there may never be any need to test their usefulness. I have received a telegraphic message from the Colonial Secretary to give free passages to the crew and passengers of the " General Grant " to Melbourne, and they will sail accordingly by the "Otago" to-morrow. j I have the honor to be, Sir, Tour obedient servant, (Signed) Jno. P. Taylor, Superintendent. 1 The Hon. the Chief Secretary, Victoria. Superintendent's Office, Southland, 27th January, 1868. His Honor the Superintendent of the Province of Otago. SlBi — Having seen in the papers an account of a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of Dunedin, at which it seems to have been decided that it was advisable to send a steamer to the Auckland and Campbell Islands, to search for the four missing men of the survivors of the crew of the " General Grant," and learning that

a deputation intended to wait on your Honor with a similar object, L have thought it rnisht be well that you should be made acquainted, for your guidance, with the steps already taken in the matter by the Government of this Province. The enclosed copy of a letter to the Chief Secretary of Victoria, will put you in possession of them. The " Amherst" sailed on Saturday morning with a fair wind. She is fitted out and subsidised by the Southland Government, and in charge of Mr H. Armstrong, a member of the Provincial Council, and formerly an officer of the P. -and O. Company — being commanded and manned by the same persons that were in her on her lest trip, men who are acquainted with every part of the. various groups of islands from long experience in whaling and sealing there ; so that I have no doubt that what can be done to carry out my instructions will be judiciously and effectively accomplished. I have only to add that the sufferers, ten in number, left by the ".Otago " for Melbourne, all in excellent health, and well supplied by the Government with clothing, and by a committee of the inhabitants of Invercargill, with money. I would venture to suggest that the benevolent feelings of the citizens of Otago, which appear to have been moved chiefly in behalf of the shipwrecked men, might now be properly turned in another direction, viz., towards the owners and crew of the " Amherst." Not to reward them for doing a good deed, for which I am sure every man of them already feels sufficiently rewarded in having done it, but to compensate them for the actual loss they have undergone in maintaining the sufferers so long on board (two months), and in at length leaving their fishing ground in order to bring them here. I think it does not consist with the honor of the New Zealand public to allow this loss to fall on them alone, and I feel very sure that every colonist, both in New Zealand and Victoria, would gladly see their respective governments contribute towards a fund for the purpose of reimbursing them. I can at least answer for the people of Southland. — I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, Jko. P. Taylob, Superintendent. P.S. — I enclose, for the information of your Honor's Government, a copy of a rough map of the Auckland Islands, marked in like manner to that sent to the Chief Secretary of Victoria, with numbers in red, indicating the places where stores will be lefcbv <ho ' : Amherst." Superintendent's Office, Southland, 25th January, 1868. The Honorable the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Sir, — Referring to my several telegrams of 13th, 14th, and 24th inst., on the subject of the wreck of the U.S. "General Grant," and the rescue of the survivors of her crew and passengers from the Auckland Islands, by the brig " Amherst," and also to the copies of depositions taken before the Court of Enquiry, and forwarded to you by the last mail, I have now the honor to inform you that I have, according to your instructions, provided them with an outfit and passage to Melbourne by the " Otago," and will forward the necessary vouchers, so soon as they shall have been received at this office. The "Amherst" sailed this morning with a fair wind, well provided with everything I could think of as likely to be of U3e to persons who may in future unfortunately be wrecked on these or the neighboring islands ; the expedition being in charge of a gentleman, Mr H. Armstrong, formerly an officer in the P. and O. Company's service, and a member of my executive, who will, I am sure, do all in his power to carry out the intentions of the Government. You will see from the enclosed copy of a letter to the Chief Secretary of Victoria what the objects of the present expedition are. But these can go no further than to provide help for those who may be wrecked. You will perceive that I have suggested to the Chief Secretary the expediency of placing and' maintaining a light on som« elevated point of the west coast of the main island, as a warning and guide for the future. These islands have become so notorious of late years, from the number of wrecks they have caused, and they are so directly in the course of all homeward bound vessels from Australia, that I am sure the project will, now that is necessity is made clear, need no urging, either on the General Government of New Zealand, or on that of the Australian Colonies. As far as it affects our own commercial interests, I am aware that this matter concerns us very little, as our trading vessels do not go near these islands ; but the islands, I believe, belong to the colony of New Zealand, and at all events, New Zealand colonists are interested in doing their best to preserve the lives of their fellow subjects. I cannot doubt, therefore, that the General Government will gladly co-operate with that of Victorfa, and of the other Australian Colonies in taking such measures as may tend to prevent such terrible disasters in future. I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, Jno. P. Taylob, Superintendent.