THE SCHOONER DAPHNE.

Southland Times, Issue 1276, 8 July 1870, Page 2

THE SCHOONER DAPHNE.

In our last we gave particulars of the return to this port of the above vessel, with the report of the loss of her captain and five others ; also, of a meeting of citizens held on the subject, at -which it was resolved to institute a search for the Missing men. The committee appointed to ■carry f he wishes of the community into effect, was composed of Captains Elles, Greig, and T. J. Thompson, Messrs Wade, Gilmour, MTherson, Monckton, Hare, Crouch, M'Culloch, Joyce, and Hatch, met the following day, and put itself into communication with the Provincial Government on the subject. Ultimately, the particulars were telegraphed to the Premier, and a message was speedily returned to the effect that the General Government would guarantee to recoup the expense of the-expedifcioa-to j -"fche~ extent "of £200. The pubKo were thus relieved of all furtker trouble in the matter, the despatching of the search vessel being undertaken by the local Executive. Captain Thomson, harbor master at the Bluff, has taken command of the expedition, and will sail with the Daphne, well found and manned, and accompanied by two whaling crews with their boats, with the first favorable slant of weather. OFFICIAL jyQUIBY. An official inquiry took place before H. M'Cul* lock, Esq., 8.M., and A. J. Elles, Esq. , Nautical Assessor, on lhursday, but little of importance was elicited in addition to what was previously known: The three men who brought the vessel back were- examined at length, and agreed in all their statements, which may be summarised briefly BS-foflows - ..-...-.. - . The Daphne left New Biver Heads on 26th March, on s sealing and gold-recovery cruise to the Auckland Islands, with the following crew': — —Wallace, master ; J. Moss, mate ; D. Ashworth, second mate ; James Cossar, carpenter and diver ; J. Baillie, Frank Leinster, B. Leeman, and Robert Boyd, ordinary seamen ; and J. Cousins, cook and steward. Anchored in Port Boss on 11th April ; remained preparing for sealing till 19th. On the morning: of the 19th, the captain, Ashworth Mobs, Bailli*, Cossar and Leinster, left the vessel' in the whaleboat for the scene of the wreck of the General Grant, on the other side of the island to Port Boss, and about 12 miles off. The weather was' fine when the boat left, and continued fine, with easterly winds, for two days and a half, when it changed to sou-west, and blew a gale for 5 or 6 days. The whaleboat was leaky, but they had requisites onboard to repair any damageshe might receive: The men did not likegoirig in the whaleboat. They took about a week's provisions, and intended, if they did not hit the cave, to run round the island to;Carnley harbor. ; The^three men left in charge of the schooner waited five weeks, but the boat.neter returned. ' There was another boat on toaiiktutJi was Jop large to_be easily managed by three men. They took it once arid went to Pabbit Island, whence they had agood;yiewbf the coast They also ascended a hill once, from which a good view could be had. They saw no signal fires or anything else to attract their attention. After waiting five weeks, brought the vessel over to New Eiver. Left no notice of their departure. There was a depdt of provisions at Port Boes, which they did not disturb. His Worship commented on the fact that the men left in charge had made so little effort to discover the fate of their shipmates. They might easily have walked across the island — about six miles,— whence, they could have had a view of Disappointment Island, lying about two miles off the part of the coast where the cave is supposed toTexist, and where, very probably, the men would be had anything happened to their boat. He would not, however, like to speak too harshly of men left in circumstances so exceptional. He said the inquiry was rather an extraordinary one, from which no action could follow. It merely tended to elicit the facts of the case, and place, them on record. Messrs M'Pherson and Hatch, were present as representing the owners.