THE DEAD WHALE OVERHAULED.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 141, 13 February 1886, Page 5

THE DEAD WHALE OVERHAULED.

Mongonui, Tuesday. After calling at Mongonui, the Awhina put on steam and started for the North Cape, which we passed in advance of the Glenelg. We steamed along the northern coast, closely scanning the beaches of the Tom Bowling Bay, Spirits Bay, and the whole coastline past Cape Runga and Colombia Shoal, till Cape Maria Van Diemau was reached. No sign of wreck or wreckage was seen along our course,' and the weather being beautifully clear, and the sea but little disturbed, a view for a long distance was obtained. In caso wo might not bo ablo to land at the lighthouse, Captain Campbell got ready signals to communicate. As we approached we ran up the flags B.L , which according to code conveys the question, "Have you seen or heard anything of a vessel wrecked or in distress?" Other signals we had also arranged, to be determined according to the nature of the reply to the above, but we , were rather puzzled on one point, and that

was how to put the question, "Have you eeen any stray islands or rocks bobbing up serenely in deep water off Motupea ?" We were spared the labour of putting thia query by the epell1 ing code in consequence of the discovery on near approach, after we had e;iyen up the hope of landing, that it was quite feasible to land a boat on the lee side of the Lighthouse Island— a rocky bluff over 600 feet high, separated by a narrow channel from Cape Maria on the mainland.

Landing at the Lighthouse, o We came to a stand off the lighthouffl 25 hours after leaving Auckland, so that, allowing for the long detour caused by calling at Mongonui, we had travelled abcut 240 miles in very good time, the Awhina proving herself a good one to go. The whistle was blown, awaking strange echoes from the rocky bluff of the Cape, and a peculiar sound from the hills in tbo vicinity, and in response several figures appeared on the island, who made signs for us to land, as we had already resolved upon doing, for practised eyes had discerned a spot on the rocky shore where the waves did not break, and which proved to be a small rocky inlet, forming a good boat harbour. The dingy was launched, containing two Stab reporters, and was steered with some difficulty into the opening where, though the water was calm, a tremendous Bwell made her dance like a cockle boat. On shore, ready to receive us, were Mr McKay, lighthouse keeper, formerly of Tiritiri, with his two assistants. A line flung ashore was seized by one of the party, and the boat being partly steadied, we sprang ashore and heartily wrung the hands of the trio. In answer to our immediate question, " Have you se6n anything of a wrecked ship?" the prompt answer was " Yes." Immediately we wero all " ears to hear " the lighthousekeeper's narrative, which was as follows :—: — " We first saw what seemed to be a wrecked ship bottom up on Wednesday, the 3rd February, passing the lighthouse some ten miles out at sea, carried by the set of the tide from the north towards the west. We kept it in view during the day, but at night lost sight of it. On the Thursday, although we kept a sharp and constant lookout, we could see no sign of the wreck, and no wreckage was floating about, nor were there any boats to be seen. About 10 on Friday morning, the sth of February, we again caught sight of the wreck— this time close to the Pandora bank, and coming North with the set of the tide. She passed the lighthouse about two in the afternoon, and remained in sight till dark, drifting with the current. We saw the wreck again on Saturday, the 6th, and it remained, in sight till evening, when dusk came on, and we lost sight of her. She was bearing about northwest of the lighthouse." In reply fco the question : "What appearance did the wreck present ?" Mr McKay said the part out of the water had the apI pearance of a ship's stern or bilge, and was painted black or dark green. The apparent measurement was 60 feet long, and the wreck seemed to stand about 16 feet out of the water, the sea was calm and with the aid of the glass we got a good view of the wreck. The paint appeared to bo perfoctly fresh, and the timbers were perfectly sound and everything in gcod condition, so well could we see it that I am able to cay that the submerged portion of the wreck was painted a white colour." Our next question was*" Were there no signs of life or boats in the vicinity of the wreck." To this Mr McKay replied "No ; I pearched very carefullywith the glass, and there were no signs of men on any position of the wreck. At one time I thought I saw a large lifeboat half submerged alongside the wreck, but that was not visible the last time we saw her float past. Mr McKay said further : —'* The wreck we saw floating about was undoubtedly a large vessel, and is not improbable she was an English ship that had foundered in heavy weather." We asked : " Could you not have launched a boat and examined the wreck more closely ?" To this question the reply "was : "No; unfortunately, the only proper landingplace on the lighthouse is on the other side, in the channel between the island and the mainland. The boat was then where it is usually kept, on account of a heavy southerly swell. It was utterly impossible to launch it. Had the weather permitted, I would assuredly have put out to the wreck in the hope of saving life or of ascertaining some particulars. It might prove to be the three-masted schooner 0. E. Clarke, overdue from Melbourne, as she is a pretty big vessel, but she should not have appeared so far to the southward as this was seen." We informed Mr McKay of the report brought by Captain Savory of having seen what he thought was a new island upheaved in the ocean to the south-we3t of Motupea, but the idea of an island was laughed at. What Captain Savory saw, he said, was unmistakably the wreck, and the three lonely watchers expressed undoubted astonishment at any seafaring : man, who being within three miles of such an object, would not fail to make close scrutiny. All nautical people concur in such an opinion, and even shore-going folks, in the absence of further explanation, are apt to consider such a proceeding very extraordinary, not to say heartless. Before leaving Lighthouse Island, we asked whereabouts we were likelly to fall in with the wreck, and were assure \ that in all probability she would be I picked up in a line bearing north-west from the lighthouse, and between that point and he Three Kings.

The Search. Thanking Mr Kay and associates for their information, we sprang aboard the dingy and got on board the Awhina just as the Glenelg appeared in desperate haste rounding Columbia Reef, steering down to the lighthouse. Now began the serious business of the search, for up to this point we had been in a harrowing state of uncertainty as to whether or not there had been any casualty, and mingled with our anticipations of finding a battered wreck and emaciated survivors, there had come the horrible suspicions that we were simply on a wildgoose chase after an imaginary Island. .Now, however, we are assured that there had been a fearful calamity, for not only had a noble ship foundered within sight of land, but wo had every reason to fear that her gallant crew and helpless passengers had met with a watery grave. We had still an hour and a-half to spare before dark, and hurried and excited orders at once were given to put on all steam and proceed in the direction indicated in the hope of picking up the wreck. Away we sped with everyone on the alert, including two men at the mast head to watch for indications of the wreck or floating timber. Every square yard of water was eagerly scanned, and not a bit of seaweed the size of pne hat was allowed to pass without examination, while objects on the horizon were subjected to careful scrutiny. Now on our port bow appears a wreck, where sky and water meet, and its eomi ■' circular shape is not unlike the appearance

which a ship presents when bottom up. Long and anxiously we gaze, but as we approach the object it becomes more elevatsd and distinct, till it is seen to be one of the rocks that shew themselves above water inear the Three Kings. As the shades of night close around us we get a sight of thelargest island of the group rising to a height of nearly 1,000 feet. Night closes in, but our search is assiduously pursued. Through the night watches the Awhina keeps under easy isteam, and scours the repose of the ocean ying round. We continued our course to the Three Kings, but without encountering the object of our search. The dawn of morning found us a long way to the north-east of the Three Kings. On account of heavy fog gathering, between three and four in the morning, we had been obliged to cease our "seai-ch, and the fog proved very obstinate in refusing to lift. As the sun began to dispel it .to some extent, we put on steam, and ii a short time found ourselves quite close to the Glenelg, which all night had kept us company at a distance of a few miles, but being in darkness, was not seen by us, though our lights let her know our whereabouts continually as we moved about for it was not till about 10 o'clock that the fog lifted sufficiently to let us get view of more than a mile around us in the hope that wreck might have got entangled in the rocks or bays about the Three Kings visited that group of islands to inspect there, but tbe bank of fog stretched alone the length of the group and prevented a clear view. We stood right in until enveloped in fog, when we hove to and waited till it rose sufficiently to let us see that no wrfeck was there. When the thick vapours dispersed we were surprised to find ourselves very close to a large rock, some distance off the large island which the fop: bank had prevented us seeing. Convinced the wreck was not there, we steered a course for Pandora Bank, southward of Cape Maria. On our way the usual careful look-out was kept, but nothing was seen save the seafowl, seaweed, the >lowing of a whale, and the occasional sight of a whale showing his monster fins above .vater. Behind, we catch a sight of a "teamer evidently bound from Sydney to Auckland, which we keep in sight for everal hours. We obtain a view of the where the alleged island was seen, and and no trace of it. In the evening we j iinish our cruise at the lighthouse, convinced that the wreck i 3 not to be found. The Glenelg, which followed on our track ior some time, latterly took a totally different course, and also arrived at the lighthouse to get the latest report as to the wreck, which we had not seen. Further than that, we came to the conclusion that it had collapsed and sunk, or drifted far out ta cca — more probably the former. Thus ended the record of the mysterious disaster, which" in all human likelihood will never be fully cleared up until the great day when the sea gives up her dead. Being satisfied that no further search was like to be of use we turned our fruitless search and our vessels head homeward. On our way, and when three miles cff the North Head we pa«sed the fine four masted ship Vanduara, which at the time, 6 p.m., had just cleared the land, and was swelling proudly ialong with every inch of canva3 set. The inward steamer Tarawera was also seen, but far out at sea. We exchanged signals with the Vanduara, and rounded the North Cape in thick and squally weather, which afterwards cleared sufficiently to enable us to enter Mongonui harbour to pick up the special who was to meet us there.

Finding the Body of a Whale. Those on board the Glenelg, we learn, allege that they found the carcase of a huge whale floating twenty - five mile 3 to the south-east of the light house. They were so satisfied that this explained all the sensation away that they at once gave up the search, and left for Auckland. Probably the whale ref orred to in our yesterday's telegram 3 ha 3 been sighted, but supposing that to be a fact, it by no meana disposes of the wrecked ship seen by the lighthouse-keeper and assistants.