THE CAPTAIN'S NARRATIVE. AN EVENTFUL EXPERIENCE. THREE WEEKS IN AN OPEN BOAT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 405, 25 September 1889, Page 4

THE CAPTAIN'S NARRATIVE. AN EVENTFUL EXPERIENCE. THREE WEEKS IN AN OPEN BOAT.

Captaix Richard Pye, late master of the ill-fated English ship Garston, wrecked recently at Staarbuck Island, and who arrived with a portion of his crew from Tonga yesterday, by the Island steamer Wainui, gives a very interesting narrative of the wreck of the vessel, and the long and perilous voyage of his boat to Wallis Island for rescue. Those of the officers and crew who reached Auckland with Captain Pye comprised the second and third mates, and sdx seamen. The remainder of the crew, twenty men in all, are reported to be now safeiy on shore at Manahiki or Humphrey Island, nearPenrhyn Island. Captain Pye states that the Garston was a fine large steel ship of 1,812 tons register, five years old, owned by Messrs R. W. Leyland and Co., of Liverpool. She had completed a voyage out to Sydney, and left there again on June 20th last for San Francisco with a full cargo of coals. Westerly winds and fine weather were had for somo time, and the ship bowled along under full sail until the 17th of July. At noon that day the latitude by observation was 6.14 south and long. 155.17 west, the wind being E. and E. by N. and the weather squally. That evening was dark and the atmosphere hazy. The vessel's head wag N. by E. half E. The ship was going about six knots at 8 p.m., when the deck was relieved and the usual orders given regarding lookout and sidelights. About 9.20 p.m., the captain, being on deck, heard the second mate give orders to the men to stand by the royal halyards. " Listening lor a moment or two," says the master, " convinced me that it was not a squall coming on that occasioned the order, but the roar of

BREAKERS AHEAD. "I ordered the helm havd-a-lee and all hands on deck. I saw the white foam of the surf breaking close under the lee and could see that we were driving on to a coral resf. In a few seconds the crew were on deck, but in this short space of time I noticed that the ship had touched the reef and slid over. No one had felt her touching. Her head came up to N.N.E., and then she struck and bumped heaviiy- Things then appeared in a bad way. The bumping and the heavy seas breaking over her made it almost impossible to move on deck with safety. Sometioies it seemed as if she would go right down under our feet. 1 sounded and found under her bow 31 \ fathoms ot water, 2 fathoms amidships and 5 fathoms under the stern. The head-yards were bquared with the hope of backing her astern. All sail was still set. After waiting for half-an-hour, and finding she did not move, I ordered the boats to be put over and the pumps sounded. No water in the hold was reported. The ship's boats were then put over the side. As this was being done a great breaker struck the ship and badly damaged the gig. In about ten minutes 15 inches of water were found in the pumpwell. Orders were given to provision the starboard lifeboat and the two other boats as quickly as possible. The seas were beginning to come in over the bows, washing away the port anchor.

THE BOATS MANNED. "At 11 p.m. the officers and men were ordered over the side into the boats. I was the last to leave the ship. She was now heeling Over on her starboard side. We lay in our boats close to the vessel all night, where we could hear her bumping and creaking, but making no sign of moving. " At daylight on next day, 18th July, we went alongside and found the seas breaking completely over her. She was lying on her beam-ends, with the water up to her hatches, and her cabin- ports on the starboard side level with the water. " I knew that the reef on which we were wrecked was that; of the guano island of Staarbuck. I ordered the boats to stand to the N.E. and try and find a landing on the island, but the wind andsea being too much to pull against, orders were given to give way and try the other side of the island. When we had rowed round we found that it was utterly

IMPOSSIBLE TO LAND, owing to the tremendous surf running in on the reef. I then gave ovders to pull back to the ship and endeavour to hang to the stern all night with a view of boarding her next morning and obtaining an additional supply of provisions. The pull back to the Garston was terrible. A very high sea was running, and the adverse current was very strong, averaging, I should think, four or five miles an hour. At dark we were still some miles from the ship. The men were exhausted. We kept the boats' heads to the north during the night, hoping to

have the ship still in sighb at daylight. During the night the pulling was very slack, the men having been pulling for thirty hours. A heavy N.E. sea was running. During the night I had ordered four men ab the oars in my boat, and the others to rest for their turn. "At daylight next morning, July 19th, we gazed round in all directions, but could see T ___

NO SIGNS OF LAND. " The question was, what to do now ? We had separated from the other two boats in the night, and could see nothing of them. We overhauled our provisions, and found them to consist of only 211b of bread, 181b beef, and 121b corned beef, with not more than six gallons of frosh water. Those in the boat numbered nine altogether. We pulled away to the north-east for five hours, butwereunableto makoheadway. Thevvind was fresh from the N.E. with a heavy sea running. Seeing no hopes of getting sight of Sbaarbuck Island again, nothing remained for ua but to stand away to the S. W. in the hope of making Penrhyn Island (Tongarewa). We kept away nt 11 a.m. We set a counterpane as sail — the only one we had, ' thrown into the boat at the last minute. i The hands in the boat were put on short allowance of provisions — three pints of water por Hay bofcwocn nine men, and about three ounces of meat per day each and a little bread."

THE CAPTAIN'S DIARY. The following; extracts from the brieflykept log-book of Captain Pye during the twenty- three daj's ot privation at sea will give an idea ot the condition of aflairs on board the frail little lifeboat with nine souls on board, far out at sea, a 1 most starving, and parched with thirst, and bound whither they could not tell. The entry recording the next day at sea reads :—: — "Saturday, July 20.— Moderate N.E. wind, and tine weather. Nothing sighted. Lat. 7 south, long. 156.40. Meat allowance reduced to 2oz per day. " Sunday, 21st. — Fine weather ; very hot. All wished for more water, but could not get it Same allowance. Lat. 8.10 south, long. 157.26. "Monday, 22nd, the wind hauled to E. and E.S.E., and the boat is heaving to the S.IS. W. Strong sea running. Very hot to-day. The crew are begging for water, but lam unable to give it to them. No signs of land. "Tuesday, July 23rd. No sign of land. Kept on to the S. and IS.S.E., with the hope of falling in with the islands of the Hervey Groups or some vessels. Terribly hot to-day, and v, atoi getting very low. There are now only about three days' allowance in the water casks. The allowance is now two pints per day for the whole crew, just sufficient to wet our lips. We are

PRAYING FOR RAIN. " The weuoher is squally, bub there is no chance of catching rain. Last night was horrible ; eveiy thing wet with the seas constantly coming on board. . . . We caught some rain while a shower was falling, about two quarts, and had a good drink. All hands are very miserable-looking and losing spirit. " Wednesday, July 24.-— Fine clear hob morning. Praying for rain. In the afternoon a heavy rain shower came on and rained ail day. Caught half a caskful. Crew more cheerful. We are now in lat. 11.30 south, long. 158.66. We have shortened down the meat allowance, with a. little extra water given. " Thursday, 25th. — To-day everyone was joking and laughing, in good spirits. "Friday, 26tb.— Wind S.E., with high sea. All hands wet through ; no sleep or ! rest. Bread wet through with gait water, i "Saturday, 27th.— Men falling away in flesh rapidly, joints aching, feet benumbed, and scarcely able to rise. Wind and sea rising Held a consultation and asked the crew what proposal they had to make, and told them it was a question of life or death amongst us. At last we decided to keep away west while we had the trades, in the hope of making either Samoa, Tonga, or the Fiji Group, lat. 14.04 south, long. 159.31. Going well before the sea we improvised a topsail out of an old shirt, which acted woll. Men demanding more bread. "Sunday, 28th. — Two pints of water served out ; bread, mouldy and decayed, went down with a relish. '• Monday, 29th.— Fresh E.S.E. winds and heavy sea. Wet through night and day. Pra3 7 ers held night and morning for rain. Water continually coming on board, preventing any rest. "July 30th. — Prayingfor rain. Men looking very bad and weak. Nothing in sight. Water looking very low. All hopes of survival falling away. "July 31st.— High sea drenching all through..

A MISERABLE EXPERIENCE. "Terribly wretched in the boat. Men would prefer death almost to dragging out existence it) this way. Hopes of sighting something to-morrow morning. " August Ist.— Nothing in sight. Lat. 14.30 south, long. 17012. Heavy rain ; caught 6 quarts of water and filled the cask. Have now a fair supply of water. Little food left. "August 2nd, 3rd, 4th.— Calm and hot. A little rain. "AuguBtsth, 6th. — Urgent need of bread. Men asking for more. "Augusb7th. — Quite lost as regards position. Opened last tin of meat, atter eking oub allowance as much as possible. After serving out the allowance the men demanded more, bub of course could not get it. Signs of trouble, but no signs or hope of safety. "August Bth. — Don'bknow where we are. Steered west. We intend to keep we*t, come what may. Men want mo c provisions ; none to give them. Bad outlook for us all."

LAND IN SIGHT. On tho last • mentioned date, Augu sfc Bbh, in the afternoon the welcora 6 cry of "land ahead" brought the weakened boat's company to their feet. This was a cocoanut-clothed island, which proved to be Wallis Island, N.E. of the Tonga Group. The boat headed straight for the land, and found a heavy sea breaking on the encircling coral reet. She followed the reef round, passing several islets, till those on board noticed a patch without broken water. The men pulled for it and crossed the reef in about 18 inches of water to the lagoon inside. The reef was about 45 feet across. The boat pulled in for the shore, the time now being 4 a.m. on the 9th August, and landed safely on the beach, after an experience which all of them hope they may never undergo again. The poor fellows were emaciated, hardly able to pull acros? the reof and into the beach, and they landed looking "more like skeletons," says Captain Pye, "than anything else." Upon landing, it "was found impossible to walk," says the captain. "Everything appeared to be turning round and round and upside down, and the men were constantly falling down in their attempts to walk." Eventually they reached some native houses a short distance along the beach. A number of the natives took them in, fed them and treated them very kindly, supplying them with cocoanuts, water, etc., and furnishing them sufficient, fruit for a regular feast. In the afternoon of that day they were taken to the house o

Mr Leadboabar, aWader on Wallis Island, where they wera frell treated, and supplied with a few slbthes and plenty to eat On the morning oil the 10th ult. the nine, shipwrecked mariners left that portion of the island in the Jaisht of the French Resident, Mons. Chaniot, who happened to call round there on*the §9ch. This gentleman took them to the Island anchorage, Mua, and on shore there they were entertained very hospitably, being very handsomely treated by the French 'Resident* On Tuesday, the 30th ult., the parfcy of nine left the Island in Messrs Me Arthur and Co.'s trading schooner Olive, for Tonga. They arrived there safely shortly before the s.s. Wainui was due to leave for Auckland, and on the arrival of the Wainui they boarded her dad so came on to Auckland. Captain Pye is t > leave for Sydney, and thence Home, in ajfew days.

REST OF THE CREW SAFE. Since parting with the other two boats off Staarbuek Island during the night in which they were bl6wn away from there, this boat had seen nothing of them. The two contained twenty men all told, including the first officer. A cablegram a few days ago stated that the schooner Hesper had reached San Francisco from Manahiki or Humphrey Island, near> Penrhyn, and reported that the two boats had reached that island, and were living on shore with the natives. They preferred to remain on the island for another vessel to take them away. Thus it seems that the wreck of the Garston, although lamentable in that it involved the loss of a fine ship and a valuable cargo, yet did not occasion the death of a single member of the ship's company atter all their perilous and famishing experience. H. M . c. Rapid is stated to have left Sydney for Staarbuck Island to search for Capt. Pyes boat's crew, which she will not, however, find there.