OCEAN CURRENTS.

Colonist, Issue 54, 27 April 1858, Page 2

OCEAN CURRENTS.

Mr. Editor,-;I enclo.se a.copy of a note that I found -scaled in a bottle at sea on the 16th December, 1857,' In latitude; 39-50 S., longitude 36-35 E. Please to give it an insertion in your valuable paper, and oblige yours, Very respectfully, ■.■ .; •J. D. Madison Williams, Commander of the ship Gideon Rowland. : Mongonui, New Zealand, 9th March, 1858.'. The following is ft true copy :—" Ship Ocean Chief, from Melbourne to Liverpool, 1 si. January. 1857, lat. 42 40 S.,ion. 42 32 west. All w.ell. "Thirty days' out. 'p. J. Tonin, Commander." . The "bottle is computed to have made a distance of 3586 miles.— New Zealander. .':"'•' ■ A FonTy- Minutes Fight Fon Life.—The Ayrshire^ Express contains a thrilling narrative of the loss of' thesteamer Karl of Carrick.by Lyon,' one of the two survivors. . After describing the striking of the vessel, he. says :_<< About five minutes after this, the Earl struck on a sunken rock, off Nharbyl Point, the Isle of Man, about a quarter of a mile from the mainland. The quarter-boat, into which -the stewardess and the boy M'GruTie had gone, was attempted to.be launched; but. the after tackle being cut through,, the stern suddenly fell, and the boy was precipitated into the sea, arid was never. afterwards seen; but Miss Cameron was rescued, and brought safely on deck. - After beating on the rock for about .twenty-five minutes, the Karl parted in two, when. l»er bow came to the port side, and went down in deep water; and as the captain, David Bailey, and James Cammelly were not subsequently seen, Lyon believes-they must-have perished at this crisis. Of the eleven who remained, M'Millan, the chief engineer, and James Watt, each of whom had previously provided himself with a life buoy, were washed overboard, along with the stewardess. Watt alone succeeded in reaching the shore. From half-past five till eigiit o'clock, the other members of the little band clung to the vessel, the sea dashing so heavily over them during.tho interval, that

at the dawn each looked round with eager anxiety to; learn-the. fate of his companions in .misfortune.. At the request of Campbel^, the second engineer, who -was beginning to give way under the bitter, cold, Lyon wrapped him in his oilskin coat, and, by clasping him to his breaat, succeeded in imparting as much • warmth as enabled his benumbed hands to regain their hold, Despairing the possibility of a rescue be-' ing effected by a boat from the shore, Lyon ani)ouncocV his intention to the others of making a bold effort to swim to land. On this'becoming'known to his com--■rade's,' by whom he was genera ly dissuaded from the attempt, Captain Pa ton, who was comparatively calm,, and resigned, said, ' if you reach the; shore, John, re-niernboy-i.me to my poor wife and daught^H fo'rl-have-little hppc.pf being .saved.' Divesting himself of his sea-tioob ai'kV oilskin leggings, he threw his waistcoat over the stern as a signal to the spectators who. crowded the.sliore, and allowed himself by the next wave to be carried into the. water, and, •by-strong--' swimming, cleared the current of the ship with dlffiv; culty. In about forty minutes he safely reached the.. shore, although much bruised- and exhausted, trie landing being-effected -by a rope, which was thrown ■from a jutting rock. The first news he heard of those he had left behind him was, that they had been gradually sVeptrfrom the rock, or had dropped off on£; by one through cold arid exhaustion soon after his de-. parture." ;•..•■ p■' ■■■ -;--. -, ... ,;.'