THE SOLE SURVIVOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1918, Page 8

THE SOLE SURVIVOR.

HIS REMARKABLE STORY.

. Sydney, Feb. 27. Ihe caplain of the steamer Timaru, which has been searching the islands oil' , c Queensland coast for a missing launch party, has brought a remarkable story to Kockhampton. adjacent islands he came across D. Mackenzie, who was cook and steward on the -New Zealand built schooner Orete, and who was the sole survivor. He states that the schooner anchored off Percy Island lighthouse on Januarv 19. It was then blowing a strong gale, The wind kept increasing until between 8 and 9 on i-lip morning of the 21st, when she parted anHiurs hikl drifted towards Duke Island. meantime the crew was engaged in throwing the deck cargo overboard™to liflhten the ship. During this process Captain Anderson had his leg" broken. "After drifting all day 011 Monday, the 21st, and part of Monday night,""Mackenzie said, "we struck the reef and lemained last. V\ e tried to launch a boat but she got washed away, and Captain Anderson was then washed overboard with the boat, but we managed to get him aboard again. The mate, Artong, had his collarbone broken at the same time. The ship by this "time had settled on the reef. On Tuesday morning, when the tide started to fiow, the schooner was washed fore .and aft by 'heavy seas. Shortly after, she capsized with the captain, his son, a leading seaman, and an able seaman, who were in the cabin with the door shut. The, door was on the 100 side. The remaining seaman and myself were on deck, where we clung to the rigging until we were washed oil'. I got' iioldl of a door and drifted away, ar.d only saw the seamen for 11 few minutes after we were washed off the rigging. After drifting j lor about four or five hours I got washed ashore 011 Tyncside Island witliji

quantity of wreckage, including kerosene tins. I lived on the island ifl days, feeding on small oysters, a few onions, and a couple of pumpkins that were washed ashore. After filling all the kerosene tins with fresh water from a small stream I started to construct a raft with which to get over to another island, where I saw some houses.' It. was very tedious work as 1 onlv had stones with which to get ,nails which I procured from kerosene cases. In ten days from the time I landed I had the rart completed. I then started awav xov the houses, but the current was «*oing the wrong way, so I had to jump off and swim back to the island. Feelin" myself gKting weaker all the time 1 started to make another raft, uml I had it completed in eight days. Next morn-, nig, which was on the 19th dav on the island, I started away again and managed to get to another island, which T found to be Hunter's Island, where I waited until the tide slackened up. I proceeded again to sea, and drifted away with a very strong current through a narrow channel, which I since fimfwas Lolo Montez. passage, and which brought me straight away towards the house's I was trying to get to. I paddled with a four-inch batten until I was exhausted and I had given up all hopes of ever reaching shore again when I got into an-' other current, which landed me on Marble Island. Here I saw a house, which I made straight for; it proved to be ,] Blakey's house. I shall never forget how well he treated me. c Captain Brown tfatcd that Mackenzie was still on the 'island, and was too weak t'o leave when he was there on the J 3th msfc.