A TERRIBLE STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1653, 29 October 1887, Page 3

A TERRIBLE STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

One of the crew of the Belfast barque Star of Scotia has arrived at ; Xaverpopl, and baa given' some thrilling details of the wreck of that vessel on the Falkland Islands, and the loss of eight lives. Of the men drowned one , was the mate of the vessel, and of the others the bodies of two were found on the beach with nearly all the flesh eaten off by wild and voracious birds. According to the account of the seaman who ,arrived at Liverpool, and whose name is Martin Olsen, it appears that the Star of Scotia was . bound from San Francisco to Queenstown, and had on board a cargo of wheat. She was manned by a crew of twenty-two, and got ashore on the rocks at Bull Point, about a hundred ■ • miles r . from Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. It was about half-past eleven : efc night when the vessel

struck, and the crew remained on board until daylight, A heavy sutf was breaking on the island. The captain, with the majority of the crew, got away in one boat, and the second boat was in charge of Mr Fraser, the mate. The captain told the men not to bring their effects, but to save their lives, and then go off to the ship again for their clothes. The captain’s boat was the first to reach the shore, but the mate’s boat was cast on the beach by the heavy surf, and in it were the semi-unconscious forms of two of the crew—namely, an Englishman and a Scotchman named Davis and Drummond. The mate was also in the boat, but the poor fellow had just breathed his last, Davis and Drummond recovered, and gave an account of their shocking sufferings during the short time that had elapsed since they abandoned their vessel. "While making their way to the shore, the boat capsized and all the occupants were thrown into the water, Some of the men managed to cling to the upturned craft, which afterwards righted. Some of the poor fellows never reached her again, but were drowned. While making once more for the shore the boat was again capsized, and this happened no fewer than seven times, until there were only three left—namely, the ; mate, Drummond and Davis. Some of the men had clung to the capsized boat, but their strength had failed them, and becoming exhausted, they had to loosen their hold and perished. The water, to add to the men’s sufferings, was intensely cold, and it was only by their robust constitutions that the two men, Davis and Drummond, saved their lives. They saw their comrades drowning, but could not afford the slightest aid. When the shipwrecked men landed, the island was covered with snow. They, however, found shelter in the hut of some ! lerdsmen, and were kindly treated. The herdsmen also rode a hundred mile* to inform the authorities of the disaster.