Six Months on a Barren Rook. A TRUE STORY.

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 3, 2 October 1880, Page 21

Six Months on a Barren Rook. A TRUE STORY.

Tola iby Chakles Wordsworth, one of the Survivors,

On her voyage from London to Otago, N.Z., the Stratlmiore of Dundee, Captain M 'Donald, .struck on one of the rocks of the " Twelve Apostles," which are comprised in the Crozet .group — a very dangerous set of islands, and not much known about them — Jxily Ist, 1875. There had been no sum taken for several days "back, the weather being overcast. The captain to see the land, but, I believe, from the southward, instead of which he went to the northward. A little bad steering on the part the man at the wheel would have cleared us. The weather was fine, except for the fog, and the ship was "shortened down" to her main-top-gallant sail, in order not to pass out of sight of the land before daylight. The accident happened at 3.45 a.m., being quite dark and thick. The man on the look-out reported breakers ahead, and seeing rocks looming through the mist on the starboard side, shouted to the man at the wheel to put his helm hard :a-starboarcl ; but the mate, seeing land on the port bow, ordered the man to port his helm, but all to no purpose. We were right into a bight of a lot of rocks, with breakers all round us ;• and the unfortunate Strathmore first grated, and then gave three bumps, staving in her bottom. The water, rushing into her lower hold, burst open the 'tween-decks ; her bows jammed themselves in between ' two rocks ; whilst the after-end of the ship was lower, and was soon swept by the seas, tearing up the poop, and completely gutting that end of the ship. The captain thought at first that she might clear herself, and told the man at the wheel not to leave his post — which he did not, •bravely standing there waiting for the word to

be separated from her. These quarter-btfftts could never have been used before, for they were jammed between the bluff of the lifeboat and the mizzen rigging; and what made matters worse was, that the quarter-boats had to be got out first, for there Avere only three davits for the two boats (the lifeboat and quarter-boats) on each side ; but as neither of these quarter-boats could be swung out, the two lifeboats were rendered useless. Seeing that the quarter-boats could not be launched, I walked right aft to secure a life-buoy, but she began to "poop " — that is, take seas over aft — and thinking it even too serious a case for life-buoys, for at that time her stern seemed to be sinking, I thought the only chance of safety lay in getting into the lifeboat, cutting the gripes, and trusting to Providence that when the ship went down, as I then supposed her to be doing, the lifeboat would float oft' clear of the wreck. The lifeboats were placed upon "skids " or beams from side to side of the ship, and about eight or nine feet above the main deck. My mother managed to get into the port lifeboat from the bridge, and not a moment too soon ; for Miss Henderson, I think it was, was washed away from her brother and hurled with a scream down to the main deck from the poop and drowned ; she was a few paces behind us. About twenty more were in the boat we were in, waiting our chance, there being a hope of getting off by the merest accident, but we thought our last moment had come. A huge sea sAvept over the ship, taking everything and every one with it that was not in the rigging or well forward; and lifting up onr boat— not dashing it down on the main deck, as might have been expected, but lifting us off the skids — it washed us clean over the starboard side, knocking down on its way a strong rail, the "standard compass,' 1 &c, and reached the sea in safety, though a little " stove in." The wonder Avas the sea did not take us down into

firmly believes in. We sat huddled together on a ledge of rock, Avet, cold, hungry, and miserable. Some lit a fire, and others got birds— sea-fowl, albatross, &c— which were on the island, and cooked them ; and to us starving creatures they tasted well. In the meantime, the gig and dingey which the others had launched from the Avreck made trips to and from the ship to take the survivors off, though we did not manage them all that day, but were two days picking the half -frozen Avretches fro m the rigging or yards, they having to drop from the yards into the water, as the boat could not get near on account of the heavy sea When everyone was got from the wreck, the boats made excursions to the site of the wreck —it having gone down iv deep water the night after the survivors had been taken off— and picked up what they could. As far as I remember, the following were what Aye got : some Keiller's confection-tins, Avhich Aye afterwards used for cooking in; some cases of spirits and a cask of port; some bottles of pickles, a feAv blankets, spoons, and forks, tAvo kegs of guupoAvder, tAvo parasols, a small cleaver, a bucket or two, one tin of preserved meat, some Avood, and a feAv odds and ends thiwn off the forecastle-head. With the help of these riches, Aye managed nearly seven months. It came on to blow hard the same night, and avc lost our boats, as there Avas no means of hauling them on shore anywhere ; and though some might think the boats could haA'e been saved by people keeping in them, yet how could any of us manage to keep them safe, broken up and leaky as the boats Avere, even if Aye had gone to the lee side of the island, and kept pulling in shore against a terrible gale for tAvo or three days, exhausted for Avant of food, Avet, and most likely frozen ? It could not have been kept up for tAvo hours. We saAy the boats afterwards on the other side of the island still attached to each other by

of corruption, and the odour from them and from the other bad feet was most offensive. After death we buried his body as soon as we could, digging the grave with sticks. [to be continued in our next.]