THE LOSS OF H.M.S. DOTEREL.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1417, 2 August 1881, Page 3

THE LOSS OF H.M.S. DOTEREL.

Several extracts from letters written by persons serving on board this unfortunate vessel have been published, and, although they do not, of couise, bear in any way upon the cause of the disaster, they are nol without interest. The vVestern Morning; News hints that a strict inquiry should be made as to the lel.itions of poitionrt of the mow to each other and to the officers " Letters," it Kiys "'aie before us, wiitten fiom Monte Video early last ananth, which led to the .suspicion, we tnibt unfoundod, that theie weie on board men who inisrht be called de--peiadoe«, and who had beon in an exasperated state. IM'oiu the Doteiol left Chatham it was whi>peiPtl that hhe w.tx what was called sin 'uncomfoi table' ship. While at Plymouth these rumours were repeated with emphasis, and from Monte Video we learn that "men are running away from our ship thiee and torn at a timp.' " The writer says: — "It is a miserable ship, and I am afraid will not be better dining the commission. Ido not think any one is computable on boaid. The maiincb aie chiefly ftoni Chatham, iiud .via a \ Ol y rough set The wutei goes on te indicate the causes ot the pievailing dissatisfaction, and some of its effects, which it would lie unfair to publish in the absence of those alluded to. Anothei coiicspondent wntcs, undei date Monte Video. Apnl 9 :— " Four of our men bioko out ot the bhip at nine o'clock last night. We had a pretty good passage horn St. Vincent (31 days). We got vei v lough weather for thicc or four d.v v vs a week befoie we gottheie, but IthinkNve lia\e a vciy fa.'ife shi]) if she is propel ly looked after, tfoine'ot ou 1 ship's company have been "^eiy mcU, and we arc going to leave them here for a passage jiome to England." Anothei letter sa>s :— " We had very good weather until within about foiu days of Monte Ynb-o, then we had to la>-t) ioi two oi tlnec days, because it was boioimh, and instead of going aluad •wu went to lee-waid, so made above six «lays in getting into pou ; but &he is as nice a little sea boat as e\ er swam, so we don't mind how much it blows i>o long as we h>ue plenty of t-ea-ioom It is bettei tinier foi ub w lien we aie in a gale, for the skippti is lailier a sea-bick customer, jo we don t see much of him. and the •other ollicf'is have enough to do to look after the &lnp. ''