leaping into the water was carried over the reef, and thus got on shore. H e found tht_lere a passenger w h o had escaped ashore during the night, and one of the crew, w h o followed in the rning. John Roberts, a seaman, plunged in when he saw the mate ashore, and partly swimming and partly driven reached the land. Five other seamen followed, and were saved, but dreadfully exhausted. Almost immediately afterwards the vessel totally disappeared. Thus, out of four hundred and eight persons on board, only nine were saved. Their names were : — T h o m a s Guthrie, chief mate; Solomon Brown, emigrant; John Roberts, William Jones, Francis Millan, John Simpson, John Robertson and Peter Johnston (able seamen), and William Blackstock, apprentice. They had neither drink nor food from the time of the ship striking—early on M o n d a y morning—to the Tuesday afternoon, when they found one small tin of preserved fowl, after eating which they laid down in the bush with a wet blanket, fished out of the water, for their only covering, and being almost destitute of clothes. T h e beach was strewed with pieces of the wreck and fragments of corpses in horrible profusion. After a vain search for water, and being unable to find any more survivors, they passed the night in a miserable plight. T h e following morning they found a cask of water cast ashore, but were unable to get means to make a fire. About 10 o'clock a.m., observing a smoke, which, presuming they were on the main land, they imagined it to be a fire of the natives. T o their delight they soon saw a white m a n approaching, w h o turned out to be a Mr. David Howie, w h o with a party of sealers resided upon the island. It seems M r . Howie had observed ashore, at the part of the island where he was located, a mangled h u m a n body, and therefore assumed there must have been a wreck somewhere about. H e consequently resolved upon a search, and dividing his m e n into two parties, acted as the leader of one, and took the western side of the island. Each party carried the means of procuring fire, some provisions, and warm clothing. After a fatiguing tramp of 40 miles, Howie found the survivors, and helping them as far as he could, returned to his homestead for more supplies. H e m a d e this journey several times, and whenever he left h o m e he posted on the door of his hut an announcement of the wreck, so that any persons arriving in his absence should become aware of the calamity. It was fortunate he took this precaution, for during one of his absences, Messrs. Fletcher and Cockburn landed from the cutter " Midge," and reading the notice, hastened to help Howie in his mission of charity. If the notice had not been where it was observed, not only the survivors, but Howie and his whole party might have been starved, as his supplies were limited. Howie's arrival was a real God-send for the poor exhausted and benumbed sufferers, to w h o m he instantly afforded fire and food, and constructed some shelter against the weather. A s Howie's boat was wrecked, there was no possibility of leaving the island for some time. T h e party, therefore, put up a hut, and stayed for five weeks, during which time they were most hospitably provided for by M r . Howie according to his means, and the supplies had actually to be carried 40 miles over a most difficult road. O n the 7th September the " M i d g e " was seen approaching the island where the party were camped, and took them off the island with m u c h difficulty. They arrived in Hobson's Bay on the morning of the 13th. T h e survivors testified to the skill and efficiency displayed by the captain, w h o was a native of Dublin, and left a wife and two children at Liverpool. H e had once before passed through Bass's Straits. M r . Guthrie, the mate, was likewise warmly commended. It was to his encouragement that most of the seamen saved ascribed their escape. Whilst on the island the party employed themselves in burying the dead bodies as far as possible, the mangled condition of many of which was indescribable. T h e two doctors were brothers—Charles and Edward Carpenter. T h e first-named was the ship's surgeon superintendent, and both intended settling in Australia. Most of the ship's papers, and the mail, except one packet of 35 letters, went with the wreck. T h e most painfully intense excitement prevailed in Melbourne for some time, and heavy censure was passed upon the N e w South Wales Government for disregarding a frequently urged request for the erection of a lighthouse on Kind's Island. This was declared to be thefifthwreck there within ten years, the other ships being the °" Harbinger," "Neva," "Isabella," and "Rebecca." O n the Sunday following the receipt of the intelligence,' the Rev. A. C. Thomson, Episcopalian minister, preached an eloquent sermon at
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THE CHRONLCLES OF EARLY MELBOURNE.
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