WRECK OF THE SHIP GARSTON.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 354, 21 September 1889, Page 3

WRECK OF THE SHIP GARSTON.

TERRIBLE PRIVATIONS. Mr J. Thomas, the well-known writer “ The Vagabond,” has arrived in Auckland from Samoa, together with nine castaways from the ship Garston, He has favored the N.Z. Herald with a thrilling description of the wreck, the particulars being from the lips of the survivors, THE VOYAGE. The ship Garston, 1812 tons register, Captain Pye, left Sydney at the end of April with a cargo of coal for San Francisco, Making a north-easterly course to the Cook Islands Captain Pye then shaped his course for 900 miles nearly due north, towards the Line. There was a fair wind all the way, and every prospect of a remarkable quick passage, when at 9.20 p.m. on July 17 the Garston struck on a reef to the east of Starbuck Island, which lies in latitude 5 degrees, 38 minutes, and west longitude 155 degress 55 minutes. That is how it is placed on the charts, but there is a great doubt as to whether it has been accurately surveyed, as many previous wrecks have taken place here. There is also a strong varying westerly current near Starbuck Island, one nautical authority estimating it at over 50 miles in 24 hours, quite sufficient to put a vessel ashore which otherwise would have cleared it in safely by many miles. Starbuck is a very low coral island only a few feet above the sea level, and consequently only visible at a comparatively short distance from the sea. It is about five miles long from east to west by one and a-half wide, and is surrounded by a narrow steep reef running a mile from the shore. Starbuck Island was for many years worked for guano. It is nearly destitute of vegetation, but brackish water can be obtained. But the extensive buildings erected in connection with the guano workings which have for some time been abandoned, are still in good condition, and the water tanks would be full. There ia shelter and water for the shipwrecked mariner on Starbuck Island, if he Gan get ashore. THE WRECK.

The Garston struck, shivered, and shook, and heeled over to starboard on to her beam ends. The sea washed over her, the water poured in through the holes made by the rocks as she bumped helplessly on the reef She was a complete and total wreck; it seemed but a question of a short time when the Garston would break her back and disappear. Iron and steel ships in such a situation as thia will not stand as long as wooden ones. 11 Clear away the boats!” “ Man the boats !” All orders were coolly given and coolly obeyed. The mate and 11 men in the lifeboat; the carpenter and 10 men in the long boat; last to leave the ship was Captain Pye, who, with eight men, was in the gig, a small boat 20 feet long. Provisions had been hastily distributed, instru ments and charts and log-book secured. Two small tenier dogs were saved in the lifeboat. But there was no division as it was thought the boats would all keep company. Thus the captain’s gig contained 30 pounds of tinned meat, 20 pounds of biscuit in a bag, and a 9 gal. breaker of water. Captain Pye had two pounds of tobacco in his pocket, and had also a compass. In the lifeboat was a plentiful supply of provisions, 28 pounds of tobacco, but no water. The mate had als» a compass, sextants, and chronometers. The long boat was not so well provisioned, but had a breaker of water on board. There was plenty for all, if equally divided, but no one thought there was any danger of the boats parting company as they stood by the ship during the long weary hours from eleven at night till daylight on the following morning. The wind had increased in the night and the sea had rsen. The Garston lay bumping on the rocks, and it was impossible to board her again. Starbuck Island, which Captain Pye imagined he had o'eared by at least 60 miles, was now seen inside the reef. The boats pulled for the shore, endeavoring to find a passage ; but with a heavy sea and a freshening breeze the surf curled and foamed oyer the rocks, an apparently impenetrable barrier. No passage could be seen through which a landing might be effected. The shipwrecked men saw the deserted buildings ashore, and the ruined wharf and tramway, but the only sign of life was an animal which was imagined to be a pig. Until noon the boats rowed around Starbuck. The men were t>red out. Captain Pye gave the word to return to the ship and stand by her again till morning. If the Garston could be boarded again he imagined it would be possible to get inside the reef from the bows of the vessel, and so land. The boats rowed back. There does not appear to have been any thought of missing each other. There was no hailing, no signals were given. Slowly and sleepily the men pulled back. The darkness came on. The boats were soon far apart. The captain’s gig could not make the wrecked vessel. Wind and current drove the small boat from its course. All night long the tired men were at the oars. But, when morning dawned, neither ship, nor boats, nor land, nor reef could be seen. The small open boat, within nine men therein, was

ALONE ON THE OCEAN. With one of the sexants in the mate’s boat, Captain Pye might have obtained his position, and have steered back to Starbuck Island or to Penhyn Island to the west. The compass was of use, but the sun and the Southern Cross, in fine weather, were just as good guides in'steering south. For, after rowing for 36 hours, Captain Pye determined to make southwards in hopes of striking the Hervey or Cook Islands, or

falling in with some vessels bound to San Francisco. As a matter of fact they crossed the track of the mail steamers to Sydney And so the little boat commenced to sail southward. An oar for a mast, a bed quilt or counterpane (put in the gig by the steward) for a 'sail, a white shirt on split stretchers for a topsail. Watches were set, relieved every two hours—one man at the look-out forward, one man at the helm. Bruce and Annesley, the second and third mates, took their turn with the men. Captain Pye navigated the boat and issued the rations. A tin of meat was to last three days, about eleven ounces a day amongst nine men, or one and a quarter ounces per man. The biscuit, which soon got wet and mouldy, was served out in small portions by Mr Bruce. Twice a-day half a gill of water was given to each man. All shared alike. The captain shared his tobacco with the rest. Very uncomplainingly did the men endure their lot. For many days they stood their alternate two hours of dnty, and four hours of sleep or of rest, always wet through by the seas which often nearly swamped the boat, — always ahungered, always athirst, They bore their lot like men. They had no space to lie down ; they were cramped in every movement, The tropical sun beat on them during the day ; at night their bones were often racked by the cold. Yet the warmth of these Southern seas saved them. In higher latitudes, under similar conditions, they must have perished. So the ninth day came ; nearly half the provisions were gone. They had run, Captain Pyke reckoned, over 500 miles, but could not make a southerly course, Each day they were going westward. Now they could make no headway. So he changed bls course to the west, hoping to strike Tonga or Samoa. On the fourteenth day the mouldy biscuit was all gone. There was nothing but the meat left. On the second day that a tin was opened the meat would be rotten. But it was eaten with avidity. The rain luckily enabled them to fill their breaker, and the small allowance of water was never lacking. The men did not suffer so much from thirst as from hunger, although some drank small quantities of salt water without evil effect. They got weaker and weaker, and the devil of despair entered into them. Who can wonder at it 1 Day after day no sail, no land, no hope 1 Nothing to view but the sea birds on their frack. No change, no variation, a mouthful of rotten meat to-day, the same tomorrow 1 All got up and lay down hungry 1 They chewed the leather from their cap linings, the reeds and pith from the captain’s sun helmet. They tried to eat their seaboots, but these were far too tough. Waking or sleeping they thought of but one thing—food ? Oue of the men, who belonged to the Salvation Army, occasionally sang hymns, in which they all joined, and he also wrestled in prayer but neither hymn nor prayer, brought much uwaeMeolrorrcw,

THE TIGER IN MAN. The little boat held on its course well on this new tack. The strangely-improvised sails, the quilt and the shirt, stood well, and good days’ runs were met. But twenty days from the wreck, and still no land to be seen 1 The men became desperate—mad 1 Only two tins of beef left. “ Give it us all and let us have a meal,” they said. “No 1 ” said Captain Pye. “ What if we coma and take it,” said one ; “ there are but two of you.” Annesley lay too weak to move at the bottom of the boat, and the captain would only have the second mate (Bruce) to help him. But Captain Pye looks a strong, powerful, determined man. “ I will throw it overboard first,” said he, “ you fools I Our only chance is in making this food last as long as possible. If you eat. this to-day, what will you do to-morrow ? ” Then said one of the foreigners, letting out tbe devil that was in him and others : “ There are plenty of two legged animals in the boat.” This horrid thought got possession of the men. Salvation Army hymns and prayers were soon forgotten. All pity was choked within them by their sufferings. Lots must be drawn, and one after the other must become a sacrifice to support the lives of the rest. We all laugh when Mr W. S. Gilbert’s ballad of “ The Nancy Brig ” is sung, little recking that such experiences have been real ones on the ocean Captain Pye now says he would have overturned the boat, and sent all hands to Davy Jones’ locker before he would agree to such a thing. “ I had still my wits about me, and we should all have died together.” But if he would not cast lots the skipper might be a sacrifice. The men muttered among themselves. The provisions would soon be all gone, and then — ? They would be no more responsible for their actions than poor wretches in delirium tremens. Very horrible must those last two days have been to the captain and his mates. If they slep*, visions of creeping forms and hands with murderous knives and cruel lips ready to suck their life blood oppressed them, The 22ad day passed, only a pound and a half of meat left—two days’ allowance, Afterwards, what ?

LAND. When near sundown the sailmaker called out “ Land 1" Another hour and they would have changed their course, and missed this, passingpt in the night, as they did the Samoan Isles. -’They stood off tor a time to avoid the reef, but guided by the full light of the moon the castaways landed on Wallis Island at 4 a.m.,on the morning of August the Sih, the twenty-third day after the wreck of the Garston, after sailing over 1(100 miles in an open boat, KIND TREATMENT OF THE CASTAWAYS. It was a strange landing. One man sprang out of the boat, took a step, and fell down; others followed and also fell, AH were top weak to stand. They were saved at the last pinch, when it was but a question of a few hours between death by starvation, or to live as cannibals. Soon the gentle natives game down to the boat. The castaways of the Garston had fallen amongst real Samaritans. The Wallis Islanders took the shipwrecked sailors to their huts, refreshed them with water and cocoanuts, gave them soft mats to sleep on, dried their wet clothes, and when they awoke fed them on stewed fowls and yams. Then Captain Pyo and his men, all clothed in their right minds once more, the madness of famine and despair being past, were escorted by the natives to the settlement, They were all kindly entertained, the French priests being specially charitable in their attentions,

tub names : BNquiar. The names of those thm saved are Richard Pye (commander), John A, Bruce (second mate), Alfred Anneslsy (third mate), John Anderson. William Bracewell, Melville Blinkhorn, John Moody, Louis Muller, Ananias Gomez. The finding of the Court of enquiry was that the vessel was lost through error in the chronometers. THE EFFECT OF THE TRIAL. In watching the demeanor of the survivors on the Wainui (the vessel which took them to Auckland), nothing struck one so much as their own callousness. They had supped so full of horrors, that feeling for themselves or for others was blunted. They appeared to be absolutely indifferent to the fate of their 21 comrades. It is a question it every man is not a worse man from the horrible experiences he passed through. No pity was expressed for their late shipmates, no thankfulness for their own escape. Captain Pye said, once, “ After the way the French priests treated us on Wallis Island, no one is going to say a word against a priest in my presence again.” But the men generally, like true British sailors, although half of them were foreigners, were full of grumblings instead of gratitude. They hinted that the meat was not always fairly divided, that one, perhaps, had a trifle more than another. The shadow of the days when they watched the division of each portion, is still upon them. It will he a long time ere, with plenty around them, they stop glancing jealously at the food partaken of by others. Never was there a stranger mess than that in the forecabin of the Wainui. The six sailors kept their eyes fixed upon their plates, as if fearful that they might lose a mouthful, never speaking, never raising their heads for a moment, but pow and then casting a side glance to see if their neighbours were ahead of therm There was something awful uncanny in the group. With a knowledge of what they had gone through, of what they meditated, one looked at them as at men who had descended into Hell, and who yet had sulphurous fumes of devilish imaginations hanging around them, Contrary to ordinary ideas the two. youngest and most innocent-looking of the sailors were the ringleaders in what was to be. Contrary to ordinary ideas the Portuguese Ananias Gomez was the quietest and best of the crew. These nine men all endured great suffering, but there was a lack of heroism amongst them. Captain Pye certainly deserves great credit for his forethought and judgment in portioning out the food in the manner he did. This plan alone saved their lives. Captain Pye is only 33, but looks 43. Those three weeks added ten years to his life. All the men are aged, all have terrible memories to bear. Only mate Bruce, a typical young British sailor, seems as if he had gone through the fire unharmed. The third mate, Annesley, is still sick and weak, having perhaps suffered more than anyone, [The 21 men spoken of have safely arrived at Humphrey Island, and H.M.S. Rapid was despatched to search tor the men who have arrived in Auckland.]