Castaway on the Auckland Isles/Appendix 3
III.
THE LOSS OF THE 'INVERCAULD.'
Letter from Captain Dalgarno.
Captain Dalgarno, writing from Southampton to the owners, says:—'I am at last offered another opportunity of addressing you again in this life, to let you know the sad tidings of the ship "Invercauld," which became a total wreck during the night of May 10, 1864, on the island of Auckland, off New Zealand, during a heavy gale of wind from the northward and thick weather. In about twenty minutes after striking she was in atoms—so heavy was the sea running, and all rocks where the disaster happened. The boys Middleton and Wilson and four seamen were drowned; the remainder, nineteen of us, getting washed on shore, through the wreck, all more or less hurt, the night being intensely dark and cold. We saved nothing but what we had on our persons; and before being washed from the wreck I hove off my sea-boots, so as to enable me, if possible, to reach the shore. After getting ashore amongst the rocks, we called upon each other, and all crept as close together as we could, to keep ourselves warm. The spray from the sea reaching us made it one of the most dismal nights ever anyone suffered, and we were all glad when day broke on the following morning, when all who were able went towards the wreck to see what could be saved. All we found was about 2 lbs. of biscuit, and 3 lbs. of pork—the only food we had to divide amongst nineteen; and after all taking about a mouthful each, we went and collected a few of the most suitable pieces from the wreck to make a sort of hut to cover us from the weather, where we made a fire, the steward having saved a box of matches.
'I have seen and suffered more since the disaster happened than I can pen to you at this time; but if God spares me to reach you, I will then give you all particulars. We remained four days at the wreck; and, having no more food, nor appearance of getting any more at the wreck, we proceeded to go on the top of the island, to see if we could find food or any inhabitants. It was no easy matter to reach the top, it being about 2,000 feet high, and almost perpendicular. When we got there we found no inhabitants; and the only food we found was wild roots that grew on the island, of which we ate, and fresh water. At night we made a covering of boughs, and, lighting a fire, crept as close together as possible. On the following morning we made towards a bay that was on the east side, which occupied some days, the scrub being so heavy to walk amongst. The cook and three seamen died during this time, and all of us were getting very weak for want of food and from cold. At length we reached the bay, where we found some limpets on the rocks, of which we ate heartily. We also caught two seals, and found them good food; and had we got plenty of them no doubt all would have lived. After living three months upon limpets, they got done, and all we had again was the roots and water, seeing no more seals.
'By the end of August the only survivors were myself, the mate, and Robert Holding, seaman; the carpenter, and the boys Liddle and Lancefield, being among the last that died—all very much reduced. After we three had lingered for twelve months and ten days, we were at last relieved by the Portuguese ship "Julian," from Macao for Callao, with Chinese passengers. She sprang a leak off here, and sent a boat on shore to see if they could get their ship repaired, when they found us the only inhabitants on the island. They proceeded on their passage to Callao, taking us three along with them. We were all treated kindly, and on the 28th June reached Callao, where we were all treated kindly by the people there. On the same evening I sailed by the mail steamer for England, leaving the mate and the seaman in Callao. On the 6th July I sailed from Panama; on the 13th arrived at St. Thomas, and sailed same day for Southampton by the steamship "Shannon," meeting with the greatest kindness from all on board the several ships I sailed in.'
Note by the Publishers.
The following additional particulars of the loss of the Invercauld, and the adventures of the survivors, taken from the Melbourne Illustrated Post of the 25th October, will no doubt be acceptable here, though involving to some extent a repetition of the above:—
"Information has been received by way of England, of the wreck, on the Auckland Islands, of the ship Invercauld, a vessel of 888 tons, Captain George Dalgarno, which sailed from Melbourne for Callao, in ballast, on the 28th of April, 1864. The circumstances attending the wreck of the Invercauld are of a peculiarly painful nature, and such as are likely to excite in the minds of this community more than ordinary interest, while the details of the narrative furnished by Captain Musgrave, of the schooner Grafton, containing so harrowing an account of the miseries and privations endured by himself and his shipwrecked crew on that barren and desolate isle, are so fresh in the memories of the inhabitants of this colony. The Invercauld carried no passengers, and her crew consisted (with the captain) of 25 persons. Mitchell's Maritime Register of the 5th of August has the following with reference to the disaster:—
"'The Invercauld, Captain Dalgarno, from Melbourne to Callao, struck, 10th May, 1864, on the north-west end of the island of Auckland, lat. 53° S., long. 106° E., and went to pieces. Six of the crew were drowned and 19 were washed ashore, of whom the captain, Mr. Andrew Smith, the chief officer, and a seaman named Robert Holding, were rescued 12 months and 10 days after.' The saved portion of the crew subsisted together on the island for some time, but through the dreadful scarcity of food the members were speedily reduced by death caused by starvation, until at length only the three survivors remained. They were ultimately rescued from their fearful position by a Portuguese vessel sailing past the island, and in it conveyed to Callao, whence they proceeded to England. Captain Dalgarno has furnished to his owners a complete narrative of the wreck, with a most interesting history of the residence of himself and his companions on the Auckland Islands. They must have been on the island at the same time as Captain Musgrave, and no doubt the smoke seen at a distance by this gentleman must have proceeded from the camp of the castaways belonging to the Invercauld. The dead body, and the slate containing some obliterated writing, also discovered by Captain Musgrave, may have belonged to this party, but such was the inaccessible nature of the country that a complete search could not be made on that occasion. Captain Dalgarno, with his mate and Holding, the seaman, met with a most cordial reception at Callao, where the greatest kindness was extended towards them."
THE END.
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