TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF A SHIPWRECKED CREW.
Two seamen, named John G. Crone and James R. Wilson, late of the Scotch barque Henry James, arrived a short time ago at the Liverpool Sailors' Home, and gave information of the loss of that vessel, through which they underwent an extraordinary experience.
The Henry James struck a coral reef near the island of Palmyra, in the Pacific Ocean, and became a wreck. In an hour the crew had to abandon her, experiencing the greatest difficulty in getting away. The shipwrecked people only saved what they stood in, even the ship's papers and the captain's instruments being lost. They were in a sad plight. One boat containing provisions was swamped and the food lost. The captain nearly lost his life by being thrown into the sea. Fortunately a box of matches was got ashore dry, and with these a fire was lighted.
The island of Palmyra was found to be uninhabited, but a search next day revealed a number of small huts made of boards and leaves. The island is about nine hundred miles from Samoa. The mate, who had saved his sextant, volunteered to go in a small boat to Samoa to seek for aid, and a boat was accordingly manned, the mate having for his companions the boatswain and three seamen. These poor fellows were three weeks in the open boat, in a tropical climate, and their sufferings were very severe. They traversed about thirteen hundred miles, and some days before arrival their food and water gave out. Their sufferings were then terrible, and when they reached Apia, their condition plainly showed what they had passed through. Had their voyage been lengthened but a couple of days, it is likely all would have either gone mad or perished from starvation. The shipwrecked people on the island were in the meantime living on wild birds, birds' eggs, and on cocoa-nuts. They had no arms with them, and the only means of catching the birds was by sticks, the men having to get within reach of the birds before they could be caught. In the first days the only water the people had was what they caught by spreading out the leaves of trees. The matches at last got wet, and the poor people could not make their accustomed fire. A powerful telescope glass then furnished a burning glass, and enabled them to get fires once more. Altogether they were on the island six weeks. At the end of this time the mail steamer Mariposa called at the island, and rescued the people from their island imprisonment. The party included two ladies (passengers) and six children.
The Board of Trade have awarded a piece of plate to Captain Hayward, of the Mariposa; a gold medal to Mr. Hart, first officer; and a silver medal and a sum of £2 each to seamen Barpark, Erving, Allan, and Driscoll, in connection with the rescue of the castaways. Captain Hayward, who was bound to San Francisco with mails and passengers, voluntarily incurred the risk of a heavy fine for breach of contract, and set off with the above-named crew in an open boat, and rescued the unfortunate people.