The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-06-12 00:00:00

SEARCH FOR SHIPWRECKED CREWS.

The following, taken from the report of the eaptain
of her Majesty's ship Comas as to his unsuccessful
search on the Crozet islands for shipwrecked crews,
has been forwarded to the papers by the Secretary of
the Admiralty for publication :---
Her Majesty's ship Coma, at sea,
lat. 38 deg. S., long. 78 deg. E.

We left the Cape on Feb. 21, and 1-1-ad to steam a great part
of tile way to enable us to make anything of a passage, the
wind as a rule being light and variable. After leaving the
influence of the Agulhas current we found ourselves always
set to the north, we had, however, tolerably clear weather
until close to the islands, when it became thick. The south
end of Hog Island was sighted at eleven a.m. on March 3
on starboard bow south by west, the rest of the island
was enveloped in dense fog, which, however, IPfted as we
approached. At noon very good sights placed us twenty-four
miles from the island. I remarked to the navigating officer
that we were nothing like that distance off the land. A
mean of several very good observations, subsequently taken
at Hog Island by Navigating Lieutenant Balliston, places
it quite twelve miles to the north and west of the
position laid down in the chart. As the sea was quite
smooth, though the island was hid in the mist, I
determined first to examine the Twelve Apostles, and
steered for them, but as we approached the fog became
SO dense that I thought it more prudent to _ put her
head to the westward, and stand off under sail for the
night with fires banked ; shortly after it cleared up to
the south, and the Lower ground of Hog Island was
clear, so I Noceeded to the anchorage recommended by the
pilot on the east side of this island. After sound in in sixty
seven fathoms, black sand, we passed between Hog Island
and the Twelve Apostles, though the latter (only three miles
odvigetrantht)emwernelnooogth t wasviisi
bleooNovoian-sgfotnoaltlhye dense mist hanging
the anchorage in twelve fathoms about hvearY hlf a mile
shore, at five p.m, good holding ground, and about half a
t we
rom reached f
iie
mile north- of a little boat cove, -where the pilot had lived
for stresral months, and which seemed well adapted for
placing a depot of provisions. I sent Lieutenant
Neville on shore with the pilot to examine and re-
port. We then immediately landed two cutters full
of provisions ; these were safely placed by the ruins
of an old hut, where the pilot had lived ten years
before •, he said that everything appeared in the
same state as it was when he left it, and no signs of any
people having been there since. It became very thick after
sunset, but we intended to work until the depOt was
finished, but suddenly the sea began to set into the cove,
and Lieutenant Neville very prudently came on board with
the boats. He reported that the island was swarming with
game, sea elephants. teal, rabbits, ducks, teal, albatross,
pd eany gwuoi no so,ual nddd
oo tnhoetrhibirdsn ng
,i in large g numbers.
aga le f
rTohme followN r. i nt go
S.W. We exercised at general quarters, firing at marks on
the shore. This anchorage seemed a perfectly safe one
from all prevailing winds, and the pilot informed me that
several large whalers used to lay here all the winter months
in safety, their tenders, small schooners, cruising to the dif-
ferent islands to catch the sea elephant, seal, &c.
On Friday, the sth, the weather having cleared up, though
there was too much sea for landing the provisions on Hog
Island, we steamed over to the Twelve Apostles. Half way
across theffog became very dense, but taking every precau-
tion, and the pilot being perfectly confident there were no
hidden dangers, we approached. As we neared the fog
lifted, and we had a beautiful day' so we were able to very
closely examine the islands, though could not have landed.
There were no signs of any human beings having been there.
We fired guns from time to time on approaching all the islands.
Island for twsotifhlouvielr,
The cairn erected by the Strathmores, referred to by Captain
Brine, could be plainly seen at a long distance. After remain-
ing byPthe
very ebarde,t town: dst
otaomieidog
over to
but, finding
Penguin Island and examined its shores, which may be
pronounced quite inaccessible, and our pilot, who had been
there to see if there were any beaches where the sea
elephant might be killed, confirmed this opinion. He had
never known any one able to land there. We then steamed
back to the anchorage at Hog Island, hoping to complete
the•depot on the following day. On Saturday morning, the
oth, I sent Lieutenant Anson in charge of the boats and.
party—namely', the whaler and two cutters full of provi-
sions ; a party of officers also landed to shoot. Only the
whaler could be beached with safety, a considerable swell
setting into the cove. The cutters were then anchored a
few yards from the steep sand! beach and stern lines passed
to the shore to keep their leads to the sea, as a strong
with Lieutenant
asthAeynso re-
turned side swept round the cove. The provisions, all in tin
cases covered with wood, were then hauled through the
turf without suffering any injury. There only being the
the labour
wwoafs
most difficult
übm-Latieteu-
r
fievxec men on t
ol;"
jolare wit
thehob
of
turned from shooting willingly gave their
st d their help, with-
out which the work could not
v a
tenant Gedge also stripped, and ws hauled through the
surf from the cutter to assist. T e
from the Cape, taken in pieces
constructed on our passage
was getting the shelter hut on shore. Two of thesewere
was,
in the kelp, there was great difficulty in e
made a raft of, and towed on shore •, butiogneiti-lugngitenAtallngled
an a
1880."
however, at last satisfactorily finished,. the hut put up,
provisions are
covered with painted canvas, the provisions stowed, d
notice board to the following effect; "Tilese
only for shipwrecked people. H.M.S. Colatte, before dark,
Lieutenant Anson returned to the ship just
having carried out his orders with great zeal an
Ipfarrooviii
6,
any casualty to men or boats. About two-thirds of the pro-
visions were landed on Hog Island.
Having now examined the three windward islands of the
group, we weighed the same evening under sail, hoping to
finish an examination of Possession Island and East Island
the following day, but at midnight it began to blow from the
south-west and became very thick. We steered to the
north end.of the island, so that we might be leeward in case
of bad weather. At daylight we furled the square sails and
put her under easy steam fore and aft canvas to prevent our
being drifted too far to the eastward; from eight o'clock to
two p.m. it blew a whole gale with a very heavy sea; the
ship behaved admirably. The wind fell towards midnight,
and I put her on the other tack to approach the land again.
At the time we thought our position was 35min. north-east
of the island, but at 5.30 we found ourselves not more than
eight miles from Dark Head, the north-east part of Pea-
se:ision Island (very. strong currents run in the neighbour-
hood of these Lslandi, furled sails, and steamed
up under the lee side of he island, firing guns at inter-
vals; there being no outlying dangers, we were able
to duly examine the little bays. The pilot having told me
Z a vary good anchorage in American Bay about four miles
from the south-east part of the island, we proceeded there
nA found a most excellent anchorage sheltered from all

Travailing winds; we anchored outside a smooth semi-
circular harbour of about eight cables in diameter at nine
a.m. I sent Lieutenant Neville to.examine the landing and
sound as he went ashore; signalling the water, he found
nothing less than five fathoms close to the shore; we
weighed and steamed into this harbour; anchored in five
fathoms, veered to thirty fathoms. At 10.20 the navigating
officer, Mr. Halliston, then sounded round the ship, aid
found nothing less than four and a half fathoms, even under
the kelp. A slight swell, the effect of the gale, set into
the bay, but this was quite gone by sunset. Here, without
any difficulty in landing, we formed a second depOt with
shelter huts in the south-oast corner of the bay, about 100
yards from the shore.
Being anxious to visit Ship Cove, where the Ifilserene
deposited a record, and to save time, I started with the pilot
and Lieutenant Triggs to walk there, but unfortunately
missed our way, and with great difficulty got back to the
ship before..dark. The situation of Ship Cove renders landing
there very precarious, as it looks south-east, and a heavy
swell sets in with the S.W. breeze, but here landing could
always be effected. In American Bay we,found the remains
of several huts used by the whalers, but these fisheries
have been abandoned for a long time, and the
pilot is of opinion that no one had landed here
for years ; there were several graves of men be-
longing to the whalers' crews, the head-boards still
standing and legible. All seemed to have died from
the effects of accidents. The beaches, as usual, swarmed
with sea elephant, but there was little other game,
A few duck were shot and guinea fowl were seen. On Tues-
day morning, the 9th, we weighed at 6.30, and first steamed
to Ship Cove, and laid off for some tine, fired a gull, no
signs of any kind being there. The landing even there was
bad. We then bore up for East Island and examined its
shores and bays, firing guns at intervals. No signs of any
human being. The ruined huts of the whalers were still
standing in North-east Bay, the last spot where any people
could be found; we then bore up under sail for Kerguelen.
The Twelve Apostles consist of two large rocks, about one
to two and a half miles long, about 900 f I. high, and several
detached pinnacled rocks of from 50ft. to 400 ft. in height,
with a few outlying rocks to the south-west; there are deep
channels between some of these, through which whaling
schooners kave passed. There are one or two spots where
landing can be effected with difficulty when the water is
smooth, and had any people been there we could have got
them off on the 6th.

Hog Island.—This island should be placed thirteen miles
north and west of its position on Admiralty chart; the posi-
tions of the other islands with regard to it seem pretty
accurate, except that East Island is not more than seven
miles from south-east point of Possession Island, and the
Heroine breakers consist of only one breaker very similar to
the Bellows off the Cape, and is only one and a half mile to
the eastward of a straight line drawn from south end of
Hog Island to Penguin nearer the former island. Hog
Island takes in a number of small peaks; the western
side is precipitous, the west, east, and south-east sides
slope down towaris the sea; it abounds in game, and no one
wrecked there need fear to be starved; the skins of the
animals would afford plenty of clothing; and fuel, in the
shape of oil, is in abundance, one penguin alone giving a
gallon. The fisheries were abandoned because it seemed
that the sea elephant had nearly become extinct, but, from
the large numbers we saw on 11 the islands, I should think
that they would again become profitable; the tongues, fins,
and kidneys of these enormous animals are excellent eating.
Penguin Island is a mass of volcanic matter, 1,200 feet,
thrown up into every imaginable form and shape, with sleet
water close to its base, and no appearance of a beach any-
where round it.

Possession Island.—The largest of the group rises to 5,000
feet high, covered with perpetual snow. This, melting, keeps
the lowlands and valleys always under water. The volcanic
matter of the island has decomposed from this constant wet,
and a mass of vegetable matter, forming deep bog, moss,
fern, dze., is met with everywhere even on the sides of the
steep ridges. At a distance this vegetation has a beautiful
effect, and one imagines that a good walk can be taken over
fields of emerald green; but on close inspection we found
ourselves up to our ankles, and sometimes nearly up to our
knees, in bog
East Island is very high, 4,000 feet, and always covered
with snow. It is very steep, but there are several little bays
on the north and east sides. Numbers of waterfalls, some
of considerable volume, are always falling over the cliffs
sheer down into the sea. The scenery of this island is very
grand. In the case of any vessel coming to grief near these
islands the boats should immediately make for either the
east side of Hog or Possession Island or the north side of
East Island, where they may find landing and plenty of
food. The Kerguelan cabbage is abundant on Possession
Island, and a plant called red root, on which the pilot
assured me human being, could not only exist but get
fat A small bird about the size of a pigeon, perfectly
white, called the snowdrop, and easily caught, is good
eating.

The probability of any vessels_being lost on these islands
is very small, the pilot, who has been connected with them
over twenty years, never heard of any vessel except the
Strathmore, and he never saw but one vessel pass while
there. The ice is the great danger. We arrived at
Kerguelen, Christmas Harbour, on Sunday, March 14.
On the night of the 13th the ship passed through a small floe
of ice; the shock was very slight. No one seemed to have
been here for some time. Rabbits, teal, and
a seal was shot. Sights for variation were
obtained by navigating lieutenant, and agreed
with those taken by the Challenger. On the 10th
we left at daylight, mid proceeding'between Swain's Island
and Howes Foreland, we went to Hunter's Sound, but could
see nothing of any scalers; we then bore up the Gazelle
Basin, Sclionwetter Harbour, anchoring there at five p.m.
This is a magnificent harbour, completely sheltered, and
fully answering the description given of it by the Germans
who surveyed it. The following day I steamed round in the
shores of the harbour, but could see no trace of any one
having been there. In the evening we erected a cairn
on port side of the narrow entrance of this harbour,
with a bottle on it, and a record of our visit. On the
18th we left, and, after placing a beacon of stones on
Fairway Rock to make it a better, mark, we proceeded
to sea, intending to remain out during the night, and
get into the sound early, but dense fog setting in
from the eastward, I bore up for Betsy Cove and anchored
for the night, landed and visited the spot where the German
observatory at transit of Venus was,,erected, very little re-
maining of it. Rabbits were in lafge numbers, and teal.
We weighed the following morning, and at four p.m.
anchored in Observatory Bay, Royal Sound, the site of our
No. 1 Observatory in 1874 during transit of Venus; the house
was in a very fair condition as far as roof, flooring, and up-
rights went, but the whalers had pulled down most of out-
side boarding fonflrewood ; we nailed up all the loose board-
ing lying about. The masonry for the various instruments was
all in the most perfect condition. The rabbits landed here by
Volage had multiplied in the most extraordinary manner, they
swarmed in every direction for several miles. We shot and
caught about 700, which enabled us to give fresh meat to
the ship's company for three days. I took advantage of the
time spent here to examine the ship's bottom and to over-
haul the engines. The condenser's inlet was found nearlY
choked with weed, and a bucketful was taken out of the
condenser itself, and three strips of copper were partly
ripped off by the ice before referred to. We examined
several of the neighbouring bays, and on the 22nd I went to
Swains overhaul and walked to Swains Harbour to see if any
sealers were there, but saw none, nor could I make out the
site of No. 2 Observatory near there

On the 23rd we dropped down to Three Island Harbour and
remained for the night. Sent a boat to see if there were
any remains of No. 3 Observatory, but none were found.
Examined two substantial huts on Hog Island in this harbour
which are used by the sealers. Found a letter in one, date
Dec. 16, 1877, giving to the next comer some information
of the movements of the whalers. A good deal of gear
of various kinds was in the huts and about the
shores, all evidently belonging to A sealing establishment.
We left a record of our visit. Rabbits in large numbers.
We had beautiful weather during the time we were here.
The southern part of the island seems to have a much drier
atmosphere than the northern. We found as a rule all
the positions laid down in the parts surveyed by the
Challenger and the German man-of -war Gazelle very cor-
rect, excepting the part near Swain's overhaul and Long
Island.

We left on the morning of the 24th for St. Paul's, making
the passage under sail until within 150 miles of the island,
when we had to steam. We arrived at eleven a.m. on the
29th. Found here a party of French (Isle de Bourbon)
fishermen, 29 in number, engaged in catching and curing fish.
They had a small schooner of about 100 tons moored along-
side the rocks, inside the crater, and were waiting for a high
tide and westerly wind to put out; they had a party of ten
at Amsterdam Island engaged in the same way. Being very
hard up for provisions I supplied them with 3 cwt. of
bread, 251 b. of sugar, and 251 b. of tobacco, taking captain's
receipt and name of owner, at Isle de Bourbon, which are
forwarded in a separate letter. This party had seen or heard
nothing of any shipwrecked crews. The boilers, some spars,
and other parts of the Magcera are still lying on the rocks.
We shot four goats, blew up with a torpedo a large quantity
of fish enough for the ship's company, and landed twenty-
eight rabbits caught at Kerguelen, which I hope in a short
time will increase the resources of this Island.

Having now completed the examination of the various
islands according to my orders received from their lord-
ships, we left under sail for Singapore at five o clock A
great many friends of the passengers in the Knowsley Halt
having written to me, I would suggest that a portion of this,
my report, might be sent to the public papers for the in-
formation of those interested—l have the honour to be,
Sir, your most obedient servant, J. N. EAST, Captain.
To the Secretary of the Admiralty,
Whitehall, London, S.W.
P.S.—ln navigating this ship amongst these partially sur-
veyed is lasnhdosw
shown
begby
Na
tloi
Navigating
Lieutenant
elniiagnhtl highly
alitsht
oe
ne are and
judgment