The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-22 00:00:00

A Modern Robinson Crusoe,

The Melbourne Correspondent of the Times sup-
plies a long narrative of a man named Musgrove,
who was a year or two ago shipwrecked on one of
the Auckland Islands, about 400 miles south of
New Zealand, and compelled, with some of his
crew, to stay there for nearly 20 months. He has
published in Melbourne a diary, from which the

narrative is taken. Some brief accounts of the
affair have appeared before; but this full and au-

thentic narrative is still interesting

Early in January of last year, Musgrove, com-

manding a small scaling vessel called the Grafton,

out of the port of Sydney, was driven in a gale of

wind on to one. of these islands, and his ship became

a wreck.

With difficulty he and his Crew contrived

to reach the shore in a boat. 'The severity of the

weather—gales of wind being the rule rather than
the exception in that boisterous latitude—prevented

them from getting many things from the vessel, and
the only tools they had were a hammer, an axe, and

an adze, and a gimlet, with which they contrived to
make, after long and persevering labour, a thing

they called a house, with a fire-place and chimney
to it. For provisions they were dependent on seals,
widgeons, mussels, and a sort of saccharine root

found on the island, which served for bread and po-
tatoes, and which after some time they learned to
brew into some stuff which, although not beer, the

captain says was better than cold water.

" First

catch your seal," was constantly the cardinal prin-
ciple of this island cookery. The seals were in pro-
digious numbers, and Captain Musgrove's diary is
interesting in its notices of these curious creatures.

" They go roaring about the -woods," he says, "like
wild cattle. Indeed, we expect they will come and
storm the tent some night." Speaking of another

part of the island, he says :
" At this place we saw hundreds of seals ; both
e shore and the water were literally swarming with
In one instance we saw a black seal and a

:hem.

tiger seal fighting. They were at it when we first
saw them. We watched them about half an hour,
and left them hard at it. They fight as ferociously
as dogs, and do not make the least noise, and with
their large tusks they tear each other almost to pieces.
In other portions of the diary are entries which
show that from the excessively pugnacious charac-
ter of the old seals, especially of the bulls (which
showed fight even when assailed with clubs by seve-
ral of the crew), the young calves were generally
deemed the safer game, and were knocked on the
head accordingly. After some months of this wretched
struggle against starvation some of the men grew
insubordinate. On Sunday, Feb. 7, Musgrove's log

has a misanthropic tinge about it. He says :
" Up to the presenttime the men have worked well
and conducted themselves in a very obedient and re-
spectful manner towards me, but I find that there is
somewhat of a spirit of obstinacy and independence
creeping in among them. It is true, Ino longer
hold any command over them, but I share every-
thing that has been saved from the wreck in

common with them, and I have worked as hard as

any of them in trying to make them comfortable,
and I think gratitude ought to prompt them to still
continue willing and obedient ; but you might as
well look for the grace of God in a Highlandman's
log-book as gratitude in a sailor. This is a well-
known fact.

By a subsequent entry of the Ist May, he shows
how he had successfully dealt with this disaffected

spirit

" I have adopted a measure for keeping the men
in order and subjection, which I find to work ad-
mirably, and it also acts beneficially on my own
mind. This is teaching school in the evening, and
reading prayers, and reading and expounding the
Scriptures on Sunday to the best of my poor ability.
We have done this for some time now, and I am
happy to say with much greater success than I at
first expected. They are all getting particularly
fond of reading and hearing the Bible read. Some
of them cannot read yet, but they are learning very
fast, and I have not heard a profane word spoken
for a long time. So much for moral suasion. I trust
that the result will be beneficial to all parties."
In another mood, this poor sea captain's entry
shows us a glimpse of his inner suffering :
" My urgent prayer to Heaven is that I may be
permitted to retain my health and reason through
the distressing trial."
And so on the diary proceeds—a little desultory,
of course, as most diaries are—occupying nearly
two pages of the Age newspaper, with the daily war-
fare on the seals ; with an account of the murder of
a fine phlegmatic, ever-present, immoveable old seal
they called Royal Tom, the plagues of sand flies
blow flies, and boils breaking out on the faces of
the sufferers, until at last some of them determine
on attempting an escape from the island. Their
only craft was the little dingy in which they
had escaped from the wreck. The neareft
inhabited land was New Zealand, 400 miles
off. To traverse such a tract of stormy ocean in
such a boat, Captain Musgrove knew was little
other than a form of suicide ; but, grown desperate,
he determined on the attempt. As well perish
quickly at sea as slowly on shore, he said. Prudence
or consideration for others need not restrain him,
for his wife and mother in Sydney must long since
have given him up for lost. He and his men raised
the sides of the boat and otherwise made her fitter
for a sea-way ; and, when ready, a question arose
who should accompany the captain. eSom flatly re-
fused, two consented. They secured as large a store
of seal and other food in the boat as she would carry,
put forth to sea, and arrived at Invercargill in New
Zealand, on the 27th of July. This is the most
wonderful part of the whole narrative ; as probably
such another voyage, in such a boat, was never
before made. The captain and his men were treated
with the greatest kindness at Invercargill, and a
small craft was at once chartered to proceed to the
island for the other men. They were recovered and
brought away ; but as smoke was seen on another
past of the island, it was thought that there were
probably other shipwrecked persons there who were
unable to escape, more especially as several vessels
have been lost, or given up as lost, which have lately
sailed from Australian ports. Captain Musgrove
therefore came on to Melbourne, and applied to the
Victorian Government for further assistance, which
has been granted. The colonial steam sloop Vic-
toria has been despatched with a numerous crew,
and with Musgrove on board as pilot, and the cap-
tain of the Victoria has particular instructions to
make a careful search over the island, before he re-
turns to Melbourne, which will probably be about
six weeks hence. It is needless to say anything of
Musgrcve's personal qualities, which best appear
from what he has done and suffered.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This day.

•

LoNnax, Dec. 22.—Wind this day at noon—South.
Westerly ; moderate breeze, and fine weather, but rather
cloudy.
PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 21.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—Atlas,
for Shields.

FALMOUTH, Dec. 21.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Theresa,
from Taganrog.
BRISTOL, Dec. 21::—Wind W.—Arrived—Bonny Belle,
from St. Michael's.

CARDIFF, Dec. 21.—Wind S.S.W.—Sailed—Samite,
for Bilboa.

LIVERPOOL, Dec. 21.—Wind Jheleui,
from Constantinople; Amalia, from Corunna ; Valentina,
from Rochefort.

CLYDE, -Dee. 21.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Pero, from
Malta and Gibraltar.

HULL, Dec. 20.—Wind S.—Arrived—Gilbert Wheaton,
from St. Michael's.
PLYMOUTH, Dec. 21.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Rob Boy,
from Auckland, N.Z.
KINGROAD, Dec. 20.—Wind W.—Arrived.—Cynthia,
from St. John's.
SWANSEA, Dec. 21.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Roso of
England, from Caldera.

LEY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
GRAVESEND, Friday Morning.
Arrived, Dec. 21.—Rose, from Guernsey ; Alice Tainter,
from Kurrachee ; Bebeck, from Guernesey ; Caroline Good-
yer, from St. Michaegs.
Arrived, Dec. 22.—Union, and Amelia, from Gueresey ;
0. L., from Caen ; Victor, steamer, from Brussels ; Water-
ho, steamer, from Rotterdam ; Panther, steamer, from
Boulogne. DEAL, Friday Morning.
Passed, Dec. 21—Ocean King, screw steamer, for Trieste;
Seine and Tamise, sarew steamer, for Rouen—both from
London ; Barham, from Madras ; Kennington and Duke of
Athol, from Calcutta—all for London.

In the Manchester County Court, on Wednesday,
an action to recover £5O was brought by John
Walmsley, beerhouse keeper, Henry-street, Oldham-
road, against a tripe dresser, named Samuel Kay,
living in Jersey-street, Ancoats. Some months ago
a disagreeable smell arose from a sough in the plain-
tiff's cellar, and it was thought that it proceeded
through the medium of a drain, from the defendant's
premises. In the month of August a mass of steam
was thrown up from the sough, and when the nature
of the defendant's business was considered, the
opinion which had been formed received a corrobo-
ration. Eventually a flood of water, containing a
large quantity of offal from the process of tripe
dressing, found its way into the plaintiff's cellar, and
a most offensive odour was emitted ; and in conse-
quence, it was alleged, the plaintiff's wife and child
became ill, his customers ceased to visit the house,
the plaintiff was obliged to betake himself to lodg-
ings, and he sustained altogether a loss of more than
£5O. An investigation was made, and the nuisance
was traced to the defendant's premises, from the
back of which it was found the defendant discharged
his refuse. From the point where this refuse left
the defendant's premises, two drains ran in con-
trary directions, one of them being a drain which
was under the supervision of the Corporation.
This, it was discovered, had become so ob-
structed that anything discharged into it
was afterwards forced into the other drain,
of which the Corporation had no cognisance,
and the free communication of which with the main
sewer had been impaired by the " settling" of the
ground. It was through this last drain that the filth
passed into the plaintiff's house. It was proved that
after the plaintiff's cellar had been drained of the
water, there remained a heap of most offensive filth
six or seven inches deep. The judge (Mr. Ovens)
said he was surprised that the authorities allowed
such matter to be turned into sewers. He asked if
there was not a by-law to prevent such a proceeding.
Mr. Francis, surveyor to the Paving Committee of
the Corporation, said he was not aware of any by-
law of the kind. The drains were calculated, if in
proper order, to carry off refuse from tripe dressing.
Mr. Ambrose, for the defendant, said he had a right
to use the drain. Mr. R. B. B. Cobbett, for the
plaintiff, said he was not going to raise any ques-
tion as to the defendant's right to use the drain,
but he had no right to create a nuisance. The
judge said it was desirable to see how the two
drains were connected. If that which passed under
the plaintiff's house was a private drain, a man had
a right to use it only as far as he had a right to
easement against his neighbour. If it was a public
drain it would make all the difference. He could
not see any objection at present to the drain sanc-
tioned by the Corporation being used for the dis-
charge of anything which could fairly pass. Ho
could not see how the refuse got into the private
drain. If it was discharged into the public one and
then, through some fault not resting with the de-
fendant, got into the private one, there was no case
against the defendant. For the purpose of an ex-
amination being made, he would adjourn the case to
the 15th of January.

In the Matter of the hiblic Service.

- -41- -

(BRING A LETTER TO A COLONIAL GOVERNOR.)

Mr dear Sir Adolphus, —
You ask me what you should do if an insurrection
were to break out, after all—if, for instance, 30 or
40 white men should be massacred. Do ? Nothing
can be more simple.

In the first place, you should immediately disband
the troops. Bayonets are the last resort of tyrants.
In the second place, you should send away any of
her Majesty's ships that may happen to be cruising
near the island. I tremble to think of the conse-
quences if an infuriated gang of British sailors
should be let loose upon negroes who have only
put a few whites to death and mutilated their
bodies. In the third place, you should disarm the
volunteers. if those murderous ruffians were to
be surrounded by a justly indignant multitude of
intelligent African labourers, and if they were, as
they would deserve to be, pelted with brickbats and
stones, I am convinced that the dastards would fire
upon the inoffensive crowd.

Having thus proved that you had no intention of
coercing an amiable but enlightened people, I
would recommend you to invite their leader—who
accused you of stealing a piano—to dinner at Go-
vernment House. Between ourselves, I can hardly
believe that you really purloined the musical in.
strument in question ; but as the coloured gentle-
man is a personal friend of Mr. Chamerovzow, that
good and gifted man, it would be rude to say that
he is a liar.

Your next step would be to distribute tracts
amongst the poor blacks, who will by this time have
assembled in considerable numbers.

All this being done, I should then recommend you
to try the efficacy of moral force by proceeding in
person, and unarmed, to their camp.

But as a mere matter of worldly wisdom, I should
recommend you previously to make your will.
Bear these principles in mind, my dear Sir Adol-
phus, act upon them, and yott will earn the eternal
gratitude of Exeter Hall, and of the Lambeth Baths
—of Mr. Chamerovzow, and of Mr. Murphy. To
be sure England will lose the island—what of that ?
Act otherwise ; and I will tell you what will be
your fate.
You must remember that Lord Palmerston is
dead, and that as your name is neither Elliott nor
Grey, you cannot rely for support upon Lord
Russell.

Public meetings will be held, a deputation, con-
sisting of a China merchant, a dissenting minister,
a blind man, and a street preacher will wait upon
the Premier ; a commissioner will be sent out to
Sugar-cane Island ; you will be superseded ; you
will be put upon your trial ; and you will probably
be disgraced —Fun. . _

MARKETS—This Day.

MARS-LANE.

The arrivals of English wheat, fresh up to our market,
to-day, were very moderate, yet the trade ruled quiet, at
Monday's currency. The condition of the produce was
tolerably good.
The market was fairly supplied with foreign wheat. In
most dtscriptions a moderate business was transacted, at
late rates.

Floating cargoes of grain moved off slowly, at late rates.
The supply of barley on sale was tolerably large. The
trade, generally speaking, was dull, at the recent fall in

prices.
• Malt sold heavily at last week's currency.
Oats•were in fair supply and slow request, at late prices.
Beans were a dull inquiry, at the late decline in their
value.
Peas met a slow sale, at late rates.
For flour there was a moderate demand, at previous
quotations.
The Corn Exchange will not be reopened till Wednes.
day next.
SHIP ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flour.
English and Scotch ll7O 3410 2000 3260 1120
Irish
Foreign 2500 3990 6910 1330 sks.
310 brls.