The Daily bulletin., 1889-10-25
WRECK OF THE GARSTON,

The following is an extract from
a letter to n resident from Capt.
Ryder of the bark Ilesper, together
with newspaper extract enclosed
in the letter, relating to the wreck
of the ship Garston, the first ac-
counts of which by some of the
shipwrecked crew arriving here
were rather hard on the Hesper;
Enclosed you will find true
account which L gave in regard to
the Garston. / understand the
mate deviated from the truth in
Honolulu about the Hesper not
waiting for them. You have prob
ably heard the captain had landed
at Wallace Island. The captain
has been here. They had a hard
time of it. The mate left about
o'clock in the afternoon. Said he
would not be long in going ashore.
l met one of the sailors here that
came over by the Mariposa. He
said they made no arrangements
that evening after the mate landed.
They must have been having
rough time of it, when vessel lay
under the island by daylight, some
sails clewcd up, and none of them
came off. l would like to see that
mate-think he would tell differ
ent story TO what he did in Homo
lulu. CYRUS RYDER,
Blk. Hesper."
From the Sydney Herald: By the
steamer Tarawera due from Auck-
land to-day, Capt. Pye and eight
sailors are to arrive belonging to the
wrecked ship Garston. In connec-
ton with the report of the chief
officer, that the bark Hesper left
Humphrey Island before the men
could get off, further inquiries
made of Capt. c. Ryder, master of
the Hesper, show that the statement
is entirely wrong. The facts are
very simple. AT about A p. m. of
August 5 the mate and his native
crew communicated with the Hes
per, and the agreement was to take
off ten or so of the crew. The mate
was quite in doubt as to whe-
ther the crew ashore could be
induced to separate, but he left the
Hesper without any understanding
about lying off all night. Capt.
Ryder at once, in conjunction with
Mrs. Ryder, and also the chief
officer of the Hesper, set to work to
prepare the accommodation for the
men. Night drew on, but no sign
of boat from the shore. Captain
Ryder kept torches burning
throughout the night, and also
worked his vessel as close in shore
as prudence dictated. Instead of
ten miles distant, as reported by
the Garston mate, he was not even
five miles off. He personally pa
trolled the poop until Il. M, look
ing out for the promised boat, but
to no purpose. Torchlights were
kept going uninterruptedly, and
Captain Ryder went below from ,
to 4 q. M, leaving the chief officer
on the lookout. From a. NJ. to 6
| u. hi' SapVaih hJNSI lcouincu his
watch. 1t had, of course, been day
light some time, and as objects on
shore could be distinctly seen from
the vessel there could be no doubt
that the bark was visible from
the shore. After patiently waiting
for fourteen hours the bark kept
away on her course, but not before
close scrutiny had been made by the
master and his chief officer with
binoculars of the shore, without,
however, seeing anything whatever
of an approaching boat, or anything
like it. Indeed it was with great
reluctance, and a measure of dis,
appointment, that those on board
the Hesper left, though they were
of course aware from the account
given by the mate of the Garston
that they were quite comfortably
provided for on shore.