The San Francisco call., 1899-05-14


only food: but subsequently, when they
had been nearly five months on the island.
wlld goats and hogs were discovered, and
from this time onward goats or hogs were
hunted down and trapped
Ihe terrible winter season at length
passed away and the weary survivors
began TO welcome the coming summer:
but so severe had been their sufferings
and so little chance apparently remained
of their beiNg rescued that they deter
mined to maze one desperate attempt to
communicate with the nearest inhabited
country-New Zealand. One of the boats
was overhauled as well as their rude tools
would permit, and deCked with sealsllins
sewn together, sails were made of the
old sailcloth and provisions placed on
board.
When all was ready it was A question
of who was TO go and how many were to
undertake the voyage. 1t was settled that
four would be enough. and these were
selected by lot; but Brown, the first Of
ficer. asserted his right to take his place
in the boat. and it only remained to select
three Of their number, Amid the greatest
silence the lots were drawn. and William
Scott Andrew Morrison and Peter Nc
Niven drew the marked shells from the
bag On January %, 1857, these four brave
fellows without any chart compass or in
strument whatever. sailed away with the
desperate resolve of reaching the shores
of New Zealand 400 miles away to the
northward. What the fate of these heroes
was we never knew, only that they were
never seen again by mortal eyes.
The summer passed and winter came
again with all its horrors. The. severe
climate and scarcity of food began to tell
upon the health of the party. In August,
1861 David McLelland aged 62 years, fell
i'll and died the following month. The
number was now reduced to ten Then
scurvv began to manifest itself and Teer
had to resort to the most vigorous meas
ures to rouse his fellow sufferers from
inaction using brute force of whip TO
keep them on the move.
On November 10 a sail was sighted
a considerable distance out TO sea
and the usual signals were made, but in
vain: for the vessel passed on in south
erly direction On the 21st of the sans
month another vessel hove in sight, max
ing straight for Enderby Island, which
proved TO be the brig Amherst from Port
Bluff on a whaling voyage. She had not
been long at sea before one of the minta-
ture vessels which had been sent out was
picked UP and the fate of the General
Grant determined. Her captain then de-
termined to search the Auckland Islands
for the survivors. One can readily i'm
agine the excitement among the cast
aways as the Amherst neared the island.
Teer with three others. put off in their
only remaining boat and pulled madly for
the brig. When Captain Gilroy saw these
strange beings clothed in skins and eight
cen months hair upon their heads ana
faces no wonder strong suspicious en-
tered his mind that these persons might
he mutineers or madmen, and looking
toward the beach he beheld six others
dancing a franctic dance of glee around
their fire, which determined him not to
allow Teer and his companions on board.
Poor Teer begged, prayed and expostu-
lated. but Gilroy was not to be moved.
At last Teer obtained permission 10 go
alone on board and tell his story to the
CAPTAIN This he did. but so great was
the poor fellows excitement that he could
not give a coherent account of himself or
his friends Gilroy. believing that his sus-
picions were not without ground. ordered
the distressed man back into his boat ana
refused to hear another word.
At this moment an old negro was COM
ing up on deck and heard Teer's last
words and the captains order. Looking
toward Teer he uttered an exclamation
of surprise for there stood one whom
he at once recognized as an old fellow
sailor The old negro explained matters
to the captain and soon everything was
settled all right.
The next morning Captain Gilroy sent
his boats to bring off the remaining sur
vivors. They had been eighteen months
on the island.
Captain Gilroy and his crew lavished
every attention on the survivors and were
willing to abandon their whaling expe-
dition to take them back TO Australia.
but they would not hear of this and in
sisted on the whaling cruise being con-
tinued. saying that as they had waited
eighteen months they could surely wait
q few months more. The Amherst then
headed for the south.
When the Amherst sailed into Mel
bourne thousands of people lined the
wharves Teer was presented by his fell
low survivors with handsome diamond
ring, and the New Zealand Government,
so highly did they appreciate his noble
services, offered to reimburse him
for all the treasure which he had lost.
This kindly offer was refused. Teer said
he had only done his duty and if the
Government wished to do that for him
they must also do it for the others, for
they had no distinction between them.
Several efforts made by different par
ties were unsuccessful in recovering the
treasure lost in the General Grant.
Steamers were chartered and divers sent
with them, but so severe were the gales
of wind in the locality that all attempts
were abandoned.
In ALI Of these expeditions Teer was a
prominent figure. and in one actually Wis.,
tied the scene of all his past sufferings.
He would never reveal at that time the
exact location of the scene of the wreck.
One expedition was entirely lost and
never heard of again.
Even so recently as the year 1889.
twenty-five years after the catastrophe,
Teer prepared for another great effort.
He laid all his plans carefully and every
thing seemed to favor the attempt. But
on the eve of the expedition, when the
final preparations were being made and
when ii seemed that the gold in the ill
fated General Grant was at last within
reach James Teer was found dead in his
hudel in Mebourne-a dramatic end to a
dramatic lifes
The treasure still remain where II went
down The writer of this narrative was
the navigating officer of an English man
of war that was sent from Auckland in
1867 to investigate the wreck.
CAPTAIN GEORGE E. JACKSON.
Husband-There is no hurry, dear. I've
just telephoned, and they say our train
is four hours late.
wife-Good! I've Just got time to fix