Year: 1868

effect of depressing their spirits considerably. The
sufferers are positive in their declaration that the
smoke from their fires must have been seen on the
ship. So October and November passed. They
had an agreeable variety in their food about this
time in the finding of some sea fowls eggs, and
they lighted on rusty axe in the stump Of an old
tree, directly in front of one of their huts. Then,
beginning to be worn out with hope deferred, they
determined to make an effort for their own deliv-
erance They fitted up one of their two boats,
decked her over with seals skin, provisioned her
with seals meat, about thirty gallons of water in
seals gullets, the flesh of three goats and about
twenty dozen of eggs. On the 22nd Of January
1867, they started, without compass or nautical
instrument, of any sort. They thought by steer
ing east-northeast they would make New Zealand.
This was an error, as the course should have been
north or little to the west of north At the time
of the start the wind was southwest, but on the
first night it shifted to the northwest, with rain
and blowing very hard. Those who were left upon
the land were very hopeful of successful result
to the venture of their comrades; but five weeks
passed. and then they knew that in all likelihood,
they would never meet their comrades again in
this world. There is one hope still. The boat
may have made Campbells Islands, which are one
hundred miles east of the Aucklands.


February passed and March. In the latter
month they found stave on which was written in
charcoal, minerva ; four men, one officer; Leith,
May 10th, 1864; March 25th, 1865" April and
May slipped by, and the men had almost given up
hope; but they gathered great pile Of wood,
ready to light as signal in case ship were seen.
In the month of June they caught small pig;
they kept her for three months, and then they
killed her. Then occurred an event which caused
much sadness. On the 3rd of September old Da-
vid Mcclellan died He had worked with them
and suffered with them. It was like losing the
chief part of their dying hope to lose him. He
was buried in the sandhills on Enderby Island


About this time they were very well off for food.
They succeeded, by means of an ingenious hook,
made out of halfinch bolt, in catching number
of pigs, and they found some wild potatoes. They
sent adrift the inflated bladders Of the pigs, at
tached to which were slips of wood, on which was
written an account of their sad condition, in the
hope of some ship picking one up. They also
made small boats of about three feet in length
they attached to each heavy piece of iron so as
to turn the little craft by the stern to keep her be-
fore the wind, and cast them out upon the waters.
On the deck of each were carved all the particu-
lars of the wreck Nearly despairing, and yet
cinging to the hope, growing fainter day by day,
of being rescued, the little band lived on, adopting
every means within its power of assisting in its
own deliverance


THE DELIvERANCE.


On the 18th of November, 1867, more than
eighteen months after the wreck Of the General
Grant, the man on the look out saw SAIL The
signal fires were lighted without delay, but the
smoke did not appear to attract notice. On the
2lst the brig Amherst was sighted, running from
the South along the east coast The boat was
launched, was observed from the brig, and the suf
ferers were taken on board 1t is almost needless
to say that they were treated by Captain Groy and
his officers and men with kindness and considera-
ton. The Joy of the rescued sufferers was great.
"Words," says one, "cannot express our feeling
of joy for such deliverance from hardship and
privation during a period of eighteen months. J."
They were taken on to Southland, New Zealand,
where they were Hospitality received and provided
for.