A Narrative of the Melancholy Wreck of the "Dunbar," Merchant Ship, on the South Head of Port Jackson, August 20th, 1875Anonymous
History
A Narrative of the Melancholy Wreck of the "Dunbar," Merchant Ship, on the South Head of Port Jackson, August 20th, 1875
Anonymous
Dunbar (Ship); Shipwrecks -- Australia -- New South Wales
James Johnson, seaman, late of the DUNBAR, being sworn, stated, Belonged
to the DUNBAR, commanded by Captain Green. We sailed for Plymouth first;
the DUNBAR, is a first-class Ship; we sailed from Plymouth on the 31st
May, with general cargo; would not say how many passengers--there were
cabin passengers, male and female; there were also second-class
passengers, male and female, on board; I cannot state the exact number
on board; am positive of the day of sailing; we sailed on Sunday
morning; there were fifty-nine seamen on the ship's articles, including
captain, officers, able-bodied seamen, boys, and all; the chief
officer's name was Mr. Struthers; we had a prosperous voyage till we
reached the coast of New Holland; we first made King's Island a week
last Sunday, the 16th August, the wind fresh and blowing from west,
under double-reefed topsails; we had been looking out for land, and we
made it out according to the captain's calculation; there was a watch
kept on deck, and time called every half-hour; King's Island was the
land we first expected to make; we saw the island very plain; when first
seen the wind was from the westward; we then shaped our course for the
Straits; from where we made the land the weather was thick, wet, and
hazy; the sails were shortened from stress of weather; two reefs of the
topsail were taken; we did not shorten sail to meet the land; I cannot
exactly say what was the course we shaped; we made the Straits that
night, the 16th; King's Island was the land we were looking out for
before; we made it according to the captain's calculation, and saw the
island very plain; the wind, at this time, was from the westward; we
then shaped our course through the Straits; from the time we made the
land the weather was thick and squally the whole time, and sail was
shortened from stress of weather; our course was somewhere to the east,
but I cannot say the point we steered exactly; we made the Straits that
same night; we saw a light about two o'clock the next morning that was
said to be upon some land in the middle of the Straits; we also saw the
land; we did not alter our course; the light was rather on our port bow;
no change took place till next day, when the wind headed us, and we made
two boards which carried us clear of the islands, I have never been here
before, but I have been in Melbourne; I am an able seaman, and have been
eleven years at sea; I served my time on the coast of England, out of
Lancashire, principally trading between England and Ireland; after we
passed Kent's Group the next land we saw was the light at Cape Howe; I
was told that was the Cape Howe light; we made this light in the
evening; I do not know that there was any change of course; we were
under double reefed topsails, with all the yards braced sharp up; there
was no great stress of weather at the time; it was thick, hazy weather;
we saw the land at times, but not always; there was no heavy sea on; a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account