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
Meanwhile, important facts became known at Middle Harbour, appearing to
remove all doubts as to the name of the lost vessel; a mail bag marked
"No. 2, per DUNBAR, Plymouth, May 29"; a cask of tripe marked "DUNBAR";
the top of a case, marked J.C.; a quantity of pork; boxes of candles;
several boys' cricket bats; and a great quantity of general cargo, were
either found floating there, or washed ashore. Captain Pockley, the
newly appointed Harbour Master, reported that twelve bodies had been
found, one of them evidently an officer, the gilt buttons of his coat
marked W.B.W., with a crest; there had also been picked up the body of a
boy, about four years of age, quite naked, his hair black. Near the Sand
Spit, Middle Harbour, the bodies of two well dressed men, and of a
woman, with a ring on one of her fingers, had been taken up by Mr. Isaac
Moore; also two or three beer cask heads, with Tooth's brand. A cow,
surrounded by sharks was seen floating near this place, and two cows and
a horse were here cast ashore. A large portion of the wreck floated into
Middle Harbour, (_see Engraving_) and went ashore at Hunter's Bay, near
the residence of Mr. Edwards, where it still lies. It consists of about
40 or 50 feet of the keel, and flooring timber of massive construction,
copper fastened, two or three sheets of the copper still adhering to the
woodwork. The enormous force with which the ship had been driven ashore
is evinced by this relic of her former stately proportions; the powerful
teak timbers are rent and shivered at their sides and ends, as though
they were of the most fragile material, and the copper bolts, nearly two
inches in diameter, twisted like pieces of thin wire; a gangway board,
with a lion carved on it, was also picked up.
The energetic and efficient officer, Captain M'Lerie, Inspector General
of Police, remained at Middle Harbour until half-past 12 o'clock on
Friday night, having arranged for the removal of the bodies that had
been found to Sydney on Saturday morning.--A party of mounted police, by
his directions, remained to guard the recovered property, and it was
rumoured that parties detected in wrecking had been arrested. No
reasonable doubt remained but that the ill-fated vessel was indeed the
DUNBAR, reported in the _Home News_ of the 16th of June, as having
sailed for Sydney from Plymouth on the 2nd of that month, with a large
list of passengers, comprising many well-known and much respected
colonists; and several families in our city were at once plunged into
the deepest affliction. It was remarked as a singular circumstance that
the blue light of the unfortunate vessel had actually been seen off the
coast from Sydney, although not observed by the Pilots; and it was also
said that the dog of the lighthouse keeper was noticed to be very uneasy
during the night, and had run to the edge of the cliffs and barked
loudly. Possibly this may have occurred at the time of the awful
catastrophe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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