Run Of Rescue Work.

The 1883 passage of the Rangitiki to Auckland was an eventful one. Mr. W. Bines, now residing in Auckland, who was one of the ship's company on this occasion, has supplied me with interesting details taken from his log. "the Rangitiki, Captain Millman," writes Mr. Bines, "left Plymouth on January 30, after taking on board immigrants. On February 3rd, we sighted what we took to be a raft with live human beings on it, all awash. The lifeboat was lowered, and we rescued two men who had been on a deck house (not a raft) for two days and nights. Eight men scrambled on this house when they left the wreck of the Kenmore Castle, bound from Liverpool to Singapore, but six were washed off. Dr. Leger Erson (who was a passenger in our ship, and afterwards settled in Auckland) soon pulled the men round.

"On the 8th February, we sighted a dismantled barquentine. At the time, a heavy gale was raging, and we were running under fore and main topsails. At 2 p.m. we came up to the wreck, the Maria Agatha, Captain Owens, from South Wales.

"Under considerable difficulties the lifeboat was lowered, and the master, mate, and five men were rescued. It was very risky work owing to the heavy seas, and we did not get back to the shippage 256 until just at dark. Picking up men from a ship in a heavy seaway under such conditions is a far different job from a warship, filled with life rockets and breeches buoy, doing similar work. We had to get close enough to the wreck's lee quarter to allow one man at a time to jump in and then back away, as the life boat at one time would be almost level with the ship's rail, and three seconds later twenty feet below.