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LOSS OF THE BRIG “MARIA,” BATTLING FOR LIFE

By:- Fitzroy

AFLOAT ON THE RAFTS

Those on the rafts had no means of guiding or managing the frail structures so they were quite at the mercy of the wind and current. As the rafts floated off, rolling and rising and sinking in a sickening manner, the men holding on with might and main to prevent themselves from slipping, into the turbulent sea, they cast their eyes back to see how their shipmates left in the water were getting on.

Bad as it was on the rickety rafts it was infinitely worse when the Maria had disappeared. Men were struggling to keep afloat and some of them shrieking for help. The men in the two boats already referred to, went back and picked up some of those in dreadful difficulties, while the second mate, Mr. Andrews, was swimming round helping the men on to the yard of the Maria that was showing above water.

To those on the rafts it did not appear that many got into the boat, but were known subsequently that twenty eight were in the two, all of whom were ultimately saved.

Those left clinging to the yard might have had a chance also had the captain remained with the largest boat, but though they clung desperately to the yard, it was only a question of exhaustation till the poor fellows dropped off one by one till none were left. When the S.S. Tinone came a week later there were no signs of any men.

It was on February 26, 1872, that the Maria sank.

All accounts do not quite agree as to the number on the Maria , but it was not more than seventy five or less than seventy one. Probably the larger number in the nearer correct. The way the passengers and crew were divided up at the time of leaving the wreck was about as follows:- Captain’s boat 7; two other boats, 28; large raft 13; small raft, 12; left on ship’s yard, 12; drowned (Tom Bartey), 1; total 73. Ingham, Forster, Coyle, Hayden, Phillips, Smith, Tanner, Grant, Morris, Haselbrook, Taylor, Bardon, and Siddell, were on the larger raft. Captain’s boat had apparently gone due west, and the smaller boats had also taken a westerly course.

The larger raft not being so much in the wind as the smaller one, drifted more northerly than the smaller one, which accounts for the first-named reaching the shore farther west to the north.

A TERRIBLE MISCHANCE

As shown on what small matters the fate of people sometimes hang, it should be stated that Taylor, who was the look-out man on the Maria when she struck had seen land in the offing which he believed to be Hinchinbrook Island – it really was that island – which he had seen before. Now had Taylor been in the captain’s boat he would have definitely recognized the island when they drew closer, and Captain Stratman, had he known where he was, could have got to Cardwell in a few hours, obtained help, and nearly all might have been saved.

THE LARGER RAFT

It is largely with the fortunes of these on the larger raft that this story has to deal. The wind had dropped a little when the rafts floated away. The larger raft was so heavily built that those on it caused it to sink nearly a couple of feet in the water. With thirteen on board a raft 10 ft, by 10 ft the size of the structure, they were somewhat cramped for room, and as the two rafts began to draw apart, a man named Grant tried to swim from the big raft to the other. On the way he suddenly gave a loud yell and sank never rising again. It was supposed he was taken by a shark, which was far from comforting to those with such an insecure footing.

The rafts drew further and further apart. None of the boats or rafts apparently had either food or water, but one man had a biscuit on Ingham’s raft which was shared all round. The wind began to increase in strength and the sea rose in response, making the position on the raft still more difficult. At first the men lashed themselves to the structure, but fearing it might turn turtle that plan was desisted from fearing the men might be drowned.

On the next day (February 27) land would be plainly seen from the big raft about six miles away, but try as they would they could get no nearer. The materials forming the raft were beginning to get less and portions were floating away. A Frenchman named Morris dived underneath and managed to tighten the ropes a little but pieces still continued to disappear.

That night Taylor became delirious and the other tried to cheer him up, but the raft capsized and Taylor was seen no more. Haselbrook, a German, who was tied on, was pulled on to the raft again, but was apparently dead. Ingham was sitting in the water next to Percy Tanner, a reporter on the “Sydney Morning Herald” He had lately come in for a fortune and had joined the Maria purely for an adventure. He said to Ingham, “I am going to lie down,” to which Ingham replied, “So am I.” They both did so, and just then the raft capsized, and Tanner was never seen again. Ingham grabbed hold of the ladder and climbed it, as it were, till his head arose above the water, when someone hauled him on board. Soon after the raft capsized again, and Haselbrook’s body floated away. Morris after this capsizes started to swim for the shore, and it is supposed was drowned or taken by a shark.

The second time the raft capsized Ingham swallowed a lot of water and began to lose his senses, but he kept firm hold of the ladder the whole time.

POSITION BECOMES WORSE

Already the big raft had lost Grant, Tanner, Taylor, Haselbrook, and Morris and Ingham was on the verge of delirium. He said: “I had a series of night mares, which are vividly impressed on my memory. I distinctly remember the raft going over several times, and I came up all right on each occasions. I was told the raft went over seven times. On the fourth occasion, I think it was, I imagined I was standing near the Redfern Railway Station, Sydney, and I saw a five-barred gate coming towards me. I fancied I should be drowned if I did not get hold of the gate, and as it came towards me I caught it. I hung on and went along with it. I imagined there was a lot of water rushing about but I drifted along on the gate till I came to a small hole where the railway people shot the coal. Strange to say the five-barred gate rushed into this hole, and I with it and came out on the other side. My arms were nearly jerked out of their sockets, but I held on, and once more our raft was righted.

“The next thing I imagined”, continued Ingham, “was that I was standing on the side of the hill between St. Mary’s Cathedral and Hyde Park, Sydney, when I saw an omnibus coming along. All at once the bus toppled over into the gutter, and was being carried away by the stream. I hung on to the bus like grim death and was carried down the gutter to Woolloomooloo. That must have been the raft turning over again. I remember that I always drew myself up to the top of what I caught hold of. The next thing I imagined was that I was on a goldfield, and by some mischance I fell into a sluice box, and I felt myself being washed through with the flow of the water. Some logs were being carried along also, and I thought that I hung on to one of these and was carried right through the trap-door at the end of the box, which had been left open.

“I can scarcely remember what happened after that I was told afterwards that Forster, finding that I kept my head below water, kept pulling me up. Before I lost my senses I remember that we all had a great craving for a drink. In my delirium I saw a man sitting opposite me holding in his arms a glass barrel. At one end of the barrel was wine and at the other whisky and I coaxed him to give me a drink. I fancied that the man looked away, and I made a grab for the barrel and took a drink of the wine, when to my intense disgust, it proved to be only sea water.”

Apparently Ingham’s delirium was partly reality. His distorted imagination conceived all sorts of queer things but the dreadful position he was in can be traced right through these queer imaginings. The devoted and untiring attention Ingham received from his friend Forster, who kept his head and his strength in a marvellous manner, undoubtedly saved Ingham’s life. He forcibly held Tom’s head above water when he wanted to lie down, and thus reserved his life at great risk to himself.

Through all of Ingham’s delirium there were glimmerings of reasons. At one time he fancied he was on the Parameter River ferry-boat, whence he saw an Island. Poor Tom declared he had had enough of the ferry-boat and asked to be put on the Island. He heard someone ask, “Is he dead?” Ingham wondered whom he meant, and thought, “Surely, it is not me that is dead!”

RAFT REACHES THE SHORE

The terrible experiences without food or water, drifting helpless at the mercy of wind and tide, had lasted three days, the raft getting nearer and nearer to shore. At lengths the raft got among the breakers near the shore, and one big wave capsized the raft, driving it and the men rapidly towards the beach. All hands by this time were terribly weak, and Forster had to let Ingham go to save himself.

They all scrambled up the shore away from the undertow as best they could, Forster remarking, “poor Tom is gone”. Looking round all hands were surprised to see Ingham clambering over the side of the overturned raft, on the top. The raft had drifted ashore, and Forster almost carried Ingham away from the water, while Coyle looked after Smith, who was also very weak.

Ingham and Smith were in a comatose and helpless state, and the other six who got ashore, drew their helpless comrades up the beach beyond the reach of the waves, and went off looking for water. By great good fortune it came on to rain, and it seems the downpour came in a perfect torrent, as it does in the same place (Innisfail) at the present day. This rain was a real reviver, for it roused Ingham out of his lethargic state, and he was able to sit up.

This was on February 29, that year being leap-year. The rain seemed quite cold. Ingham looked around, but could make nothing of his whereabouts. He saw the waves rolling in seemingly mountains high, and the raft some distance away. He was still quite dazed and pinched himself but could feel no pain. The rain continued to fall in torrents, and it was having a reviving effect on the unhappy man sitting helpless on the beach.

Presently Ingham so far recovered that he remembered the wreck of the Maria and some of the miseries they had all been through. He had been restored to consciousness about an hour, when he saw a man coming towards him on the beach, and presently to his great delight saw it was his friend and preserver, Forster.

Mr Forster came up quickly and cried, “Hello Ingham I thought you were dead.” “I thought I was dead myself” replied Ingham. Forster then told his friend that there were eight of them got ashore and he and Coyle had left Smith with Ingham but Smith had apparently disappeared. Forester likewise said that he and Coyle had found water, and had had a sleep.

Mr Ingham was still very thirsty, and as it was still raining heavily Forster and Tom laid down under a large grass tree and trained the points of the long narrow leaves into their mouths and so gradually assuaged their thirst. Coming in this slow manner from the raindrops was the best possible thing for them both. Ingham, in particular, was so thirsty that had there been water in plenty he might have killed himself.

The two were still under the grass tree sucking in the drops of rain when they heard voices along the beach; looking out from the shelter they directly behold Phillips and Haydon coming in their direction. Forster called them over, and they were delighted to find Ingham also alive and so well. They too, had found water and had quenched their thirst.

The next thing these poor shipwrecked fellows did was to build a mia mia to shelter them and one of them having found a bread fruit from a Pandanus tree, they all ate the seeds which were sweet and wholesome.

THE SOAKED BIBLE

As these pitiable fellows lay under their shelter talking of their awful position, Haydon felt something inside his shirt, and putting his hand in pulled out a soaked substance about eight inches by 5 inches. It proved to be a Bible! It was so soaked almost to a pulp, but they at once recognized that it seemed to be a special act of Providence for their guidance and encouragement. That lump of apparently useless pulp was destined to be of more benefit to these poor shipwrecked men than had it been something to eat for the leaves were carefully dried singly and preserved, and day by day they read the Blessed Saviour’ words of hope and comfort to those in dire distress, mentally and physically. The book had a different meaning to these men to what it had previously, so many passages apparently fitting their own deplorable position. Every day chapters were read, and it inspired them to struggle on, thinking that God in his own time would answer their daily prayers for help and succour.

It appears that when there was danger of the Maria breaking up at any moment, and the men rushed below to get some of their belongings, Hayden saw the Bible his mother gave him when he left his English home. He placed it inside his shirt, and there it had remained though Haydon had been capsized into the sea a dozen times.

When they were nearly starving, suffering from all manner of complaints and crushed almost to despair at their seemingly helpless and deplorable position, someone would suddenly say “Read us a chapter from the Bible” Ingham declared, “I read the Bible more in that fortnight than I had ever read it before.” Thus when almost on the verge of giving up the seemingly hopeless struggle, these wrecked men were cheered on to make further effort by the words of promise from the battered old Bible.

VARIOUS EXPERIENCES

So the first night on the shore passed away, and in the morning of March 1, the four were gladdened by seeing Coyle coming to join them followed shortly by Smith, who was left for dead. This made the party six, two others Siddell and Bardon, who were mates, being still missing. Coyle had been away with some blacks who had proved very friendly, and they gave him such food as they had.

The six then discussed what was best to be done. It was remembered that the land they had tried to reach whilst on the raft, was said by Taylor to be Hinchbrook Island, as he knew the shape of the mountains. As they had drifted away to the north before they reached the shore they rightly assumed that they had passed the island and were on shore on the mainland. They knew they must be north of Cardwell, but how far they were unable to ascertain.

It was clear that the way to get back to civilisation was to travel south. Also they assumed that the captain’s boat for certain, and probably the two smaller boats and the other raft, had got ashore further to the south. They likewise, concluded that directly the news of the wreck of the Maria was known a vigorous search would be made for those who might have got ashore more particularly as some of the voyagers were connected with the influential people. The reasoning was correct, except that the search was not very speedy, at least it always seemed so to men who were so dreadfully in need of succour not to mention those who lost their lives through cannibal blacks.

Having decided that the right thing to do was to proceed south, the six headed in that direction. Foster, Coyle, Hayden and Phillips went off in front and Ingham and Smith, both of whom were very feeble, the latter being an old man, brining up the rear.

Ingham was very frail from exhaustion though before the wreck he was a wonderfully strong man. Now he and his companion hardly crawl along and every few hundred yards both of them had to lie down and rest. Still they would not give in and they struggled along till they reached north shore of Glady’s Inlet, really the mouth of the Johnstone River, named after Sub-inspector Johnstone, who subsequently avenged the atrocities committed by some tribes of blacks on those helpless wrecked people.

It should be said that all these people from the Maria were without boots or hats, but as their hands and faces were burnt by the sun they did not miss their hats much. Ingham’s hair was red, and was a great curiosity, subsequently to the blacks.

PECULIAR NATIVE HUTS

That day the whole six met a few of Coyle’s black friends and Coyle and Phillips went off with them to their camp, but the others were too tired and finding some empty blacks huts they slept in them quite comfortably.

These huts were peculiarly constructed and looked somewhat like a huge old fashioned reed beehive. The tops of small saplings had been pulled down and fastened in each other, and the arch thus formed was beautifully interwoven with twigs and leaves till quite watertight . One or more openings about two feet high, were left to crawl in and out. The interior was dry and fairly comfortable, and were most welcome to man without shelter of any kind. Some of those huts were big enough to accommodate a dozen or more. The blacks all slept with their feet to the centre, where a fire was kept burning.

GLADY’S INLET

There were several little creeks or inlets leading into Glady’s Inlet, and some of these had to be crossed as the wanderers went west, or up the Inlet, in order to find a place to cross to the south side. They got across some of these creeks on fallen trees, or waded through. They got bruised a good deal in struggling through the dense mangroves that fringed the banks of the inlet. It is supposed they went so far inland as where Innisfail now stands, about four miles from the sea.

Even then there appeared to be no prospect of crossing the water, so they decided to return to the beach, as in leaving the seashores there was a chance of their missing any party by boat or otherwise sent in search of the Maria’s passengers and crew.

The wanderers therefore tried to retrace their steps and were moving away towards the seashore when they saw a log of wood, as they previously thought glide away and plunge into the water proving the supposed log to be a big alligator. This was an unexpected danger, and made them more then ever desirous of getting back to the sea.

PART 1 || PART 3 || PART 4

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