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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 8TH NOVEMBER, 1890.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 468.
The following Finding of a Marine Court of Enquiry is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 8th November, 1890.
W. M. DEANE, Acting Colonial Secretary.
FINDING.
We find that the British Schooner Yacht Nyanza, Official No. 56,809 of Glasgow, of which, JAMES CUMMING DEWAR was Owner, and JOHN CARRINGTON, Sailing Master, the number of whose Certificate is unknown (being lost with the ship) was on or about July last on a voyage from Kusaie (Caroline Group) to Ponape (Caroline Group).
The Nyanza was a vessel of 131 tons Lloyds Register, and 218 tons Yacht measurement. was a composite built vessel belonging to the Royal Northern Yacht Squadron.
She
From the evidence before the Court, it appears that the vessel was well found, sufficiently manned and seaworthy.
That between the 21st and 28th July, light Easterly winds with variable currents had been experienced. On the 28th July, at Noon, the ship was placed, by observations made by the Owner, the Sailing Master and the First Mate, in Lat. 6.56 N. and Long. 158.53 W., which position placed her 32 miles E. N. (Mag.) of the Island of Ponape.
During the afternoon of that day, light airs from East were experienced and a W.b.N._course (Comp.) 6°. E. dev. was steered till midnight when it was altered to W.N.W. (Comp.) 8°. E. dev. but there is nothing to confirm the position of the ship at that time.
About 1.10 A.M. on the 29th, the vessel struck on the reef on the N. E. side of the Island, and eventually became a total loss.
The log, chart, &c. being lost, the Court has no means of verifying the different positions of the ship, and must therefore be guided entirely by the evidence.
The Mate, a Certificated Officer, was on deck in charge of the watch after midnight, but he did not know where the ship was with reference to the reef, as he says, he never saw the chart and did not ask to see it.
Soon after she struck, the Captain came on deck, the sails were lowered and the boats got out, but nothing further was done to save the ship.
The Court having regard to the circumstances before it are of opinion that the Master was in error in that he did not exert himself to verify the position of the ship on the afternoon of the 28th, further that he did not remain more constantly on deck on the night of the 28th before the ship struck.
Further, we are of opinion that steps should have been taken either by letting go an anchor or by any other means to prevent the ship driving further on the reef, and the Court are unable to agree with the Master in his opinion that this would have been of no avail, on the contrary they think that it might have been the saving of the ship.
Also we are of opinion that after obtaining help, some attempt should have been made to heave the vessel off. We recognize that there existed difficulties, and are not prepared to say that these could have been overcome, still we think that an attempt should have been made.
These errors of the Master we do not consider amount to wrongful acts or defaults, and we therefore do not deal with his Certificate, but we think it will be well for him to avoid like errors in future.
The Court must express the opinion that the services of the 1st Mate, ROBERT GEORGE, do not appear to have been of much use in the navigation of the ship, and that if the cross bearings taken by him during the afternoon had been made use of, it is possible that it might have averted the disaster,
Given under our hands this 5th day of November, 1890, at Hongkong.
R. MURRAY RUMSEY, Ret. Com., R.N.,
President of Court.
WILLIAM R. STEVENS, Staff Commander, R.N.,
H.M.S. Victor Emanuel.
W. B. SEABURY,"
Master s.s. China,
W. H. WATTON,
S.S. Phra Nang.
JAMES MOONEY,
S.S. Riversdale.