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smh : surf drowning, illawarra, 1836

Sydney Morning Herald : Surf Drowning, Wollongong, 1836.

Extract from
Sydney Morning Herald, 19 December 1836, page 25.
Letter: A Subscriber.

Introduction.

The Australian
Sydney, Thursday 23 February 1826, page 40

On Tuesday afternoon the 7th instant, a man named Butler was drowned at Newcastle.
He had gone, out to bathe, and having ventured into the surf, was swept away, notwithstanding every effort was made to save him.

Trove
1826 'No title.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 23 February, p. 3, viewed 15 May, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37074596

The Australian
Sydney, Wednesday 1 October 1828, page 4.

SOCIETY IN INDIA

The first glimpse of Madras had a striking effect as we anchored in the roads amongst a grove of masts belonging to ships of every country in the world, from the British man of war to the Chinese junk.
The white arid airy architecture of the row of public buildings along the beach ; the villas, called garden-houses, scattered over Choutry-plain and the terrific surf curling his monstrous waves, and lifting up as if to the clouds the singular, and apparently frail barks, that were floating over it ; the catamarans navigated by a single native, and scarcely larger than a common foot-tub, but laughing to scorn the billowy, fury of the surf; — the whole was a novel and interesting scene, and its effect was nearly magical.

Trove
1828 'SOCIETY IN INDIA.', The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), 1 October, p. 4, viewed 15 May, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36864881

The Hobart Town Courier
Friday 14 December 1832, page 2.

A life boat, on a new plan, suggested by Capt. Atkinson, the Master Attendant, had been built at the Marine yard of Madras, and after several trials it was found completely to answer all the purposes in view.
A boat of that kind has long been wanted at that port ; many Captains have been obliged to witness their ships going to sea when no communication with them could be held from the shore.
In no part of the known world does the surf run so high as in the road of Madras.
Hence the difficulty of landing, which is at all times a dangerous operation, and often wholly impracticable.

Trove
1832 'TRADE AND SHIPPING.', The Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), 14 December, p. 2, viewed 15 May, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4195185

Sydney Morning Herald
19 December 1836, page 25.

ILLAWARRA STOCKADE.
To the Editor of the Sydney Herald

SIR, - This morning while the Stockade prisoners were bathing, one unfortunate man perished in the surf; it is lamentable that a fellow being should be launched into eternity caused by neglect.
To permit men (some of them unable to swim) to bathe when the surf is running so very violent as when the unfortunate man was lost, particually as there are plenty of safe places within the harbour, and to risk lives on that open beach is extremely wrong.
Why not permit them the privilege of bathing at either of the beautiful new bathing-houses lately errected by them? - of course by the directions of their Superintendent and authority of Government for so doing.
While on the subject of the Illawarra Stockade, I beg to remark that several complaints are daily made of many of the men working for private friends, and making little conveniences at the Stockade, quite contrary to what they should be doing for the public.
You may also see their guard loitering about this Township in a shocking state in the noon day.
This generally occurs when their superiors ramble for a few days in the remote parts of this district.
By inserting the above facts you will much oblige

A SUBSCRIBER.

Wollongong,
Saturday, December 10, 1836.

Trove
1836 'ILLAWARRA STOCKADE.', The Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), 19 December, p. 2 Supplement: Supplement to the Sydney Herald, viewed 15 May, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12855649

The Colonist
Sydney, Wednesday 14 March 1838, page 4.

CATAMARAN-MEN.

VESSELS approaching the-shore at Madras in the East Indies, often find a great difficulty in going into port or landing their cargoes, and passengers, inconsequence of the shallows and the raiging surf which prevail on the coast.
To assist in these purposes, and to act in some measure as life-preservers, there are a number of adventurous natives, who for hire sail through the surf upon things called catamarans, and are exceedingly useful in their perilous profession.
Captain Hall thus describes this class of men, and their fagile machines:-
"These primitive little life-preservers, the catamarans, which are a sort of satellites attending upon the passage-boat at Madras, consists of two or-three logs of light wood fastened together; and are capable of supporting several persons.
In general, however, there is but one man upon each, though on many there are two.
Although the professed purpose of these rafts is pick up the passengers of such boats as may be unfortunate enough to get upset in the surf; new comers from Europe are by no means comforted in their alarm on passing through the foam, to be assured that, in the possible event of their boat being capsized, the catamaran men may probablysucceed in picking them up befored the sharks can find time to nip off their legs!
It is very interesting to watch the progress of those: honest catamaran-fellows, who, live al imost entirely in the surf, and who, independently of their chief purpose of attending the masullah boats, are much employed as messengers to the ships, in the roads,: even in the worst weather.
Strange as it may seem, they contrive, in all seasons, to carry off letters quite dry, though, in getting across the surf; they may be overwhelmed a dozen times.
I remember one day being sent with a note for tihe commandinig officer of the flag-ship, which Sir Samuel Hood was very desirous should be sent on board ; but as the weather was too, tempestuous to allow even a masullah boat to pass the surf, I was obliged to give it to a catamaran man.
The poor fellow drew off his head a small skull-cup made apparently of some kind of skin, or oil-cloth, or bladder, and haviing deposited his dispatches therein, proceeded to execute his task.
We really thought, at first, that our messenger must have been drowned even in crossing the innerbar, for we well nigh lost sight of him in the hissing yeast of the waves in which he and his catamaran appeared only at invervals; tossing about like a cork in a pot of'boiling water.
But by far the most difficult part of his task remained after hehad reached the comparatively smooth space betweenr the two lines of surf, where we could observe him paddling to and fro as if in search of an opening in the moving wall of water raging between him and the roadstead.
In fact, he was watching for a favourable moment, when after the dashing of some high wave, he might hope to make good his transit in safety.
After allowing a great many seas to break before he attempted to cross the outer bar, at length seized the proper moment, and, turning his little bark to seaward, paddled out as fast as he could.
Just as the gallant fellow, however, reached the shallowest part of the bar, and we fancied him safely across, a huge wave, which had risen with unusual quickness, elevated its foaming crest, right before. him, curling upwards many feet higher than his shoulders.
In a moment he cast away his paddle, and leaping on his feet, he stood erect on his catamaran, watching with a bold front the advancing bank of water.
He kept his position, quite undaunted, till the steep face of the breaker came within a couple of yardsof him, and then leaping head foremost, he pierced the wave in a horizontial direction, with the agility and confidence of a dolphin.
We had scarcely lostsight of his feet, as he shot through the heart of the wave, when such a dash took place as must have crushed him to pieces had he stuck by his catamaran, which was whisked instantly afterwards by a kind of somerset, completely out of the water, by its rebounding off the sand-bank.
On casting oureyes beyond the surf, we felt much relieved by seeing our ship wrecked friiend merrily dancing on the waves at the back of the surf, leaping in all directions, first for his paddle, and then for his catamaran.
Having recovered his oar, he next swam, as he best could, through the broken surf, to his raft, mounted it like a hero, and once more addressed himself to his task.
By this time, as the current always runs fast along the shore, he had drifted several hundred yards northward farther from his point.
At the second attempt to penetrate the surf, he seemed to have made a small misdalculation, for the sea broke so very nearly over him, before he had time to quit his catamaran and dive into still water, that we thought he must certainly have been drowned.
Not a wit, however, did he appear to have suffered, for we soon saw him again swimming to his rude vessel.
Many times in succession was he thus washed off and sent whirling towards the beach, and as often obliged to dive head foremost through the waves.
But at last, after very nearly an hour of incessant struggling, and the loss of more than a mile of distance, he succeeded, for the first time, in reaching the back of the surf, without having parted company either with his paddle or with his catamaran.
After this it became all plain sailing; he soon paddled off to the Roads, and placed the admiral's letter in the first lieutenant's hands as dry as if it had been borne in a dispatch-box across the court-yard of the Admiralty, in the careful custody of my worthy friend Mr. Nutland.
I remember, one day, when on board the Minden, receiving a note from the shore by a catamaran-lad, whom I told to wait for an answer.
Upon this he asked for a rope, with which, as soon as it was given him, he made his little vessel fast, and lay down to sleep in the full blaze of a July sun.
One of his arms and one of his feet hung into the water, though a dozen sharks had been seen cruising round the ship.
A tacit contract, indeed, appears to exist between the sharks and these people, for I never saw, nor can I remember ever having heard of any injury done by one to the other.
By the time my answer was written, the sun had dried, up the spray on the poor fellow's body, leaving such a coating of salt, that he looked as if he had been dusted with flour.
A few fanamns- a small copper coin was all his charge, and three or four broken biscuits in addition, sent him away the happiest of mortals."

Trove
1838 'CATAMARAN-MEN.', The Colonist (Sydney, NSW : 1835 - 1840), 14 March, p. 4, viewed 15 May, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31720586

The Sydney Herald
Friday 7 June 1839, page 3.

Hints to Persons who may be whelmed in a Surf.-
We have been told by a gentleman who conversed with Mr. Thompson, that, after the sinking of the boat in which he and some others attempted to escape from the wreck of the Pennsylvania, he was driven by the surge against the sands, and was in danger of being so maimed as to defeat his attempt of swimming to land.
Preserving his presence of mind, he, being a good swimmer, turned, and faced the waves, rising with them, and being by them driven onwards, without being, every moment as it were, driven, us he had been when he backed the waves, against the sands, over which the surf broke with fearful violence.
Liverpool Albion.

Trove
1839 'EXTRACTS.', The Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), 7 June, p. 3, viewed 15 May, 2013,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12855351

Southern Australian
Adelaide, Friday 14 August 1840, page 4.

NEW ZEALAND.—COL. WAKEFIELD'S EXPLORATORY EXPEDITION.
(Continued from our last paper.)

24.- Having paid for the hire of my canoe, we started at about ten or eleven a.m., amidst shoats of "airs" and discharges of muskets from the shore.
It was a broad strongly built canoe, with an extra top side for sea travelling.
My crew eonsisted of seven paddlers, two helmsmen, ons of whom steered with a paddle, while the other -managed a clumsy imitation of the steer oar used in whale boats.
This is an improvement lately adopted in all canoes-intended to go to sea.
Three women, a child, and three dogs, completed our muster roll.
Among the paddlers is a roan, named E Au, a son of-Te Hangi ¿Wakaruw.
A fresh south west breeze favoured us until mediad gol

from under cover-of-£ apiti, when, a heavy 'S.W. swell began to set in, aad the -wind «eon shifted round Jo that quarter. Cannes are bad vesseh -. for running before the »wind ; as cit -is impossibh

? for the iiiost-ektiffif steersman to keep them straight 1 Accordingly, -when off Otakj, (a river-«bout lei - miles north of Waikanai, where many of th« Ngateraukawa tribe reside) we shipped a sea ; ant vin reefing the sail, the natives, frightened lest theil v eneniies-should come ont and catch them, managet

to break «he yard. It was soon fished, however .-and we proceeded before a fine breeze. The uex

river is called-Obau, bot is, I believe, verj < insignificant. About sn hour before sundown, wt

passed the entrance of the M»aewatu river, a . whose mouth, I am credibly informed, there ari

three fathoms wa-er at high tide. There are «omi .groves of ¿fine straight timber -close torch« mou tl

of the tiver, whioh form « good landmark from th<
Fix this text
-«ea. Near here, too, the range of bills takes 1 .-sudden turn to the eastward, and thus the love

land extends *ve»y far inland, until the hill; *to the -south of the Tonga Biro mountaii again confide it to. about thirty or forty miles The wind now died away, and they, paddled hanThey at ïengih discovered that wewere off a place called Turakina, some miles to the northward of lUng tiki, the swell from S.W. continued, and
heavy surf thundered on the beach.
There was however, rsc wind, Soor» a »er passing the mool cf ß r!.e: called the Wangaíhú, the natives disc« %e;eJ something threatening in the aspect of 'tl ueather, abd preferred landing through the sn hr re to proceeding loWangani. Ali preparatioi were mide for tba worst cb a ace ; gun», nnd otb b a*j goods Wfie lashed to the thwarts, ai blankets and mats were stripped off. The canot head wag then turned to the beach, and she we callantlj through the surf, which broke neal naif a mile out from the shö.e. The narrv «il out ed a lively chorus, interspersed with cries

«tena! ton»! ' or «pall away, from the steers man, »od of 'ki a tika,' or 'keep ber straight' from the others.
We got safe ashore, at the expense of filling every thing with salt water.
The coast is here of the same character as it is all the way from Pari Pari, -vis*: a clear «andy beach, backed by a belt of low barren sandhills covered with driftwood.
We encamped on the sand, and; .eat a messenger «ter to Wanganui to announce: mr arrival to E Kora Ka«, a«on of T Roogi; Wakarurn, whom wa bad broughtroqnd here from Waikanai, in the ? Vary,' in November last.

Trove
1840 'NEW ZEALAND.—COL. WAKEFIELD'S EXPLORATORY EXPEDITION.', Southern Australian (Adelaide, SA : 1838 - 1844), 14 August, p. 4, viewed 15 May, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71619769

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser
Saturday 3 April 1841, page 4.

Upon the climate of Illawarra generally; it is needless to make any comment, as it is so well known to exceed in the equability of its temperature every other part of the Coast.
A range of neat and commodious Bathing Houses has by permission of His Excellency the Governor been erected on Gipps' Point, for the accommodation of Ladies, and the Bath which is being formed in a natural Basin, from which the Surf will be quite excluded, will be completed within a month.

Trove
1841 'Classified Advertising.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 3 April, p. 4, viewed 15 May, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2552935

Geoff Cater (2010) : Sydney Morning Herald : Surf Drowning, Wollongong, 1836.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1836_SMH_Surf_Drowning_Illawarra.html