Broadwater - 1861

BROADWATER

The BROADWATER departed Gravesend on 3 April, 1861 and arrived in Auckland on 29 July, 1861, with Captain Stockman in command.

Transcribed from the Daily Southern Cross, 30 July 1861, Page 3

The ship, "Broadwater," 577 tons, Captain Stockman, arrived here from London, on Sunday night, after a passage of 114 days. After leaving the Downs, on the 5th April, she experienced fine light breezes to the line, which she crossed on the 5th May, in long. 27° 44" W. The weather continued fine until the 6th June, when, in lat. 42° S., she encountered a perfect hurricane; the wind suddenly shifting from N. to SW. The ship was completely buried, taking in whole seas, which carried away part of her bulwarks. It being impossible for the men to go aloft, the fore top-sail sheet was let fly, and within a couple of minutes the sail was blown clean out of the bolt ropes, when the ship righted. The gale afterwards moderated almost as quickly as it rose. Getting light winds afterwards, she went as far as 52° S; was off Van Dieman's Land, the only land sighted since leaving England, on July 17, and made the Three Kings on the 25th.

The "Broadwater" brings the following passengers –

Revd. Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher

Mr. and Mrs. Lysaught

Mrs. Honiss and child

Messrs. - Jackson, Bolton, Pemberton, Smith and son

Mr. and Mrs. Lawton

Messrs - Chadd, Pulham and wife, Fry, Haynes and wife, Gillies

No births occurred on board, and one death, of which we extract the following melancholy account from the ship's log - “Saturday, 4th May, This afternoon, Mr. Henry Leeson, a passenger (who has been for some time very unsettled in his mind) came up on the poop, after having finished his dinner, and jumped from the starboard covering board of the poop, overboard, and notwithstanding that the ship was immediately brought to the wind, the life-buoy thrown within a few yards of his body, and the quarter-boat lowered very quickly, his body was not picked up till life was quite extinct. After every effort had been made to recover life, the body was buried at 6 p.m., with all usual respect, in the presence of the majority of the passengers and crew.” The burial service was read by the Rev. Mr. Thatcher.