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1 correction by simonsays - Show corrections

THE LATE CAPTAIN BROWNING.

The subject of the foregoing, taken from the Sydney Morning Herald of August 2, was, it will have been seen, by a notice in the Inquirer last week, a brother of a gentleman known to many of our old colo- nists and who paid another visit to Perth from his home in Auckland a few years ago:— The late Captain George Browning, who was one of the oldest colonial master mariners,arrived in Sydney in the year 1822 as second mate of the brig Lord Rodney. His life was an eventful one. In the year 1831, being in command of the schooner Caledonia, lying in Moreton Bay, the vessel was boarded daring the night by a piratical convict boafs crew. These convicts sent the schooner's crew ashore in the boat, and compelled the captain to get the schooner

under way, and to navigate them to one of the South Sea Islands, for which service they agreed to spare his life, and, on arrival at the island, to give him the schooner. The pirates were divided into two parties,

six Englishmen and five Irishmen. They quarelled on the voyage. The six stronger murdered the five weaker men and threw them into the sea. The first land made was Noumea. A boats crew went to the shore, but the first man that stepped out of the boat the savages immediatly clubbed. The rest got back to the schooner. They then started for the Navigator Islands, and made Apia. The natives came off and invited all on shore. The pirates scuttled the schooner. The chiefs soon recognised that Browning was the best man, and treated him with great kindness. He remained on the island for a long time, and was ultimately rescued by an English whaler. The convicts quar- relled amongst themselves on the island, and some were murdered. Captain Browning published a narrative of this event, which book seemed to have got into the bands of the late Benjamin Boyd, who after many interviews with Captain Browning resolved to go out to Sydney. He gave Captain Browning charge of one of his large steam ships, the Sea Horse — she was brought out to Tasmania and Sydney by him. Captain Browning was afterwards and for some years associated with the late Mr. Hennings in establishments at the South Sea Islands, and also commanded vessels on this coast for many years. On one voyage in the Northumberland, cutter, 20 tons, trading from Sydney to Hunter River, having been caught in a heavy southerly gale, he ran his vessel in at Newcastle, between the mainland and 'Nobbys.' His brother is     the Hon. Samuel Browning, of Auckland, late chairman of tbe Bank of New Zealand ; one of his sisters married the great Ericson of Monitor fame ; one of his nieces is the widow of the late General Chute. He died at the age of 82 years, and was yesterday buried at Rookwood.

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