Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), Tuesday 23 November 1841, page 2


WRECK OF THE PRINCE RUPERT.

ON the 4th September, the Prince Rupert, from London, with one hundred and sixty passengers and cargo for New Zealand, in entering Table Bay, about nine o'clock in the evening, ran aground on Mouille Point, stuck fast, and be-came a total wreck. When the Prince Rupert struck, about fifteen minutes past nine o'clock, she was, on firing a gun, observed from the Bucephalus, Indiaman, at anchor about two miles from the point, within the Bay, and a boat under the orders of the Chief Officer, Mr. John R. Merewether, put off to render assistance. Mr. Merewether succeeded during the night in making three trips between the wreck and the Bucephalus, bringing off thirty of the people, besides others that he put on board the boats that were near him at different periods of the night. About five o'clock, fancying that some persons still remained on board the Prince Ru-pert, Mr. Merewether proceeded to the wreck a fourth time with a crew of seven men, the sur-geon of the Prince Rupert, and Mr. Frood, a passenger whom he had previously brought on board the Bucephalus. When they came under the stern of the wreck, a short sea broke over

the boat and nearly filled it, and the succeeding wave upset her, and this gallant and humane young officer, with three of his crew, and Mr. Frood, perished in the surf among the rocks. It is impossible to express the grief which the untimely fate of this excellent young man has caused on board the Bucephalus, where his talents, his many accomplishments, and his most noble and generous disposition, had made him the object of universal respect and affection. Of him, and of Mr. Fulcher, the commander, the numerous and most respectable company of the passengers by the Bucephalus, speak in the highest terms of esteem ; and Mr. Fulcher laments the loss of his first officer and friend as

the severest calamity that could have befallen him. Mr. Merewether was in his twenty-fifth year. He was the son of Mr. Sergeant Merewether, Whitehall Place, London. In consequence of rumours that the captain (who was second mate of the Julianna, wrecked on the same spot last year) had wilfully lost the vessel, a court of enquiry was held and from the report we give the following extract :—"The whole of the pro-ceedings from the time of being abreast of Rob-

ben Island until the vessel was on shore at

Green Point, we consider to be highly culpable, but we fully acquit Captain Ramage and his offi-cers of intentionally losing the vessel." Among the passengers were Mr Spain, the Commis-sioner for investigating Claims to Land in New Zealand, and Mr. Lizars, the Deputy Surveyor General. Many of the emigrants had obtained situations at the Cape.