CHAPTER V. 



TWO WRECKS ON THE BARRIER — APPEARANCE OF SCURVY 



— FALL IN WITH MERCHANTMEN AND SUPPLIES — BEAUTY 

 OF CORAL REEFS — GRANDEUR OF SURF — NIGHT SCENE 

 FROM THE WRECK OF THE MARTHA RIDGWAY — SIR C. 

 HARDY'S ISLANDS AND CAPE GRENVILLE — RAlNE's ISLET 



— MURRAY ISLANDS -MOUNT ADOLPHUS — BOOBY ISLAND. 



June 26 to July 12, 1843. — During this time we 

 fell in with the wrecks of two large vessels, lying 

 on the edge of the Barrier. These were the Fer- 

 guson and the Martha Ridgway ; one wrecked in 

 1840, the other in 1841. The former had part of 

 the 50th Regiment on board at the time of the 

 disaster ; but I believe all, or nearly all of the 

 crews and passengers were saved by another vessel 

 in company. The wrecks were lying high, and 

 nearly dry, at low water, about 100 yards from the 

 outer edge of the reef, and just within the breakers, 

 which, having no power to lift them farther, were 

 now at high water battering them to pieces. We 

 also fell in with three vessels on their passage 

 through Torres Strait, as we had now reached the 

 part of the Barrier, a little south of the twelfth degree 

 of latitude, where vessels generally effect their en- 

 trance within the reefs. We were very glad to fall 

 in with two of these vessels, the Winscales and the 

 John Renwick, as they had some sheep, some 



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