The Sydney
Gazette 26 November 1829
Captain Nolbrow
of the Mermaid
Captain
Nolbrow, who is well known here as an old commander, trading to our
shores, arrived by the Calista. He has been singularly unfortunate,
more so than we ever remember to have heard of in the instance of any
surviving shipwrecked mariner. He sailed from Sydney in the Mermaid,
Colonial Government cutter, for Port Raffles, which settlement, our
readers are aware, the Government of the sister Colony has, by order from
home, caused to be evacuated. On entering Torres' Straits, the Mermaid
got ashore and was lost. All on board saved upon a rock.
In three
days the ship Swiftsure, which sailed from this port, hove in
sight, and took on board Captain Nolbrow and his crew. In three days she
got on shore and was wrecked, all on board saved. In a day or two the
Governor Ready, also from this port, passing within sight, took the
shipwrecked people on board, and was in three days himself wrecked, but
all the people saved.
The ship
Comet, also from this port, soon after took the whole of the collected
crews of the lost ships on board, and was herself wrecked also in a day or
two, but all the people saved. At last the ship Jupiter, also from
this port, came in sight and taking all on board steered for Port Raffles,
at the entrance of which harbour she got on shore and received so much
damage that she may be said to half wrecked. There however, Captain
Nolbrow found the Government brig Amnity in which he embarked, and
strange to say this vessel also was, as we have stated in the former part
of this article nearly wrecked in Gage's Roads.
