Shipping Gazette and Sydney General Trade List

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Loss of the cutter Domain



By the arrival of the Vanguard we have received an account of the loss of this truly unfortunate vessel whereby eleven human beings lost their lives. Captain Thompson has furnished us with the following account, which is extracted from his journal :-

April 17 [1846]. Vanguard lying at anchor under the mainland of Wilson's Promontory, Rabbit Island bearing east : saw a man on the main land with a flag hoisted, and apparently hailing the ship ; sent the boat ashore, and upon her return found that they brought off Daniel Anthony, the only survivor from the wreck of the cutter Domain. The Domain had left port Phillip fur Port Albert ; but, owing to strong and contrary winds was compelled to seek refuge in Western Port, where she remained four days. She left there on the 11th April, and the next day experienced another heavy gale from the southwest, during which she drove ashore on the west side of Wilson's Promontory - about mid-way between that and Cape Liptrap. A heavy sea struck her, and after getting inside the surf she turned bottom up, and the head of the mast stack in the sand. Anthony, the only survivor, was saved by seizing, one of the hatches, on which he was washed ashore. The other persons on board were all drowned, consisting of:

Captain Macbeth,
Francis Edwards,
a seaman,
Mr. and Mrs. Newman and five children, and
two other passengers, names not known.

The seaman Anthony had been six days in the bush, and when brought on board the Vanguard was in a state of great exhaustion.

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