Warrnambool Standard
July 30 1910
Correspondence
The Mahogany Ship
(To the Editor)
Sir,- In your issue of the 21st inst.
appeared an article concerning "The Mahogany Ship". As a portion of
the report is inaccurate, I am desirous of correcting the same to avoid
misleading those interested. When stationed at State School No.690,
Yangery, I became acquainted with your then energetic curator at the Museum, Mr.
Archibald, and he communicated to me some of his enthusiasm on this interesting
subject. I obtained from him bearings and all the available information in his
possession, and also interviewed several of the old identities who were reported
to have seen the wreck. These inquiries, did not, however, produce very
encouraging results.
Subsequently rods were borrowed from the
curator for the purpose of boring in the sand, and having taken the bearing, my
brothers and I, during the holidays, worked upon a system, but the only results
we obtained were some bone and stone implements and the perfect skeleton of an
aboriginal buried in the sand in a sitting posture. These remains are at present
in your Museum. Neither mahogany nor any traces of the supposed wreck were
obtained. There will be great difficulty in locating the exact spot, as Captain
Mills gave the bearings by stating, if I remember rightly, that the old wreck was
in a line with the church near Tower Hill. When trying to fix the probable
situation the difficulty was increased on account of the other angle of
direction being missing. If this required angle could be obtained, the chances
of discovery would be infinitely greater as the coastline has altered
considerably, and those who profess to have seen the ancient wreck vary widely
in their opinion concerning the precise locality.
Should the wreck be located no one will be more
delighted than I, and I trust those now interested will be more successful than
we were.
Thanking you in anticipation
Yours etc.,
J. LINDSAY
Ballarat, 27th July, 1910
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