In a previous blog post we interrupted the narrative at the point where Eva has been washed overboard and is holding onto a hen coup to keep afloat, and Tom has been capsized from his lifeboat.
We continue the narrative first from Miss Carmichael's perspective ...
Miss Carmichael and her two companions, finding the hen-coop very awkward to hold on to, as it was continually throwing over, left it for a spar which came near them, and on this they floated into the entrance of the gorge, and then her two companions, fancying they could reach a rocky point near the entrance, left the spar and struck out for it, but the undercurrent carried them out to the sea. She still clung to the spar, and was gradually drifted until a portion of her clothing caught a projecting point of the rocky side, and where fragments of it can be seen. It was then that, looking shoreward, she saw Pearce walking on the wreckage, which she mistook for rocks. She screamed out to him, and then lost consciousness, only recovering her senses when he was half carrying, half dragging her to the cave ... for warmth and shelter.
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| The rescue of Eva Carmichael as seen in the dramatised re-enactment at Flagstaff Maritime Village. This is back projected onto a screen of water from an fountain in the museums lake. This clever show is well worth the visit. |
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| Tom Pearce enters the surf to rescue Eva Carmichael who is holding onto the spar of a ship. |
And now from Tom Pearce's perspective ...
... the boat capsized, and Pearce states that when he again came to the surface he found himself under the boat. Here, he says, he remained for some time, as there was plenty of air, but this is a matter of doubt. At last he dived down and came outside the boat, holding on to the life-lines. He saw nothing about him but wreckage, but he also noticed that he had drifted into a gorge, and at the same moment the boat struck against the rocks at the side, and he then left her and struck out for the beach, where he arrived safely. He was then very much exhausted, and finding plenty of spirits on the beach, he helped himself to them, and also got something to eat.
After being about an hour on the beach he heard somebody screaming out, and looking seawards he saw a young lady holding on to some wreckage and drifting through the gorge. He at once swam out to her, and getting hold of some of her clothing in his teeth, he brought her safely to land, and managed to drag her into the cave, where he cut some grass for a bed. She was then in an insensible state, and he tried to restore animation by pouring a quantity of brandy down her throat, and also by rubbing her body with the same spirit. She recovered somewhat, but appeared to have lost her senses, and was raving. Being exhausted, he lay down, and when he awakened he found her asleep, and left her to try and get assistance.
He managed to clamber the side of the gorge, and at once coming upon horse-tracks, he followed them, and at last came upon George Ford, an employe of Mr. Gibson. Pearce told him that there was a lady in the caves wanting assistance, and at once went back to her, and Ford shortly after met Mr. Gibson, who sent him to the station for blankets, a lantern, and other articles he thought might be wanted, while he himself galloped off to the caves, overtaking Pearce on the way.
Having scrambled down to the cliff, they went straight to the cave where Pearce had left Miss Carmichael, but she could not be found. There was the grass that Pearce had cut for her bed, but she had vanished. They searched every nook and corner of the cave, but could find no trace of her, and by this time it was dark. Ford had arrived with blankets and a billy for boiling water, together with some coffee and a lantern. Having lit the lantern, another and closer search was made in the cave for the young lady, but again without success. Mr. Gibson then proceeded to the second cave, which is about 100 yards distant, and this was also closely searched, but again without success. Fears were now beginning to be entertained for the young lady's safety, as it was thought that in her distracted state she might have destroyed herself, as they were quite certain that unaided she could not have climbed the cliff. They cooey'd continually to attract her attention. As after events proved, this was the cause of the delay in finding her. Never having heard the Australian cooey before, she fancied that it was the cry of some of the natives, and in mortal fear and trembling she concealed herself within a few yards of the search party. As a last resource they tried to track her footsteps in the loose sand. They could see that she had left the cave, but her steps were so light, and they had crossed and recrossed the sand so often, that the tracks were quite confused, and at last they were almost tempted to give up the search. There is in the gorge a single clump of dense ti-tree scrub, and as they were passing this, talking somewhat loudly, a voice was heard among the bushes. Mr. Gibson at once rushed in, and found the young lady, almost perished with cold and exhaustion, having scarcely any clothes on. He took off his own coat and covered her up, and also put on her his own warm stockings and boots. A fire was at once made from some of the wreckage, and in a very short time some hot coffee was in readiness, and a pannikin full of this with a good dash of brandy in it was given her, and this helped to revive her. She was wrapped in blankets and placed before a large fire until she regained some little natural warmth, but Mr. Gibson plainly saw that by some means she must be taken to the station, and not allowed to remain in the gorge all night. She was, however, incapable of helping herself up the almost perpendicular cliffs, and at last, when the buggy arrived, the men succeeded in partly carrying her and partly dragging her to the top, and she was then driven to the home station and put to bed by Mrs. Gibson, by whom she has since been attended.
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| Eva is assisted in her egress from Loch Ard Gorge by Tom Pearce and Mr Gibson. |
Lets go back to the comment about the "Cooey", and Eva being terrified about aboriginal people. This part of Australia is a high density area for colonial violence toward aboriginal people, have a look at the University of Newcastle's Colonial Massacre Map, there are 11 recorded massacres in an arc around Warrnambool out to Portland, Hamilton and Colac, there are no recorded massacres of non-aboriginal people in the same arc. One wonders what stories were told to would be immigrants about the indigenous inhabitants of this land.
Eva remained at the Gibson's homestead, Glenample, for some time recovering from her ordeal. But Glenample would not have been a quiet place in which to recover, a reporter from the Warrnambool Standard reports:
Mr. Gibson's house at Glenample has been be sieged by visitors since Monday ; every available inch of accommodation on his premises, huts, &c, has been occupied. So much so, that in the room where I the was sleeping on Wednesday night the reporters of Argus, Age and Telegraph lay together on the floor. Did ever the representatives of our three metropolitan, journals lie under the same blankets before?
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| Portraits of Eva Carmichael and Tom Pearce overlaid onto a scene of the Lord Ard Wreck. |
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| Eva Carmichael departing aboard the steamer XXX. The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil 31 Aug 1878. |
Did they meet again? Here is one answer from the Sydney Morning Herald
By the last mail steamer from our shores 'Miss Carmichael's Departure' took place. This lady was, it will be remembered, one of the two survivors from the ill-fated ship Loch Ard, and was saved by Mr. Thos. Pearce, the only other person who escaped from the wreck. She was accompanied to the steamer by Mr. and Mrs. Gibson and several friends, and Mr. Thos. Pearce was also there to say good-bye. Miss Carmichael appeared to have quite recovered her health, but she was, naturally, much affected at having to say farewell to those who had been so kind to her in her great sorrow and distress. There was a very large crowd, principally of the fair sex, on board the mail steamer, who were present, apparently, from a desire to see the young lady.
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