Topic: A Moment of Courage.

My Great Uncle George Johnston (1855 – 1885) was born in Launceston, Tasmania shortly after his immigrant parents arrived from Glasgow after a rough sea vayage in the stormiest seas in the world. Nothing is known of his formative years, or why he became a seaman, the first such in his extended family.

George sailed the seven seas for some years in what we now call Tall Ships. It is known from letters he wrote home that he had much affection for his family, and also regularly visited Glasgow relatives.

About 1884 George became Second Officer on the Cahors, a powerful new interstate coastal screw steamer plying Australian waters between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Perhaps he was one of the crew on her maiden voyage to Australia. His family must have been delighted, knowing he would be closer to home and less subject to the perils of the deep.
But tragedy struck. In June 1885 the Cahors struck a reef off the NSW coast. She had a large cargo and about 200 passengers. A newspaper report said:

The steamer Cahors, from Sydney to Brisbane, ran on Evans’ Reef, 13 miles south of Richmond Heads, at 6 pm on Wednesday, while going at a rate of 14 knots per hour (sic). After continuous signally, the steamer Burwah, also bound to Brisbane, came up at midnight. She immediately lowered boats, and commenced transhipping the passengers from the Cahors which was accomplished with difficulty. The gentlemen were lowered into the water by a rope and hauled out to the boats; the ladies were lowered in coal baskets into boats, when possible, but at times they had to be hauled by a line for some distance. The Burwah proceeded north at noon today. The steamer Tomki also stayed by the Cahors for some hours today, and succeeded in rescuing a horse which was swimming about. … there is little or no hope of the vessel being recovered, the water in the hold and engine-room being at tide level. Captain Walker and the officers and crew still stay by her.

The Government steamer Dione followed the Burwah and later ” .. returned with 30 of the crew, the second mate, and 130 mail bags. The captain and mate were left on board’. (George was the Second Officer. It is not clear whether he is referred to above, but in light of subsequent events it would appear so.. ” (Note the reference to the mail bags.)

The rest of the story is best told by another newspaper article which appeared some months later:

It will be remembered with regret by many of our readers that Mr. George Johnston, second mate of the Cahors, lost his life when returning to the qrieck of that vessel on the 12 of June last. The Cahors was on her way from Melbourne to Sydney and Brisbane when she was wrecked on the 10th of June, on Evans Reef, at the entrance to the Clarence River. Mr. Johnston and the crew worked all night, aiding the passengers, who were at last transhipped to the steamer Burwah and landed safely. He was lightly clad in his under-clothing, wet and exhausted from over-exertion, but he went ashore in charge of the mails, which he landed safely at Clarence Head, and remained there during the night. Next day the 12th of June, he was going back in a launch to the Captain and part of the crew who remained in charge of the wreck, when a heavy sea struck the launch and she nearly foundered. Mr Johnston was washed overboard, and as the launch could not be brought to or turned, he perished in sight of those who admired his gallantry and unselfish labours to save others, and who were most anxious to rescue him. The launch had in fact put out contrary to law, as the danger flag was flying at Clarence Head at the time. …. the National Relief Society of New South Wales having taken into consideration the gallant conduct of Mr George Johnston, awarded a gold medal ..

It was a great joy to me when I discovered the medal is now in the possession of the descendants of George’s brother Charles, who also hold many letters written by George during his seafaring days. From those I was able to piece together some of his travels, and to be confident that the Glasgow Johnston family which I researched was indeed our family.