'Hope', 1866

The Sydney Morning Herald on 9th January 1867 printed this information:

MORUYA.--On Friday, the 21st December, the intelligence reached us that a dead body had been discovered on the beach at Broulee Island by W. Ringland, master and owner of the Mystery schooner, whilst on her passage to Nelligen ; and again on the following morning another body, recognised as Andrew Lovell, was found in the same vicinity. There cannot be a doubt as to the vessel wrecked being a small schooner, built on the Tuross River by a party of oyster gatherers, about ten months back. The following is a report of the inquest which was held at the residence of Joseph Walton, Broulee, on Saturday last, before Mr. W. S. Caswell, coroner, on view of the bodies of Andrew Lovell and another person, name unknown, then and there lying dead.
William Ringland stated : I am master of the schooner Mystery ; yesterday morning I came into Broulee Bay from Moruya ; I went ashore on Broulee Island and found a portion of a wreck, I walked round the island and found more of the wreck and a dead body ; I sent information to the police at Moruya, and on the arrival of sergeant Brennan showed him the body, and assisted him to take it above high water mark ; it remained on the beach until this morning ; this morning I saw the body of another man, which I identify as that of Andrew Lovell, part owner of a small vessel trading from Bermagui; during the beginning of this week the weather was very rough ; Monday and Tuesday the sea was very high ; the bodies appear to have been four or five days in the water ; Broulee Island is nearly surrounded by reefs, and the south side, where the bodies were found, the water is very broken for a considerable distance out ; there are portions of the wreck all round the island.
Martin Brennan stated : I am sergeant of police at Moruya ; yesterday I received information that a dead body had been found on Broulee Island ; I proceeded there and was shown the body by William Ringland; it was that of a man of about fifty years of age, about five feet six inches high, grey hair and beard, without moustache, slightly bald on forehead, dressed in a pair of new moleskin trousers, old brown monkey jacket, grey tweed shirt with flannel inside, red handkerchief and leather belt round the waist, but without boots and hat ; I removed the body beyond high water mark, and having searched him found a purse containing fourteen shillings in silver; this morning I was in company with others who found another body, identified as that of Androw Lovell; it was almost deprived of all clothing, as if torn off by the action of the sea against the rocks ; the face and hands were very much bruised.
Other evidence as to identity was taken, and the inquest was adjourned to the 28th December, when further evidence was adduced, together with the medical testimony as to the cause of death. Verdict--"That the said Andrew Lovell and the person named Christy Caffey were, on or about the 17th day of December instant, drowned by the wreck of the schooner Hope".