James Teer

James Teer was born from a family of fisherman in Newcastle, County Down in Ireland. Sailor seeking fortune, it leaves for the Australia then the Nouvelle Zealand at the time of the gold rush 1860. The success which it withdraws from this company pushes it to turn over in its native land, to Ireland. May 3rd, 1866, it embarks on board the Général Grant which must bring back it towards London via Cape Horn. Aboard ship 83 people and a loading of gold of a value of more than 10.000 £.

May 14th, the ship makes spectacular shipwreck of manner it is engulfed in a marine cave of the islands Auckland in the south of the Zealand News. Fifteen people whose woman escape from the catastrophe. Among them James Teer. They fail Port Ross.

Taking the direction of the small group, thanks to its ingeniousness and its iron will, Teer arrives during more than one year and half to organize the life of the small group on these inhospitable islands. Under its direction, the group manages to build shelters and to manufacture all kinds of objects and as well as skin garments of seal. Regularly to ask of the assistance Teer will manufacture small-scale models of boats which releases a sea accompanied by a S.O.S. March 8th, 1867, it organizes the removal of the group on a close island Enderby where the seals their food basic are numerous.

November 21st, 1867, the survivors finally manage to draw the attention of a ship the Hamherstand . The survivors reach Invercargill on January 13rd, 1868.

James Teer turns over on March 16th in Auckland in order to locate the wreck of the Général Grant and all gold on his board. The localization is exact but the company succeeded not.

Of return to West Coast (Zealand News), he tells and sells his adventures equipped in seal skin.

He dies on April 30th, 1887.

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