One of the most unaccountable wrecks that ever took place on the New Zealand coast was that of the ship Surat, an iron vessel of about 1000 tons, which was lost near the Catlins River mouth, south of Dunedin, on New Year's Day, 1874. Under charter to the New Zealand Shipping Company, she left Gravesend on September 28, 1873, with a valuable cargo and 271 emigrants. She was in command of Captain Johnson, and was bound for Dunedin. The next thing the people of Dunedin heard of the Surat was on January 9, 1874, when word was sent in from the coast that the ship was ashore near the Catlins River. At that time there was in dock at Port Chalmers a French warship named the Vire (Captain Jacquemart), and as she was the only suitable boat to send to the rescue, her captain hurried matters on. She was undocked right away, and left at top speed for the scene of the wreck. When the French warship reached Catlins River on the morning of the 10th, the unlucky Surat was lying, a total wreck, on the beach, with all her masts still standing, and some of her canvas flying loose in the wind.