The _Loch Leven_ came to a sudden end on her second voyage. On 22nd October, 1871, she left Geelong for London with 6523 bales of wool on board, valued at £154,000. Two days later she stranded on King’s Island and became a total loss. All her crew got ashore safely, but Captain Branscombe ventured back in a surf boat to rescue the ship’s papers. The boat capsized and the captain was drowned.
King’s Island, lying 80 miles S.S.W. of Port Phillip Heads, has been the cause of many a fine ship’s end. Nearly 50 sailing ships, from first to last, have found a grave in the King’s Island surf. A Captain Davis, who for many years carried cattle between the island, Melbourne and Tasmania in the coasting steamer _Yambacoona_, made a list some ten years ago of 36 ships known to have perished on the rocky shores of King’s Island. This list, which was included with other interesting data regarding tides, currents and pilotage notes of King’s Island, was used by the Hydrographic Office, Washington, U.S.A., and contains the following names:—
_Neva_, ship wrecked 1835 _Cataraque_, ship „ 1845 _City of Melbourne_, ship „ 1853 refloated _Waterwitch_, barque „ 1854 _Bruthen_, schooner „ „ _Elizabeth_, ketch „ 1855 _Whistler_, schooner „ „ _Maypole_, schooner „ 1856 _Katherine_, schooner „ 1861 _Brahmin_, schooner „ 1862 _Favor_, schooner „ 1864 _Arrow_, schooner „ 1865 _Dart_, cutter „ „ _Netherby_, schooner „ 1866 _Europa_, brig „ 1868 _Omagh_, barque „ „ _Helen Ann_, ketch „ „ _Loch Leven_, ship „ 1871 _Ocean Bridge_, brig „ „ _Martha Lovinia_, schooner „ „ _Arrow_, barque „ 1873 _Cape Pigeon_, cutter „ 1874 _British Admiral_, ship „ „ _Blencathra_, barque „ 1875 _Dart_, ketch „ 1876 _Flying Squirrel_, schooner „ „ _Abrona_, barquentine „ 1877 _Mary Ann_, schooner „ 1878 _Anna_, barque „ „ _Peerless_, ketch „ „ _Kalahone_, barque „ 1879 _Loch Lomond_, schooner „ 1891 _Garfield_, schooner „ 1897 _Landisfarne_, ship „ 1904 refloated _Earl of Linlithgow_, ketch „ „ _Clytie_, ketch „ 1906 _Shannon_, schooner „ „
On many parts of King’s Island’s rocky shore these wrecks have been piled one on top of the other, one reef of rocks alone tearing the life out of no less than six vessels. No doubt the list is far from being complete; there was no light on King’s Island in the earlier days, and this no doubt was the cause of many an unknown tragedy.