Foundered off Long Island, Foveaux Strait, on December 19, 1883. She was bound from Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island, for the fishing grounds when water was noticed in the stokehold. Steam was at once raised to full pressure, and the vessel ran for Boat Harbour, Bunkers Island, distance, three miles. She had not got far before the water gained so much that the fires were extinguished and steam was lost, and although all sail was made and the boat sent out ahead to tow, when about a mile and a half from the island, the flood tide caught her and carried her about four miles off. All hands bailed and pumped, but without avail, and the crew were forced to abandon her. They reached Stewart Island the same night.The Little Denham, No. 75,009, was a ketch-rigged, screw steamer, of 31 tons gross, and 21 tons net register, built at Balmain, near Sydney, N.S.W. in October 1878, and her dimensions were : length 64 ft, beam 13.6 ft, depth 6.1 ft. The Little Denham, which was insured for One Thousand Pound, Sterling, was under the command of Captain Robert Scollay.
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