The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-18 00:00:00

THE WRECK OP TEE COLOMBO.

The following brief particulars respecting this
event are from the Priced of led* of Nov. 27th :—The
following telegram was received in Bombay on 'Tuesday
evenlag. the N* instant r—" The Peninsular end Oriental
Ocompuiy's simmer Columba duck on north end of Minicoy
Island on the morning of the 19th Institut. Passengers and
crew aB saved. Mails partially saved. Ship become a
total ens*. Peeeeepre ell well Seed assistance im-
mediately." This telegram reached Bombay about
eaves p.m., and was shortly afterwards coefirmed
by .another. Fertuastely there were seine of the
company's vends lyiegin the barbs* at the time, end Cap-
Ws Black with a praiseworthy prolamines@ at gees issued
instructions for two of them to he at once prepared for sea.
Ties Ottawa sad the Audi were the vends selected to pro.
cud to*, souse of the diluter ; the former left yesterday
evening. sad will take ou the mails and passengers to Bees -
the letter leaven this day, and on bee arrival will stay by
the wreck to render usistasee. As an butamos of the energy
*dual displayed by the eonapany'serepleyis in ea mmegruey
of this kind, it may lei meneued that *der ordinary airmen.
strums@ It would probably have taken three or fear days to
prepare Use Ottawa far sea. She bad neither coal, prowl.
dew, nor water, on board. Fier boilers, moreover were oat
of .sr, and required surly 150 new tubes. Notairithstani.
lag ell the she w frilly equipped and ready for sea in
less than sixteenhonn from the first order bsiog given.
The following description of the Island of Minicoy ts taken
from lionburgh's Directory : "liisicoy or Maliecty Island
(the *etre) in Ist. 8 deg.. 17 pin. N., long
13 deg. 7 lain. 8.. is about six-sadd-half miles in
length sod half a mile in breadth, extending in the form of
• emesent from N.B. to S.W. with the 1101101101111110 to the
N.W., where a circular coral reef project& about three
miles, mad is joined to the extremes of the island on the
reef war the west point of the island. There is en islet
with trees on it, and at the north end of the eked there is
• purge through the reef, with two fathoms—the deepest
water, through which the boats and small yeasts pars ; but
it is narrow and intricate. When the baste are within the
reef, the water is deeper, 2i and fathoms over a bottom of
bard coral, but chains would be necessary to secure a vessel
were there any swell. The island is very populowt, and
the natives are hospitable ; is a well pleated with doom-nut
trees, and may be seen from the deck of a large ship about
3h or 4 leagues." It is doubtless on the weal reef mentioned
that the viral struck. As to how the accident occurred
we have no means of ascertaining at present. She arrived
at Galls on the 16th instant, and left again after the usual
deteetine. The Azoff, which arrived here on the 21st, ex.
perieaced very thick weather off Galls. but little wind with
tt. We had no observation," mid an officer of that ves-
sel, "for five days, and only knew that we were in oar
coarse by *min the Mahe." The Colombo, in all pro-
bability,wsuni•lsrly, overtaken, terminating, unhappily
for her, ins result as disastrous as it was unlooked-for.
Divers were seek in the Ottawa, and Captain Black, the
company's superintendent, we believe, proceeds in the
Azoff. Tbe unfortunate steamer is a howled ',leek, having
parted midships, and her loss adds another to the long list
of casualties this great company have suffered, the full
particulars of which it will doubtless be some time ere we
receive. The Berenice and the Victoria, radian navy
steamers, were both placed at the disponil of the Wein.
eider and Oneida! Company by government, hat their sir.
vine were not required.