The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 7, 1848.

doughty have been deducted from the yearly earnings, large
sums being continually required for renewing and replacing
the "permanent means of aocommorlatioo," and that (admit-
ting their title to be considered additions to capita') the profits
have not been increased by the increased outlay. Ido not
state that the above charges are true (most sincerely do 1
hope that they are not), but it is undeniable that statements
of accounts, purporting to be the official accounts returned to
government by various companies, have been in print for
some time, and umontradieted by any of the companies in
uestion. If these statements are incorrect, the companies
alluded to ere bound, in justice to their shareholders, fully to
confute these charges ; but if they are what they. prates to
I be, the company's own figures, there cannot remain a doubt
in the mind of any dispassionate reader that the Times and
itaeorrespondent are right in their conclusions. That the
greater number of railway shareholders are ignorant of the
true position of these undertakings is pretty evident, end
that many railway directors are not would appear almost
equally so ; but it by no means follows that the latter are
indifferent to the fact. Let it be remembered that all the
parties attending a railway meeting are interested in keep-
' tog up the market value of their shares, and it will readily
be seen bow difficult it must be to get at the truth
lat such timer if that truth threatens to be unpalatable. The
question is one which • short time must answer; but, while
the matter is involved in doubt thousands will be ruined ;
nor can this create wonder, when we consider how eagerly
all the companies are endeavouring to raise money. Mean-
while, however, one can only hope that public attention, as
well as that of railway shareholders, may be so drawn to the
subject that, at er immediately after the various meetings
about to be held this month, such clear and ample state-
ments may be produced as shall satisfy the public either for
or against the security and profit of these undertakings.—
No Sitaisnworxeu.—London, Feb. 2, 1848.
Loss OF A WHALING SHIP, AND MURDER OF
THE Cazw.—Letters were received on Saturday at Lloyd's,
dated Sydney, August 17, communicating the total lots of
the barque British Sovereign, • whaling ship, Capt. W. H.
Jones master, on the eastern side of the Sandwich Islands,
and the reported horrible massacre by the natives of nearly
the whole of the ship's crew. The vessel left Sydney on the
Bth of January last for New Zealand, and thence to the
South Sea islands. In the course of the passage she called
at the island of Thanna, where she shipped about twenty of
the natives, to assist in procuring sandal wood. The captain
then determined to make for Sandwich, first sending back
the natives to Thanna in the ship's boat, in charge of the
chief mate and several of the mn. The ship left Erromanga
on the evening of the 23rd of April, and at day-break the
next morning (the 24th) she was found to be close in upon
the eastern coast of Sandwich. She was immediately hauled
on a wind, and two boats were lowered for the purpose of
keeping her off the land, but being within the influence of
the ground swell the h ate hail no effect upon her, and she
soon struck on a rock, within a cable', length of the
shore. She then fell on her broadside, and though her
moots were cut, end every means adopted to save the vessel,
she in • few hours broke up, and became a total
wreck. For three days the crew remained near the
wreck, in the hope of saving some of the stores, the natives
behaving in the kindest manner. The captain and the crew,
it should be observed, were rescued from the rocks by the
natives, who threw ropes to them from the shore. Ihey
wished them to remain, but it was considered expedient by
the captain to make to the leeward harbour, to which ves-
sels resort in visiting the harbour. After about four days
travelling they came to t bay on the south side of the island,
where the natives appeared on the same friendly tarts.
They gave them sugar canes and cocoa-nuts to eat, and the
chief to whom hey were introduced took great liking to •
child. a fine little bay, who was along with the captain.
Amidst this apparent good feeling a tumult broke out among
the natives, who fell upon the unfortunate crew, who were
off their guard, end must of them were brutally slaughtered.
The captain endeavoured to escape, and retreated into the
waste. They were, however, too close upon him, and his
skull was smashed in. The man Weir and three others suc-
ceeded in'getting clear by springing forward into the sea, and
swimming to a canoe, with which they reached an adjacent
island. The natives pursued them, and Weir's companions
were overtaken, but their fates were unknown ; Weir con-
trived to conceal himself in the bush, where he remained
for several clays. ortunately, the first day he ventured out
to the beach the Nab- Its Anna hove in sight, when he
swam off, and was picked up. The number supposed to
have been massacred s' 9. The whaler was not insured.—
Sataksy paper.
FIRE IN THE HACKNET-ROAD.—Last night be-
tween ten end elects o'clock, a lire broke out upon the pre-
mises belonging to Mr. J. ha Ellis, a linendreper and silk-
mercer, at No. 6, Brightoe.place, Hackney-road. The
discovery was made by some of the inmates whilst sitting in
one of the lower rooms at supper. They immediately rushed
to the front warehouse, which they found enveloped in a
general mass of fire, hut by dint of extraordinary exertion
some of the residents ran up stairs, and succeeded in rescuing
the children. Several engines were soon on the spat. When
the firemen came dawn, not a drop of water was flowing
from the firemains in the district, and some time was neces-
sarily consumed whilst the brigade were looking for the
plugs. At length they were found, and the same having been
drawn, a plentiful supply of water was procured, whicn wall
scattered into the miast of the fame'. The fire during the
interval the men were 'earthing fur water had gained con-
sideraely, end it was not until nearly twelve o'clock that it
could be extinguished, when the valuable stock-in-
trade was almost consumed, and the ',remises extensively
dammed by fire. 'The origin of the disaster is enveloped in
mystery. Mr. Edi.,'s loss will fall upon the Royal Exchange
fire-office.
EXPLOSION IN WOR.IIIP-STREET.—Yeaterday fore-
noon the utmod excitement was occasioned in the neigh-
bourhood of the Curtain-road sod Worship-street, by an ex-
plosion which might have been attended with disastrous
consequences to lite and property. An explosion of gas took
lilac: in the gas company's works, situate at the corner of
the Curtain-rood, which blew the upper windowe out of one
of the compartments in the yard, at the some time making
a noise like the discharge of • pies of ordnance, and
oh ,king the houses in the immediate district to their very
foundations. Although several men were in the yard near
the spot when the explosion occurred it is stated that not
one received personal injury.
INGIVEST, SATURDAY. —SUICIDE OF A BOT.—By
Mr. Bedford, in the Millbank prison, on the body of
William Baker, aged 16, who destroyed himself while there
incarcerated.—Capt. Groves, the governor, stated that the
deceased was convicted at the Colchester sessions in Be.
comber of stealing three sixpences. He hid before been
several times in custody, and was sentenced to seven years'
transportation. He was received in that prison on the fist
of January, and placed in separate confinement. About
seven on Thursday evening last he heard the deceased had
hanged himself.—Mullins, the keeper, under whose charge
the prisoner was placed, said he had observed nothing pecu-
liar in the deceased's manner, but when he cut his hair he
cried very much. On Thursday evening he saw him in his
cell, about half-past six, when he then appeared sewing. In
half an hour afterwards he discovered that he had sus-
pended himself by some thread to the bar of the window.
On the deceased's slate he had written " Lord have mercy
upon us ! Christ have mercy--" and he appeared to have
broken off in the sentence.—Mr. Hale, the reddent surgeon,
said upon going to the cell he tried to produce respiration
artificially, but without success. He then had the body
placed in a warm bath, and finding there was some stoppage
at the top of the windpipe he opened it, and by that means
tried to induce breathing, hut, although he infl iced the
lungs, it had no the desired effect. From the first he had
no hope, but tried these means for his own satisfaction.—
Verdict, "Temporary insanity."