The Express.
London, England, 1860-08-23 00:00:00

THE LOSS OP THE MALABAR,

The Lords of the Committee of Privy Contrail
for Trade have received the report of the officers who Teens
appointed to institute an inquiry into the ciicumstaracee
attending the loss of the Peninsular and Oriental Coin.
pony's steamer Malabar, iu the harbour of Point de Grille.
After some preliminary remarks they say :
"We find that the Malabar arrived in Oalle on Sunday.
the 20th, and was piloted into harbour by Mr. Emmanuel
Daviot, one of the tee senior pilots of Odle, and, awed.
tog to his statement, the ship was anchored in the position
usually assigned to the steamers running between Bombay
and China. Unfortunately no cross bearings of : the
vessel's positiou were taken by the officers of the
Malabar, and we have therefore only the pilot's state-
ment to rely on, and see no reason to question its truth.
fulness. Taking for granted, therefore, that the position
marked io tracing be correct (confirmed by the one bearing
taken from the log), we find that the vessel, with
SO fathoms at the bitts, and with a length of keel of 200
feet, should have swung about 18 fathoms clear of the buoy,
and her not doing so is to us a conclusive proof that the
ship dragged her anchor during the heavy north-east squall
011 the afternoon of the Mid. Great difference of °pillion
exists respecting the exact position of the buoy when the
vessel first struck. That the buoy was carried away no ono
questions. The one now marking the shoal is declared by
the acting master attendant and pilot to be nearly in the
exact place the other occupied. Its situation has leen fixed
by angles taken by ourselves, and we have also sounded in
all directions outside it without getting leas than 44 fathoms.
la the absence, therefore, of any conclusive evidence to the
contrary, we deem this confirmatory of the statement made
by the master attendant and pilots, that the buoy wee pro-
perly marking the shoal in question at the time of the acci-
dent. We beg to call your attention to the fact that by the
custom of the port, merchant yawls are invariably moored
with both bowers, especially at this season of the year, and
the olden to the pilots are not to leave the ship till she is
so secured. The reasons assigned by the pilot for not
carrying out this essentially necessary rule on board the
Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamers are, that as
the @hips frequently remain only a short time in the har-
bour, mooring with both anchors would entail incrisee of
labour and loss of time. In conclusion, it is our *Mon
that the loss of the Malabar was attributable to the ex-
treme violence of the squalls from such an unexpected
quarter, and that evidence tends to prove that nothing
could have been done to prevent the calamity during the
short time that elapsed between the bursting of the squall
and the striking of the ship."
The report is signed by G. F. M'Dougall, Master, R.N. ;
H. It. Harris, Master her Majeety's ship Cyclops.
OrAientludeapat'khompan intin waay,racehiltiug that lie
dY66terd4by the Peninsular and
whole of the opium
in the Malabar had been recovered.

A communication from St. Petersburg, in 'the
Cologne Oa-vile, states that a souadron, compostst of four
frigates, under the Gemmed of the Grand Duke Constan-
tine, is about to proceed to the coast of Syria. The Grand
mules. will, it is said, accompany her husband.
barmier SERVICIIL—LYRE Riots, Atittiza 21.
—At daybreak on Sunday morning, during a heavy rile of
wind from W.S.W., the lifeboat at this place, beholgtog to
the loyal National Lifeboat Institution, prooeoled to the
aasisiauee of a vessel with a signal of distress dying, and
anchorisl near the shore 15 miles to leeward of this port.
On reaching her the wind had moderated, but the sea war
, still hear,T. A portion of the lifeboat's crew were put on
and at noon they succeeded in weighing the vowel,
having slipped one anchor and weighed the other ; and at
even p.m. the vessel, which proved to be the Ceres, of
Lyme, was safely got into Briiiport harbour. The lifeboat's
crew, consisting of toast-guard men, fishermen, and yachts-
w.m, are considered to be entitled to much conntoeutlutioo,
as they went fifteen miles dead to leewant, with no port or
plaoe where they coot. hope to laud had the gal.. continued,
and they might have had to remain a lengthened i.erhal at
anchor amidst the heavy area and surf of the I . eat West
Hay. The lifeboat behaved remarkably well throughout
the service.

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