The Express.
London, England, 1867-08-17 00:00:00

THE SHIPWRECK OP THE ARKANSAS.

The owner of the barque Arkansas, which was
wrecked in the Mediterranean, with the loss of four lives,
has received a letter from the captain, Wiz. C. H. Hoff-
man, giving full particulars of the disaster. From this it
appears that the mate, carpenter, and one A. 8., together
with the captain's wife, are the four whose lives have been
sacrifioed in this disaster. The fate of Mrs. Hoffman is a
most melancholy one. She was married only last April at
Cardiff, and her husband requested permission of the
owner to take her with him for the voyage to Alexandria,
after which they would set up house in Sunderland. Like
himself, she was • native of Prussia, which she had only
left a few dap before in company with her brother,
who came over to be present at the wedding, and her
husband pointed out to Mr. Watson how lonely she
would be in Sunderland amongst strangers, if he left
her behind him just at that time. Although opposed to
his captains taking their wives to sea with them, Mr.
Watson, to favour • valued servant, consented that she
should AO the voyage, which was commenced on the 19th
of April, about • week after their wedding. The captain,
in his letter, describes the foundering of the vessel, after
the ship had filled with water, and was level with the sea.
He says:—" Seeing our only chance was the gig, I
scrambled aft and saw all hands collected around the gig.
Telling them to be cool and collected, I ordered the gig
to be lapelled over the counter, which was just
slowly lifting out of the water, as the foreships
went down. The boat was launched in God's
name, and floating when I threw myself off the
counter of the sinking ship in the water, I just catching
the boat. When I was just inside the hnt, I heard some-
body crying out, 'The painter, the painter; out the
painter ; it's drang the boat down " Throwing myself
forward over everybo I got my penknife and just out
the painter through whidy,
le it was getting tightened by the
sinking ship. The sea hove the boat astern a little, and
the ship sunk slowly under, with all my happiness in her.
We then picked up an oar of the long-boat, and laid the
boat quickly to the sea, as she was then half fall of water,
through the plug-hole, which had been forgotten in the
hurry, and • crack in a bottom plank, split by launching
her over • holt. One of the men and I were holding the
boat's head to the sea, while all the rest were balling the
water out, laying Rat in the boat. We then heard several
persons crying out for help, but with only a single
car the boat hardly swimming, we drifted astern,
and found it impossible to help them. One poor man—l
think it was the carpenter's voice—was shouting for help
continually, until I said to him, God save you, my poor
fellow, say your prayers ; it's impossible I can help you.'
Then he was quiet, and only once or twice after that I
heard somebody shouting after us. We were nine in the
boat, and had lost three men and my wife. After this the
plug-hole was stopped, and four men were able to keep the
water from pining on us, and relieved each other all the
night. Our balers werethe cut-off sea boots of two men.
The ship sunk about 8.35, and until about 11 p.m. we
drifted to the west a little southerly, when the wind came
strongly from the northward, which made us keep to the
southward, with a heavy cross-sea that threatened to
swamp. us every moment. Only the skilful manner in
which August Wilson, of Sweden, LB., handled the boat
saved our lives. In this manner the night passed."

ADMIRALTY, AUGUST 16. —APPOINTMENTS.
Commander C. F. Hotham, to the Jaseur, commissioned.
Lieutenant E. F. B. Smith, to the Royal Adelaide. Mid-
shipman F. R. Sandilands, to the Narcissus. Naval Cadet,
nominated, C. F. Bullen. Engineers A. Stewart and F.
Day, to the Crocodile. Secend-olass Assistant Engineer
W. H. White_, to she Crocodile.
OYSTER FISHERY IN THE FIRTH OP FORTH.
For some time past serious complaints have been made of
the state of this important fishery, and much dissatisfac-
tion has been felt that while the size and quality of the
oysters brought to the Edinburgh market have diminished,
the price has increased. It is pretty well known that this
is attributable not to any falling off in the productiveness
of the scalps, but to the reckless and improvident manner
in which the fishery has been carried on. The Duke of
Buocleuch's oyster fishery extends in length from Cramond
Island on the west to the east end of the old village of
Newhaven on the east, and to the middle of the Firth in
breadth ; and this extensive track has for many years been
let to the Newhaven fishermen, as tenants at will, for
little more than a nominal rent. Instead, however, of
cultivating the ground for the benefit of Edinburgh and
the neighbourhood, and taking only full-sized ash, •
practice has prevailed for a good many years past of
dredging the small oysters, or brood, and selling them in
immense quantities to strangers, who carry them off to
England or elacwbere, and lay them down to improve the
wane of their own ground. This the Duke of Bucoleuch
has always objected to, and bad the system been allowed
to continue, the scalps referred to would soon have
become altogether unproductive. With a view to remedy
the evil, we understand his grace has now let his oyster
fishery to Mr. John Anderson, of the Royal Emporium,
George-street, it being provided in the lease that no brood
shall be removed except for the purpose of being laid
down immediately in other parts of the fishing ground ;
that no oysters shall be brought to market which, with
the shell, are capable of being parsed through • ring of 2i
inches in diameter ; and that the fishery shall in all re
specie be carried on in such a way as to cultivate and
improve it to the utmost. Can has also been taken in
the lease to protect se much as possible the interests of
the Newhaven fishermen, and secure employment for
them in • legitimate way, provided they agree to reason-
able terms, and submit to the necessary reguLtions and
restrictions. It is hoped that by these arrangements the
fishery will, in the course of a very few years, be much
improved, and the Edinburgh market far better supplied
than it has been.

FATAL RZMULT OF HORSE FLOGO INO. —The
other day James Booth, an unmarried man of 27 years,
coachman at Pittodrie, in the Gerlach, was killed by one
of his horses. He had just returned from being out with
the carriage, had unyoked the horses, and drown one of
them into the stable, where he left him untied and har-
nessed. He unharnessed the other, which he began to
flog for some fault ; while doing so the other horse came
out. He went and put him in again. When about to
resume flogging the faulty horse, a nun who was cutting
thiatles, &c., on the grass, advised him to desist. He, in
effect, said he was not yet done with him, and led
the horse round a corner of the stable. All soon
was still, and the man thought he had led him
away for a little distance. In not more than five
minutes from turning the corner the farm-overseer hap-
pened to pass, and found the lifeless body of Booth half
reclining against the wall at the door. Dr. Davidson and
Dr. Mitchell were soon present, and on examination it
was found that the horse bad "shouldered" (as horsemen
term it) the coachman—that is, be had gone in upon him,
run him up against the edge of the door, and pressed him
to death. His neck being pressed obliquely in at the door
was dislocated. Besides, his body soon became blue,
proving too well the part; squeezed. The ground showed
the marks of the brief struggle. The borse'a Votprints
were distinct, showing how he had fenced himself in press.
ing the unfortunate man. The horse then stood about two
or three yards off, finite quiet, but got excited when about
to be caught. A little kindness soon made him calm.—
Banffshire Journal.
ECCLESIASTICAL LresNers.—According to the
new Inland Revenue Act (yesterday printed) an ecclesias-
tical authority may be issued to preach, &c., where no
salary la attached, without being chargeable with stamp
duty.