The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-14 00:00:00

WILLOZ OP N.U.B. AteiTTL &K.

•
The Jllllll/1 TIMCII Overland Moil gives the fol-
lowing account of the wreck of H.M.S. Rattler:
The Rattler, steam-sloop, 17 guns, 9.52 tons, 29ds
bona power,a left Yokuhaina on the 9th of September
last, having on board Mean. Adams and Batow,
of the British legation. On entering Romanzoff Bay
in the early dawn of the 24th September everything
lay fair and calm before the ship, not • lire ith of wind
ruffled the surface of the see, and the lead gave nine to
ten fathoms Ia both chains as she slowly and cautiously
felt her way in. Suddenly, a few minutes before six—
when the leadsmen had just given eight fathoms and was
swinging for another oast, she struck. It was soon seen
that she was in an almost hopeless rvt-d-pems. Under
the deceptive calm water lay a series of reefs, stretching
in long sueessionright in front of the port and about
• mile and a Ulf from shore. They lay like
• comb in the ship's path, and between two of the teeth
her bows passed, and she lay imprisoned and helpless.
Everything was immediately done that was likely to
draw her off ; four of the steenmost guns were hove over-
board and buoyed, anchors taken out and laid —but all
was of no avail. About 3 p.m. it came on- to blow, and
then was seen how hopeless was the condition of the ship.
All round her were reefs, a wash at low water, and as
the swell began to lift her, she crashed down upon the
rocks and commenced to roll in a manner that threatened
soon to break her up. It was clearly time to think of
providing for the safety of 149 people on board, and
preparations for landing men and provisions were
accordingly begun. The wind was from the S.W., so
that there was no imminent danger, but the night of the
24th was an unpleasant and anxious one indeed, com-
munication with the shore being impossible, owing to the
dangerous reefs between it and the ship. At 3 a.m. on
the 25th. the whole of the engine-room being stove in and
the rudder knocked off, the vessel begun to fill, which
steadied her. Ou the morning of the 'Leith the ottioere'
and men's bedding and clothes, with the greater part of
the provisions, were landed. In the afternoon, the
barometer falling end the wind shitting to the N.W.,
everybody was landed at sunset. A gale cams on
from the same quarter, which lasted fur two days,
rendering all communication impossible, the seas making
a clean breach over her. Houses were thou prepared ou
shore for the crews and officers, sentries set, watches
kept, and all went on in good order. The men behaved
rely well. Perfect disci ins prevailed, there were no
attempts to break into spirit-room or stores, and all
worked hard with a will to save guns, store., small arms,
rail., chains, anchor., and rigging. The engine-roam having
been stove in, the machinery could not be got out, but
almost everything else, to the malt., which ware c nt oat
of her, was taken on shore, properly stored, and left in
.barge of Japanese officials. We need not dwell Lino.'
the small events of the sixteen we:l.y days which
elapsed before relief arrived. The country is vary
thinly populated, lore of wood, nod apparently holding
little game. O.:aunties of duck and p!..eer WTO got alone
the edge of the bay, end salmon was in absolute profu-
sion. Nine miles across from Soye. near Cape Noss-Tab,
is a swell river, and there, at a village c...led Koitoi, 14 a
salmon ffibing elation. Fishing Mill Ilryiti .r seaweed con-
stitute the trade of the place, and as many as two
thousand ?alma arc taken in a 41.1 y. The trade is
famed by a guild in Ilakodata, and their agent
at Soya was the chief man in the pinee and Ten-
deed good perviee to the shipwrilced crew.
Meanwhile, a message had reached Hakolite
overland, and Captain Du Petit Thouers, who was
there with his Imperial Majesty's Ihipaix lost not n
ii .oment in starting to the relief of the Itattler. His
machinery was undergoing repair and his ship was
without coal, hut by working double tides all through the
night he managed to get away the morning after the news
reached Hakodate, end, steaming her beet, the Duple:
reached the scene of the disaster on the loth October, 48
hours after leaving Mak...date, and embarked the ship-
wrecked crew. Nothing could exceed his courtesy
and attention, or the kindness and consideration

of his officer; and crew. lie insisted—on giving
up his own cabin to his guests, creeping him-
self into some berth down in the cockpit, and the
whole starboard side of the lower dear was given up
to the Rattler's crew. All arrived in safety at Yoko-
hama on the 17th. There is generally some redeeming
point, some cause for cheerfulness in meet misfortunes;
mad in this one we may certainly greet this thorough
illustration of the intent.' (*Mirk. Altogether, to use a
common phrase, the very beet was male of a had job,
and, though England has lost a ship, the intelligence of
her officers, the good discipline of the men, and the
exertions of a truly friendly ally have saved • lime crew
without • single casualty, and, we have every reason to
congratulate ourselves that so little harm has been doue.